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The University of Michigan Historic Organ Tour 47

April 8, 2003
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James Hammann is organist and choirmaster at the Chapel of the Holy Comforter in New Orleans, teaches at the University of New Orleans, and operates a small organ maintenance firm. He has made recordings on historic organs and is president of the New Orleans chapter of the Organ Historical Society.

Seventeen organists and music lovers gathered in Paris from
July 24-31 to study, play, and learn about nineteenth-century
Cavaillé-Coll organs and Baroque-era Clicquot instruments. The tour was
led by Marilyn Mason, chair of the University of Michigan organ department and
university organist. Because there were several of Dr. Mason's former students
in the group, and because of the wealth of information at her fingertips after
a lifetime of teaching, the tour took on the aura of a giant studio class with
all of Paris as the studio. An eighty-five page handbook with specifications,
histories, and other pertinent information helped make this an educational
experience of the highest order.

The first two organs served as bookends for our study of
Cavaillé-Coll instruments. We first traveled to Saint-Denis to play one
of the earliest (1840) organs by this builder, and the next morning traveled to
Saint-Ouen in Rouen where there is a late example (1890) of his work. At St-Denis,
the stop knobs pull out by the yard, and even though equipped with an early
Barker machine on the grande orgue, the action feels deep and heavy. At Rouen
all is refined and although still unrestored functions flawlessly.

The next day took us to Saint-Eustache where the firm Van
den Heuvel has built a completely new organ except for the case and a few stops
which were reused. This organ has two consoles, the second of which is located
on the main floor of the church, and when not in use is housed in a plate glass
case. There was ample time for everyone to play and for the host organist to
perform a superb improvisation.

In the afternoon we had an appointment at Saint-Sulpice
where Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin shares the bench with the organist titulaire,
Daniel Roth. Ms. Cauchefer-Choplin improvised a set of variations showing the
tonal resources of the instrument and had the registrations announced before
each variation, giving a wonderful tonal picture of the instrument. She
followed the improvisation with a hair-raising performance of the famous
Toccata from Widor's Fifth Organ Symphony. All were then invited to try the
instrument. Her sunny disposition, and welcoming manner, "Daniel and I
just love when Americans visit," won the hearts of the entire group.

On Sunday morning many of the group returned to
Saint-Sulpice to hear Daniel Roth accompany mass and play an all-Bach
post-service recital. In the afternoon we gathered at the American Church to
inspect and play the large three-manual, mechanical action Von Beckerath organ
in an acoustical setting that had more in common with America than France. It
was a good opportunity to compare and contrast tonal styles. Following a
performance of an Orgelbüchlein
chorale prelude Dr. Mason  gave an
impromptu lesson on how the two principal themes in "In dir ist
Freude" relate to one another and how to master those pesky pedal trills
in the final few measures.

We left the city and journeyed to Chartres Cathedral on
Monday. Our tour guide of the cathedral was the respected author and lecturer,
Malcolm Miller, who has spent forty-four years researching, writing, lecturing,
and leading tours of this magnificent edifice. Following the tour, Robert
Luther, Isaac Brunson, Robert Zanca, James Hammann, Marijim Thoene, William
Gudger, and Marilyn Mason presented a recital on the 1971 Gonzalez organ that
is the focal point of the famous organ competition held there every three
years.

Returning to Paris we stopped at Saint-Gervais, church and
organ of the Couperin dynasty. Juliette Grellety graciously let us play on this
remarkable instrument which still is largely Clicquot and has the last
eighteenth-century organ keyboards in Paris. We then traveled to the top of
Montmartre, for a look at the beautiful Basilique du Sacré Coeur, and
then dinner at La Mère Catherine.

Another trip into the country on Tuesday to the village of
Houdan let us inspect and play the 1734 Clicquot in the village church. Another
special extra of the tour was the presence of Susanne Diederich, a German
musicologist and organist whose thesis concerns the "hand in glove"
relationship between French composers and organ builders of the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. Her remarks and insights provided yet more perspective on
these organs and what they teach us about playing this literature.

Returning to Paris, our last stop of the tour was at La
Trinité, where Guilmant served as organist from 1871-1901, and Olivier
Messiaen was organist from 1931-1992. The present organist titulaire, Naji
Hakim, let us all play and then demonstrated the organ with a portion of the
Pentecost Mass by Messiaen, followed by a movement from his own latest work, Agapê style='font-style:normal'>. This new work was commissioned by American organist
John Roberts. Carolyn Shuster Fournier who presides at the choir organ then
played that instrument and let us all try it.

It was a whirlwind week, though with time for shopping and
visits to famous landmarks, and oh yes, French food! Thanks to Colin Travel, Jan
Nas, our European tour representative, and especially Marilyn Mason for a truly
memorable study tour.

--James Hammann, DMA, AAGO