Cathédrale

Américaine

23, avenue Georges V, 75008 Paris

E5 The great organ of the American Cathedral was built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1887 and inaugurated on October 5 of the same year by Alexandre Guilmant. It had 45 stops spread over 3 keyboards (GO, Positive and Swell) and a Pedal. The instrument is placed on a platform at the crossroads of the nave and the transept. On the advice of Marcel Dupré, the instrument was extended (7 new stops) and electrified by Mutin in 1922. Later, interventions by Convers in 1930, then by Beuchet-Debierre in 1970, took the instrument to 62 stops. That same year, Erwin Muller built a small organ of neo-classical aesthetics that was installed on a tribune located at the bottom of the nave and in the axis of it, near the entrance to the cathedral. Between 1992 and 1993, Bernard Dargassies restored and expanded the organ to 72 stops by building a new buffet which replaced the organ of Muller. This new buffet constituted a 4th keyboard called "Antiphonal" of 10 stops, which can be played from the main console of the great organ. The term Antiphonal refers to a choir organ in the USA. Here, the Antiphonal was not placed in the choir but on a tribune. In addition, it has an 8' chamade rank. This small buffet of 10 stops constitutes also an independent organ thanks to a specific console of one keyboard located under this tribune and allowing to play it separately. It is therefore possible, at the console of the large organ of 4 keyboards (main console), to play the 3 keyboards and pedals corresponding to the main buffet as well as the Antiphonal keyboard placed in the secondary buffet. (Translation of a French text by Thierry Correard) During 2024-2027, this organ will be completely reconstructed by Klais and Thomas, according to the schedule below. All of the surviving Cavaillé-Coll pipework is being restored and reintegrated into the new organ. The same goes for nearly all of the 1921/1930 Mutin/Convers/Willis III pipework. New nave divisions will be the first part of the organ to be delivered. Two Mutin ranks (zinc) are being discarded: 1. The G.O. 16’ Diapason which did not mix well with the other foundations and was anyway incomplete, the bottom octave was borrowed from the pedal Violone, then seven notes borrowed from the 8’ Montre, then finally its own pipes from tenor G! This will be replaced by a complete 16’ Montre rank which will form the new facades in the chancel. 2. The Positif 16’ Quintaton had its caps removed and was revoiced into a not very satisfactory 8’ Flûte in the last rebuild. This will be replaced by a new 8’ Flûte harmonique, and a soft 16’ Bourdon. It was decided not to reinstate a Quintaton as we already have one (1887 CC) in the Récit. For the facade pipe finish it was decided to go with polished tin as that is what Cavaillé-Coll did with the existing facade (which will remain in situ). February 2026: Everything (except the Chamade and fixed chancel drawstop console) for the nave organ, chancel Positif and G.O. divisions has been built (including restoration of the historic pipework in the latter two divisions). This phase one of the project should be finished by July 2026. Everything else will be delivered starting a year from now as phase 2. Completion will be sometime in the summer of 2027. Info: Andrew Dewar, facebook Site of the organ Brochure

Organiste titulaire Andrew Dewar Concerts - Video Michał Szostak Andrew Dewar