ORGANS OF PARIS © 2024 Vincent Hildebrandt HOME ALL ORGANS
The main builders of
the 20th century
Beuchet-Debierre et al. Boisseau Cicchero Dalstein-Haerpfer Dargassies Fossaert Gonzalez-Danion Gutschenritter - Masset Jacquot Kern Koenig Maciet Muller Mutin – Convers – Pleyel Puget Renaud Rieger Roethinger Swiderski others
The Twentieth Century: Back to the Roots!
In the first decades of the 20th century, Parisian parishes turned mainly to Mutin (Cavaillé-Coll's successor) to carry out maintenance, restoration, and construction of new organs. The latter is in the continuity of the tradition of the symphonic organ created by Cavaillé-Coll. At the same time, a new generation of composers, organists and organ builders was trained and became increasingly interested in "early" music and its construction. They then wanted a different type of organ that would allow the interpretation of ancient, romantic and modern music at the same time. The organ builder Victor Gonzalez was a pioneer of this reform initiated by André Marchal, Norbert Dufourcq and Bérenger de Miramon Fitz-James. This collaboration led to the foundation of the group "Les amis de l'orgue" whose aim was to reflect on the future of the organ and its construction, in particular through the creation of a new type of organ aimed at allowing "ancient" and "modern" music to be played. They were soon joined by other builders, such as Joseph Gutschenritter (Merklin's successor) and the House of Beuchet-Debierre, who would follow a similar artistic path. In 1963, the reconstruction of the organ of St Séverin made it possible to take a new step in the design of the organ, largely inspired by the French Classical Organ and the Germanic organ of the eighteenth century. This was the starting point for many reconstructions, often entrusted to Alsatian organ builders. In the last decades of the twentieth century, aspirations shifted again: a growing interest in nineteenth-century symphonic organs gave rise to a more conservative policy concerning restorations and the return to their original state of "baroquized" instruments throughout the twentieth century.
The
table
shows
the
main
organ
builders
of
the
20th
century
and
the
numbers
of
organs
they
built
or
restored
and/or
renovated.
Organ
builders
which
were
primarely
active
in
the
last
decades
of
the
20th
century
are
listed in the tabel addressing the
organs of the 21th century
.
This
table
shows
the
dominance
of
Beuchet-Debierre
et
al,
with
Mutin,
Gonzalez
and
Gutschenritter
being
the
main
competitors.
Mutin
is
on
top
with regard to newly built organs.
Organs of Paris
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2024 Vincent Hildebrandt ALL ORGANS 
The Twentieth Century: Back to the Roots!
In the first decades of the 20th century, Parisian parishes turned mainly to Mutin (Cavaillé-Coll's successor) to carry out maintenance, restoration, and construction of new organs. The latter is in the continuity of the tradition of the symphonic organ created by Cavaillé-Coll. At the same time, a new generation of composers, organists and organ builders was trained and became increasingly interested in "early" music and its construction. They then wanted a different type of organ that would allow the interpretation of ancient, romantic and modern music at the same time. The organ builder Victor Gonzalez was a pioneer of this reform initiated by André Marchal, Norbert Dufourcq and Bérenger de Miramon Fitz-James. This collaboration led to the foundation of the group "Les amis de l'orgue" whose aim was to reflect on the future of the organ and its construction, in particular through the creation of a new type of organ aimed at allowing "ancient" and "modern" music to be played. They were soon joined by other builders, such as Joseph Gutschenritter (Merklin's successor) and the House of Beuchet-Debierre, who would follow a similar artistic path. In 1963, the reconstruction of the organ of St Séverin made it possible to take a new step in the design of the organ, largely inspired by the French Classical Organ and the Germanic organ of the eighteenth century. This was the starting point for many reconstructions, often entrusted to Alsatian organ builders. In the last decades of the twentieth century, aspirations shifted again: a growing interest in nineteenth-century symphonic organs gave rise to a more conservative policy concerning restorations and the return to their original state of "baroquized" instruments throughout the twentieth century.
The
table
shows
the
main
organ
builders
of
the
20th
century
and
the
numbers
of
organs
they
built
or
restored
and/or
renovated.
Organ
builders
which
were
primarely
active
in
the
last
decades
of
the
20th
century
are
listed
in
the
tabel
addressing
the
organs
of the 21th century
.
This
table
shows
the
dominance
of
Beuchet-Debierre
et
al,
with
Mutin,
Gonzalez
and
Gutschenritter
being
the
main
competitors.
Mutin
is
on
top
with
regard
to
newly built organs.
