1862 Cavaillé-Coll organ at Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France

Celebrating Église Saint Sulpice

…this Parisian church enjoyed the world’s largest musical instrument when its mighty 100-stop Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ was inaugurated 150 years ago, on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1862.

Program Broadcast dates:

• Week of April 16, 2012

Featured Organ:

• 1862 Cavaillé-Coll organ at Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France

Audio Interview:

Daniel Roth has some interesting things to say about the instrument upon which he plays, created in 1862 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, the foremost organ builder in France. Roth plays at St. Sulpice. Hear his comments, in conversation with Michael Barone:

• Playing in the shadows of Widor and Dupre.
• Dealing with the physical realities of what, with 100 stops and 5 manual keyboards, was the world's largest pipe organ back in 1862.
• Coordinating with a choir at a distance of over 100 yards when playing music for two organs and singers.
• Describing the classical heart of this most impressive, and massive, representative of the French symphonic-romantic organ tradition.

Related Pipdreams Archive Shows

• The Grand Organ of Saint-Sulpice 9243
• The Tradition of Saint Sulpice 9639
• Sculptor of Sound 9941

Links and Resources:

• Printable program listings

Music played in the program

Hour 1

MARCEL DUPRÉ: Prelude & Fugue in B, Opus 7, number 1 –Daniel Roth, organist. Motette CD MOT 12581

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Moderato, from Symphonie gothique, Number 9, Opus 70 –Charles-Marie Widor, organist, recorded 1932. EMI Classics 55037

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Moderato, from Symphonie romane, Number 10, Opus 73 –Daniel Roth, organist. Motette CD MOT 11141

LOUIS VIERNE: Gloria, from Messe Solennelle, Opus 16 –Choeur d’Oratorio de Paris, Jean Sourisse, conductor; Daniel Roth, organist. JAV CD-179

J.S. BACH: Prelude & Fugue in a, BWV 543 –Marcel Dupré, organist, recorded 1959. Mercury LPSR-90227

MARCEL DUPRÉ: Cortege et Litanie, Opus 19, number 2 –Michael Murray, organist. Telarc 60516

Filler – MARCEL DUPRÉ: Fugue in B, Op.7, no. 1 (see above)

Hour 2

GEORGE THALBEN-BALL: Poema –Joseph Nolan, organist. Signum 167

LOUIS-JAMES-ALFRED LEFÉBURE-WÉLY: Adoro te (alternatim) & March in E-flat –L'Accent Grave Ensemble, Vincent Genvrin, conductor & organist. Hortus 005

DANIEL ROTH: Kyrie, from Missa de archangelis –Westfalian Chamber Soloists, Markus Lehnert, conductor; Daniel Roth, organist. Motette CD MOT 50771

JOSEF RHEINBERGER: Fugue in b, from Sonata Number 10, Opus 146 –Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin, organist. Festivo FECD-159

JEAN-JACQUES GRUNENWALD: Entrée, Communion et Sortie, from 5 Pieces –Sophie Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin, organist. Festivo 6961 912

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (transcribed by Vierne): Prelude in c# –Vincent Dubois, organist. JAV 166

MARCEL DUPRÉ: Resurrection, from Symphonie Passion, Opus 23 –Suzanne Chaisemartin, organist. Aeolus AE10021

Filler – LOUIS VIERNE: Gloria (see above)

 

Presided over for a century by Charles-Marie Widor from 1870—1933 and after him by Marcel Dupré from 1933—1971, and expanded to 102-stops in the 1930s, this remarkable instrument is perhaps the most famous pipe organ in all of France.