Keyboards, Cathedral Notre Dame, Paris
It will be noticed that this illustration is not a photograph, but a wood engraving, drawn by hand, and the artist was evidently not a musician--he only shows 38 keys on each manual; there should be 56.
It stands in a gallery over the west door of the Cathedral. It has five manuals of 56 notes each, CC to g3, pedal of 30 notes, CCC to F; 86 sounding stops "controlled by 110 registers"; 32 combination pedals, and 6,000 pipes, the longest being 32 feet. The action is Cavaillé-Coll's latest improvement on the Barker pneumatic lever. The wind reservoirs contain 35,000 litres of compressed air, fed by 6 pairs of pompes furnishing 600 litres of air per second. Here is the specification:
PEDAL ORGAN (16 STOPS).
FEET. FEET.
Principal-Basse 32 Quinte 5 2/3
Contre-Basse 16 Septième 4 4/7
Grosse Quinte 10 2/3 Centre Bombarde 32
Sous-Basse 16 Bombarde 16
Flute 8 Trompette 8
Grosse Tierce 6 2/5 Basson 16
Violoncelle 8 Basson 8
Octave 4 Clairon 4
FIRST CLAVIER (GRAND CHOEUR), 12 STOPS.
FEET. FEET.
Principal 8 Larigot 1 1/3
Prestant 4 Septième 1 1/7
Bourdon 8 Piccolo 1
Quinte 2 2/3 Tuba Magna 16
Doublette 2 Trompette 8
Tierce 1 3/5 Clairon 4
SECOND CLAVIER (GBAND ORGUE), 14 STOPS.
FEET. FEET.
Violon-Basse 16 Octave 4
Montre 8 Doublette 2
Bourdon 16 Fourniture, 2 to 5 ranks
Flute Harmonique 8 Cymbale, 2 to 5 ranks
Viola de Gambe 8 Basson 16
Prestant 4 Basson-Hautbois 8
Bourdon 8 Clairon 4
THIRD CLAVIER (BOMBARDES), 14 STOPS.
FEET. FEET.
Principal-Basse 16 Quinte 2 2/3
Principal 8 Septième 2 1/7
Sous-Basse 16 Doublette 2
Flute Harmonique 8 Cornet, 2 to 5 ranks
Grosse Quinte 5 1/3 Bombarde 16
Octave 4 Trompette 8
Grosse Tierce 3 1/5 Clairon 4
FOURTH CLAVIER (POSITIF), 14 STOPS.
FEET. FEET.
Montre 16 Flute Douce 4
Flute Harmonique 8 Doublette 2
Bourdon 16 Piccolo 1
Salcional 8 Plein Jeu, 3 to 6 ranks
Prestant 4 Clarinette-Basse 16
Unda Maris 8 Cromorne 8
Bourdon 8 Clarinette Aigue 4
FIFTH CLAVIER (RECIT EXPRESSIF), 16 STOPS.
FEET. FEET.
Voix Humaine 8 *Prestant 4
*Basson-Hautbois 8 *Plein Jeu, 4 to 7 ranks
*Diapason 8 Quinte 2 2/3
*Flute Harmonique 4 Octavin 2
Voix Celeste 8 Cornet, 3 to 5 ranks
*Flute Octav 4 Bombarde 16
Voile de Gambe 8 Trompette 8
Quintaton 16 Clairon 4
The printed specification kindly furnished to us by Dr. William C. Carl, of New York, who obtained it specially from Mr. Charles Mutin, of Paris, Cavaillé-Coll's successor in business, is not clear on the matter of couplers. Apparently all the manuals can be coupled to the Grand Choeur; the Grand Orgne and the Grand Choeur to the Pedals; and each manual has a suboctave coupler on itself. One of the combinations to the Pedal organ is designated, "Effets d'orage"--a thunder stop.
The organ was completely overhauled and renovated by Cavaillé-Coll shortly before his death (in 1899) and the stops marked * were inserted in the Swell (Recit Expressif) in place of others. The inauguration announcement states that it is one of the largest and most complete in Europe, and that independently of the perfection of the mechanism it possesses a power and variety of tone hitherto unknown in organ building, and now only realized for the first time. It is undoubtedly Cavaillé-Coll's finest work, and a lasting monument to his genius.