The pipework
A look at the pipes inside the organ helps to identify their origins. It remains a large part of old stops, mainly from Dupont and Cavaillé-Coll.
It still remains 23 stops (35% of total) from Dupont, successively modified by Cavaillé-Coll and Haerpfer-Erman. Cavaillé-Coll modified some existing stops in the 19th century by introducing tuning slots, adjustable caps, and nickings on the flue pipes’ languids.
Haerpfer-Erman, with the aim to restore the Positif as in the 18th century (dans l’esprit du XVIIIème siècle according to the quote) significantly changed the pipes’ physical characteristics by lowering the pipes’ feet, changing the languids and widening the toe holes. It is hence incorrect to look for Dupont’s original voice, except for the reeds stops of the Bombarde keyboard and of the Pédale, as many were kept unchanged.
22 stops (34%) are from Cavaillé-Coll’s work, mainly at the Récit and Pédale. Some kept their original timber, some others were transformed by Haerpfer-Erman, such as the numerous Flute stops, that were cut in order to remove their harmonic voices. Those Flutes have been recently extended (2013) in order to make them sound harmonic again.
16 stops (25%) are from Haerpfer-Erman, including the Récit’s Cornet, that was brought from the former organ of Saint-Pierre Church in Nancy that the organ builder restored. There are mainly mutation stops and the three Bombarde’s Principals.
Pipes are mainly lead-tin alloy- and copper-made.
Finally, 2 stops were installed by Jean-François Vautrin: the Bombarde’s Cromorne and the Positif’s Oboe (dessus, starting at c3). The latter was transferred by Haerpfer-Erman in the 1960s to the Lépine’s Great-Organ of Sarlat Cathedral, south of France, but was brought back in 2012 by organ builders Laurent Plet and Bertrand Cattiaux, the grave pipes were built at that time as a Bassoon as in order to add a full stop. The Bassoon’s shallots are notably from Cavaillé-Coll.
Façade pipes are tin-made, originally from Dupont. Cavaillé-Coll’s workers found engraved at the time of the reconstruction on one of the Montre pipe’s languid: Frères Dupont Nicolas Joseph Fecite.
Stops characteristics :
Positif
Montre 8’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made, C1 to G3 are facade pipes |
Bourdon 8’ | Built by Dupont, C1 to A1 are oak-made, the rest is lead-made |
Prestant 4’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made, a part is used in facade |
Nazard 2' 2/3 | Built by Dupont, former Quinte 2' 2/3 of Cavaillé-Coll |
Doublette 2’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made with lead-made feet |
Tierce 1' 3/5 | Built by Haerpfer |
Larigot 1' 1/3 | Built by Haerpfer |
Piccolo 1’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll, tin-made, wide sizes to be noticed |
Cornet 5 rgs | Built by Haerpfer, replacing Dupont's Cornet transferred to the Bombarde division |
Fourniture 4 rgs | Built by Haerpfer |
Trompette 8’ | Built by Dupont, except B4 to F5 from Cavaillé-Coll, tin-made resonators with lead-made feet. Shallots were changed in 2012, after Dupont |
Clairon 4’ | Built by Dupont, except the last octave from Haerpfer, which are labial pipes. Shallots were changed in 2012, after Dupont |
Basson-Hautbois 8’ | Bassoon is a new stop built by Laurent Plet in 2012 with tongues and shallots from Cavaillé-Coll. Oboe built by Vautrin, returned in 2012 |
Cromorne 8’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made resonators, old shallots |
Grand-orgue
Montre 16’ | Built by Dupont, C1 to D#3 are facade pipes. Tin-made, tuning slides from Cavaillé-Coll |
Bourdon 16’ | Built by Dupont. Low pipes are wood-made, high are lead-made |
Montre 8’ | Built by Dupont, C1 to F2 are facade pipes. Tin-made, tuning slides from Cavaillé-Coll |
Bourdon 8’ | Built by Dupont. First octave is oak-made, the rest is lead-made |
Flûte harmonique 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. First octave is fir-made, the rest is tin-made. Harmonic voicing starting C3 remade in 2013 |
Prestant 4’ | Built by Dupont, C1 to B1 are facade pipes. Tin-made, tuning slides from Cavaillé-Coll |
Flûte douce 4’ | Built by Dupont, lead-made, chimney-flute pipes |
Grosse tierce 3' 1/5 | Built by Haerpfer |
Quinte 2' 2/3 | Built by Haerpfer |
Doublette 2’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made, lead-made feet |
Septième 1' 1/7 | Built by Haerpfer, starts at C3 |
Bombarde
Principal 8’ | Built by Haerpfer, C1 to F2 are copper-made |
Principal 4’ | Built by Haerpfer, C1 to B1 are copper-made |
Principal 2’ | Built by Haerpfer |
Cornet 5 rgs | Built by Dupont, initially set in the positif. Replaces a similar stop stolen during the 1965 restoration |
Fourniture 5 rgs | Built by Haerpfer |
Cymbale 4 rgs | Built by Haerpfer |
Bombarde 16’ | Built by Dupont. Tin-made resonators, lead-made feet. Ancient shallots |
1ère trompette 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll, tin-made resonators |
2ème trompette 8’ | Built by Dupont. Tin-made resonators, lead-made feet. Ancient shallots |
Clairon 4’ | Built by Dupont, except F#4 to F5 from Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resonators, lead-made feet. Ancient shallots |
Cromorne 8’ | Built by Vautrin. Pavillons en étain, lead-made feet. Ancient shallots |
Récit expressif
Quintaton 16’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. C1 to B2 are fir-made, unenclosed |
Principal 8’ | Built by Haerpfer |
Bourdon 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Low pipes are fir-made, high are metal-made, with chimney |
Viole de gambe 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Low pipesare fir-made, high are tin-made |
Voix céleste 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll, tin-made |
Flûte octaviante 4’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll, tin-made. Pipes starting C3 were remade harmonic in 2013 |
Octavin 2’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll, tin-made. Pipes starting C3 were remade harmonic in 2013 |
Cornet 5 rgs | Added by Haerpfer, unenclosed. Pipes were made in the 19th and come from the former organ of St. Pierre's Church in Nancy |
Plein-jeu 4 rgs | Built by Haerpfer |
Basson 16’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resonators, with tuning slots. Resonators are real size |
Trompette 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resonators, with tuning slots |
Clairon 4’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll, except the last octave from Haerpfer, which are labial pipes. Tin-made resonators, with tuning slots |
Basson-hautbois 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resonators, with tuning slots |
Voix humaine 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resonators, with tuning slots, with soldered caps. |
Pédale
Soubasse 32’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Capped pipes fir-made |
Flûte 16’ | Built by Dupont, F#1 to B2 are facade pipes |
Contrebasse 16’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Open fir-made pipes |
Soubasse 16’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Capped pipes fir-made |
Flûte 8’ | Built by Dupont (low pipes) and Cavaillé-Coll (high pipes), oak and tin-made, respectively |
Flûte 4’ | C1 to F1 are facade pipes from Dupont. The rest are tin-made, from Cavaillé-Coll |
Mixture 4 rgs | Built by Haerpfer |
Contrebombarde 32’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Fir-made resonators and feet, leathered shallots |
Bombarde 16’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Fir-made resonators, leathered shallots |
Bombarde 16’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made resontors and lead-made feet |
Contrebasson 16’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resontors, tear-drop shallots |
Trompette 8’ | Built by Dupont, tin-made resontors and lead-made feet |
Basson 8’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resontors, tear-drop shallots |
Clairon 4’ | Built by the Claude bros., completed by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resontors and lead-made feet |
Baryton 4’ | Built by Cavaillé-Coll. Tin-made resontors, tear-drop shallots |