Short demonstration of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre Dame d’Auteuil, Paris – Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ktr97TqaII

10-10-2011 15:32 Frederic Blanc improvises on the gorgeous Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre Dame d'Auteuil church in Paris. Christoph Martin Frommen of the Aeolus record label writes about this very special instrument: The fascinating history of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre-Dame d'Auteuil in Paris is most intimately bound up in that of the legendary organ in the "Palais du Trocadéro" there, also an instrument by the Cavaillé-Coll company. In 1877 Cavaillé-Coll had begun building a three-manual, 45-stop organ for the parish church of Auteuil in the southwest of Paris. The vicar at the time, Abbé Lamazou (whose grave is to be found beneath the organ loft in the church) was a great fan of the organ and an admirer of Cavaillé-Coll. He had seen to it that the latter would get the contract to build the organ. At about the same time a gigantic hall was being built at the «Place du Trocadéro» for the Paris World Exhibition of 1878. It was to have a seating capacity of 5000; in the central position was an oval-shaped concert hall with a ceiling height of 50 meters and a cross-section of 58 meters. Into their plan the two architects had designed an orchestra stage as well as a large concert organ. The authorities turned to Cavaillé-Coll with a request for a cost estimate in kind. His tender amounted to 200000 francs, a sum which at first made the commission balk. But shortly before the completion of the «Palais du Trocadéro» it was decided to place an order for an organ by Cavaillé-Coll after all ...

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Short demonstration of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre Dame d'Auteuil, Paris - Video