Since 1985, the Summer Institute for French Organ Studies (SIFOS) has given American organists a unique opportunity to play and study historic French organs in depth. Unlike the more usual organ tours, which enroll many people and visit a large number of instruments briefly, this institute is restricted to five or six participants and spends a week each at an eighteenth-century organ in Souvigny and at a nineteenth-century one in Lyon. In addition to attending daily classes on the instrument and the literature appropriate for it, each person has at least one daily practice session at the organ. It is, I believe, the only such institute that affords this kind of opportunity to learn from the extensive playing of the instrument itself, an experience not otherwise possible. It illustrates well the adage that the organ has a great deal to teach the player.
Founded by organbuilder Gene Bedient of Lincoln, Nebraska, and organist Jesse Eschbach of the University of North Texas at Denton, SIFOS now operates in alternate summers. The most recent sessions took place July 16-27, 2001, and were very well organized; every effort had been made to ensure that all went as it should. The participants ranged from advanced graduate students to professionals long in the field; they were Parker Kitterman (Lewisburg, Georgia), Arthur Lawrence (New York, New York), James Livengood (Dallas, Texas), Margaret Mulvey (Dallas, Texas), Jane Smith (Portland, Oregon), and Stephen Warner (Ann Arbor, Michigan). In this congenial group, all demonstrated good keyboard facility, interest in learning, and enthusiasm for playing the instruments.
Souvigny
Souvigny-sur-Alliers is a beautiful small town ten kilometers west of Moulins, in the predominantly agricultural area of the Auvergne, at the north edge of the Massif Central. It is a peaceful refuge from commercialism; in addition to the Priory Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and the attached museum occupying a former monastery building, there are a few stores and restaurants, a school, the town hall, a police station, and a post office. Of course, there are also private residences, some of which housed the participants, all of whom had local hosts. A place well off the tourist track, this village is ideal for a week of quiet study.
In 916, Aymard, a magistrate of the Duke William the Pious of Aquitaine and forebear of the Bourbon kings, ceded land to the Abbot of Cluny to establish several Benedictine monasteries in the surrounding area of Bourbonnais. The construction of the Priory Church, now at the center of Souvigny, began in 994, and papal legate Pierre Damien consecrated the original Romanesque building on August 10, 1063. The importance of this church at the time of the First Crusade under Pope Urban II necessitated its enlargement in 1095. Two bell towers were added at the beginning of the thirteenth century, other changes and additions took place during the seventeenth century, and a new west façade was constructed in the eighteenth century.
Inasmuch as the church at Cluny was destroyed early in the nineteenth century, the Souvigny church is now the finest remaining example of a priory church from the Cluny epoch. The central nave, flanked by double columns and side aisles, is a little more than 260 feet in length; with double transepts near the crossing, the total width is just under 90 feet.
After functioning as a typical twentieth-century parish for many years, this church since 1991 has been administered by brothers of the Congregation of Saint Jean, a Dominican order founded in 1978. Today, in addition to the celebration of the Mass, daily offices (although not the complete historical spectrum) are observed, to which the faithful are summoned by the joyful ringing of the tower bells.
The Clicquot Organ
The organ, located in the gallery, was built by François-Henri Clicquot in 1782-83 and has interior inscriptions of 25 May 1782 and 1783. Despite an 1887 repitching by organbuilder Goydadin in which pipes were moved down a half-step and equal temperament was effected, the instrument is in remarkably original condition. (On August 26, 1880, Joseph Merklin had submitted a proposal to do restoration work, noting that the instrument was one of Clicquot's best and the only one remaining without having been subjected to modification. His proposal to leave the organ without substantial change was not accepted.) In 1962, Philippe Hartmann placed it in a mildly unequal temperament, although the original would have been meantone. From a cosmetic standpoint, the only change seems to have been that the original parchment tags giving the stop name under each drawknob were at some point removed in favor of drawknobs with inset porcelain faces bearing the stop names. The organ was classified as a national monument historique in 1947, the same designation for the case following in 1975.
The main case, containing speaking pipes of the Montre and the Pédale Flûte 4', has towers on each side, with a lower one in the middle, outlining the rose window above and behind the organ. Carved angel musicians crown the towers, which are separated by two flats of pipes. In this case are the pipes of the Grand-Orgue, with those of the short-compass Récit above in the center, and those of the Pédale in the side towers. The case of the Positif-de-dos follows the same pattern on a smaller scale, but with only one flat between towers and urns surmounting them. There is barely room between the two cases for the recessed console and bench over the classic-style pedalboard.
The winding system was replaced by a single horizontal bellows in 1887, the first item on Goydadin's proposal. In 1977, Mr. Hartmann reconstructed the original system of three cuneiform bellows, using Clicquot components which had been preserved. The bellows are raised in alternation by an electric motor controlled by a sophisticated computer application installed in 1995 by Philippe Klinge. The wind pressure is approximately 80 mm.
Because of the location of Souvigny, the organ has probably not received the same attention it would have had in a more metropolitan setting, but it is by no means unknown. Alexander Dumas visited in October 1834 and praised the sound of the organ. Félix Danjou admired it in 1840 and Hamel in 1845. In more recent times, the Association Saint-Marc commissioned a new composition by Guy Bovet, who performed and recorded here. The organ has also been recorded by Henri DeLorme.
Positif (I) (C1, D1-D5)
8' Bourdon
8' Dessus de Flûte (C2)
4' Prestant
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Doublette
13⁄5' Tierce
Plein-jeu V
8' Trompette
8' Cromorne
Grand-Orgue (II) (C1, D1-D5)
8' Montre
8' Bourdon
4' Prestant
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Doublette
2' Quarte de Nazard
13⁄5' Tierce
Cornet V (C3)
Plein-jeu VI
8 Trompette
8' Voix Humaine
4' Clairon
Récit (III) (C3-D5)
8' Bourdon
Cornet IV
8' Hautbois
Pédale (C1-A2, flues)
Pédale (F0, G0-A2, reeds)
8' Flûte
4' Flûte
12' Trompette
6' Clairon
Tremblant fort (not presently operating)
Tremblant doux
Accouplement à tiroir ( Pos/G.O. shove coupler)
Except for the oak bottom octave of the Grand-Orgue Bourdon and the Pédale Flûte 8', all pipes are metal, either a high percentage of tin or common metal (thirty percent tin, seventy percent lead). The bourdons are chimneyed. The scales of the cornets and the jeux de tierces are very similar and rather wide. Because of the extended range of the pedals, what would have been 8' and 4' reed stops are actually 12' and 6', providing substantial bass. After more than two hundred years, the pipes have oxidized but that does not affect the quality of the sound they produce.
The design of the action--typical of this type of French organ--places the pallet box at the front of the windchest, allowing the suspended key action of the Grand-Orgue and Pédale to work efficiently. The keys are not bushed but have guide pins on either side, beyond the playing surface. It takes a bit of doing to become accustomed to this, so as to avoid excess lateral motion and unwanted noise, but once mastered, the keyboards are friendly. The manual shove coupler is similar to a dogleg coupler on a harpsichord; when the coupler is engaged, a piece of wood atop the Positif key is in physical contact with the Grand-Orgue key above it. The coupler can be activated while one is playing on the Positif. The Positif key action is conveyed by backfalls and passes very compactly under the pedalboard and bench to the windchest, which is immediately behind the organist.
This is an organ from which one learns by playing--what blends with what, what works in ensemble, how to depress the keys to get the best reed sound, as opposed to how to depress the keys for the flues. One of my colleagues wrote in the inscription book that he'd learned more in a week here than in four years at college. Playing this organ is also an experience in auditory delight, because every sound is satisfying and beautiful, and the big ensembles are thrilling. Both the mounted cornets and those drawn from separate ranks are exquisite in color and fullness. The grand jeu is exceptional in its grandeur and power. For me, each hour at this organ was one to be savored, albeit one which passed much too quickly.
Even though this is still a French Classic organ, it is a late one and it betrays signs of developments to come: there is no larigot, there are no 4' flutes, the 8' rank of the Récit Cornet draws separately, and there is an open flute on the Positif--a particular harbinger of the nineteenth century. This flute, in fact, is a small principal. In general, the smallest number of stops gives the best effect. For instance, the grand jeu needs only the reeds and the mounted cornet; the jeu de tierce is redundant and only consumes wind unnecessarily.
A typical day for the SIFOS participants began with a lecture by Mr. Bedient on some aspect of the history and design of the instrument, with pipes, action, winding, and tuning and temperament being the main areas of discussion. There were several opportunities to look inside the organ, to view the pipework and the action. We also examined several of the original pipes which had been removed when the organ was repitched.
That first hour was followed by a longer session at the organ, in which titulaire Henri DeLorme listened to several people play, coaching them in the style and making observations about the music. Mr. DeLorme, who studied with Michel Chapuis at the Strasbourg conservatory, is a very intuitive musician with a keen ear. He knows the Souvigny organ and its literature intimately, and is well positioned to instruct others in all aspects of playing the French Classic organ. He is also an excellent improviser in the style of the period, which he demonstrated extensively the first day to acquaint us with the organ. His effusive personality is infectious, instilling joy in organ playing.
A grand three-course luncheon followed at an excellent local restaurant, with the afternoon and early evening being devoted to individual practice sessions or enjoying the local scenery.
At the conclusion of the week, the Association Saint-Marc sponsored a well-attended public recital by the participants, with receptions before and afterward. This association of local organ lovers is active in support and promotion of the Souvigny organ. The recital consisted of Clérambault, five movements from the Suite in the Second Tone (Lawrence); D'Aquin, Noël sur les flûtes (Mulvey); D'Aquin, Noël grand jeu et duo (Livengood); Couperin, two movements from the Convent Mass (Smith); Balbastre, Marche guerrière (Warner); and Couperin, Offertoire from the Parish Mass (Kitterman). Except for the Balbastre, the music predated the organ, but it all sounded most appropriate on this magnificent instrument. The audience was enthusiastic in its applause for the performers, the organ, and Mr. DeLorme's witty verbal program notes.
Lyon
We left Souvigny behind, as a fast and efficient train took us through the bucolic countryside which gradually became mountainous, until we reached Lyon a few hours later. Arriving on Sunday afternoon, we found France's second-largest city fairly warm and a little sleepy, but the city sprang to life with great vitality the next morning.
Our activities took place in the part of the city that developed on the peninsula between the Rhône and Saône Rivers, opposite both the old city dating from Roman times to the west and the sprawling modern suburbs to the east. We were conveniently housed a block from the church at the Hotel Résidence on a pedestrian shopping street which bustled with activity all day and well into the evening. As in Souvigny, we ate well, but this time in various restaurants in the evening.
The nineteenth-century church of Saint-François-de-Sales is nestled in the midst of this area. The edifice is surrounded by other buildings on two sides, with a small park on the third, and the street on the fourth. The main entrance, at the street edge of the park, is surmounted by a bell tower. The interior is cruciform in shape, with pews in the nave and the two transepts, the altar on a platform in the center, and the organ behind the altar, at the far end of the choir. The windows in the dome over the crossing light the whole area below.
The Cavaillé-Coll Organ
The immense organ façade is visually commanding. At the impost level are three large flats; above this are two smaller flats on either side of a central tower, which crowns the case. Flanking the whole are two pedal towers, which, like the smaller central tower, are surmounted by rich wooden carvings. The remaining space beside each pedal tower is filled by another smaller flat. Unlike most large French organs, it is placed on the main floor, where the whole area is protected by an electronic alarm, installed to guard this monument historique. It is said that the first organ in this church was high in the rear gallery and that Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was asked to build a modest-sized instrument at the other end. Although having only three manuals and forty-five stops, this installation of 1879 is monumental both in sound and sight. It is a twin to the one built for the Brussels Conservatory. Like Souvigny, it is in relatively original condition.
François-Charles Widor (1811-99), father of Charles-Marie, was an organist and organbuilder, as was his father. He assisted in the installation of a four-manual, forty-eight-stop Callinet organ at Saint-François-de-Sales in 1838, played the inaugural recital, and became organist of the church. Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) grew up here and was later sent to Brussels to study with Lemmens, through the influence of Cavaillé-Coll (who had also sent the young Alexandre Guilmant to the same teacher). Charles-Marie returned to Lyon to play the dedication at Saint-François in 1880, probably playing his recently-composed Fifth Symphony which had been premiered the previous year in Paris. The principal organist since 1974 has been Louis Robilliard, who has made a number of recordings here.
The tonal design of this organ pays some homage to the past--the Plein Jeu and Grand Jeu exist on the Grand-Orgue, and there is a Cornet on the Récit. The Grand-Orgue mixtures are classical in design, after Dom Bédos, not the progressive mixtures which Cavaillé-Coll had promoted in previous decades. Improvised versets were still played when this organ was built, but the free works of Bach were also in demand. The enclosed Positif is the most remote from the Classic period; there is no principal chorus and no reed battery. The Carillon, of which this is an early and controversial example, is good chiefly for bell effects; it is 22⁄3' in the bass but 13⁄5' plus 1' in the treble. Each manual has at least one harmonic flute and each enclosed division has a celeste. Every division has reeds, with a 16'-8'-4' ensemble on the Grand-Orgue and the Récit, and 16'-8' on the Pédale. Compared to previous times, the pipes have more nicking and more open toes.
A tour of the interior of the instrument reveals a spacious layout. At floor level directly behind the console are the Grand-Orgue and Positif Barker machines, containing the pneumatic levers which work the key action, permitting the organist to control higher wind pressures and larger, multiple pallets without unduly taxing the fingers. They have glass doors for sound proofing. Above them is the unison coupler mechanism, while the sub-octave coupler mechanism, which works by angled backfalls, is below them. At the back on this level is the winding system, including the original pumping stations where one stood on a large protruding lever to activate the feeders at the bottom of the bellows. The Cummings-style reservoirs are in a double, connected set, each with inverted ribs; the earlier evolution from cuneiform bellows to horizontal ones had increased the wind capacity by one hundred per cent. There are additional anti-concussion reservoirs above this assembly and above the Barker machines. The wind pressures range from approximately 85 mm to 92 mm, with divided pressures between the bass and treble on the Grand-Orgue.
In keeping with the generous spacing of components, one ascends to the upper levels by wooden staircases, not by ladders! At the second level is the Grand-Orgue at the front, with the enclosed Positif behind it, where its sound is less prominent. At the top of the next staircase is the Récit, in a commanding position which crowns the installation. Its Barker machine is in front, clothed in a large muffler to deaden the sound of its operation.
The design of the windchests is particularly interesting, especially from an American perspective. Reading books on the history of organ construction leads one to think that the ventil system--a designation not employed by the French, who instead specified appel--requires separate windchests for the flues (Jeux de Fonds) and for the reeds (Jeux de Combinaison). (See, for instance, Peter Williams, A New History of the Organ, p. 173.) Cavaillé-Coll, from Saint-Dénis onward, did indeed use multiple windchests on each division, but this was in order to provide varying wind pressures in different parts of the scale. The division of flue and reed stops in a given register, however, is made on a single windchest which has an internal barrier running down the middle of the chest, with pallets on each end of the channel. Thus, the organist can draw flues and reeds, activating the reeds and upperwork only when the proper pedal is depressed, which then admits air to the portion of the windchest which houses the reeds and upperwork.
The detached, reversed console is laid out with terraces of drawknobs on either side of the keyboards, going from the Récit at the top, the Positif next, then the Grand-Orgue, and finally the Pédale. In general, the flues are on the right, with the reeds and upperwork on the left. The coupler and ventil controls (Pédales de Combinaison) are placed above the pedalboard, as indicated in the specifications. The use of these combination pedals is an essential part of playing this organ.
Grand-Orgue (I) (C1-G6)
Jeux de Fonds
16' Principal
16' Bourdon
8' Montre
8' Salicional
8' Flûte Harmonique
8' Bourdon
4' Prestant
4' Flûte Douce
Jeux de Combinaison
2' Doublette
Fourniture IV
Cymbale III
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
4' Clairon
Positif-Expressif (II) (C1-G6)
Jeux de Fonds
8' Nachthorn
8' Flûte Harmonique
8' Dulciane
8' Unda Maris
4' Flûte Octaviante
Jeux de Combinaison
2' Doublette
Carillon I-III
8' Trompette
8' Basson
8' Clarinette
Récit-Expressif (III) (C1-G6)
Jeux de Fonds
16' Quintaton
8' Diapason
8' Bourdon
8' Flûte Harmonique
8' Viole de Gambe
8' Voix Céleste
4' Flûte Octaviante
8' Voix Humaine
8' Basson-Hautbois
Jeux de Combinaison
2' Octavin
Cornet V (C3)
16' Basson
8' Trompette
4' Clairon
Pédale (C0-F2)
Jeux de Fonds
32' Basse Accoustique
16' Contre Basse
16' Soubasse
8' Flûte
8' Violoncelle
Jeux de Combinaison
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
Pédales de Combinaison
(in order from left to right)
1 Effets d'Orage
2 Tirasse Grand-Orgue
3 Tirasse Positif
4 Tirasse Récit
5 Anches Pédale
6 Octaves Graves Grand-Orgue
7 Octaves Graves Positif
8 Octaves Graves Récit
9 Trémolo Positif (above 7 and 8)
10 Expression Positif (balanced pedal)
11 Expression Récit (balanced pedal)
12 Anches Grand-Orgue
13 Anches Positif
14 Anches Récit
15 Trémolo Récit (above 12 and 13)
16 Copula Grand-Orgue sur Machine
17 Copula Positif sur Grand-Orgue
18 Copula Récit sur Grand-Orgue
19 Copula Récit sur Positif
The daily morning class was structured much as at Souvigny, with Mr. Bedient's information on the organ itself, Dr. Eschbach's material on the music, and the playing of the participants. Individual practice time occupied the afternoons and early evenings. Late night practice was prohibited, since the sound of the organ carries into the neighboring buildings. Being in such a large, historic city provided countless opportunities for sightseeing and shopping in whatever time was left.
Although Jesse Eschbach's masterclasses and coaching were exemplary, it was his lectures that were outstanding. He provided a wealth of information on the organs, organists, and organ music of nineteenth-century France, drawn from many well-researched sources. This provided a valuable background for the performance of the music at hand. His forthcoming publication of much of this material is awaited with great interest.
Playing this organ is a physical challenge. The manual keys are large and go down a fair distance, much more so than on a Classic instrument. But the requisite aspect of performance is in the setting and manipulation of the combination pedals. The Copula Grand-Orgue sur Machine must be down in order to have any sound; the other pedals must be set according to the requirements of the music. However, one need only follow literally the directions written in the score: doing exactly what is written in an authentic edition of a Franck piece yields the desired combinations. All the composers who received Cavaillé-Coll's heritage used this system: Franck, Guilmant, Widor, Vierne, Tournemire, Dupré, Langlais, Litaize, Messiaen, and many others. Interestingly, in our classes and recital, assistants were more likely to be changing the pedals than the drawknobs, but that was at least in part due to our unfamiliarity with the system. Every French organist, on the other hand, knows this system intimately, although it is probably being rendered obsolete today by the use of solid-state controls. The ventil system was, after all, the original combination action which made the great symphonic works of the French masters possible. The gradual crescendos and decrescendos specified in their compositions are beautifully and effectively achieved on this instrument.
Once again the participants played a public recital at the conclusion of the week. The program consisted of Boëly, Fantasy and Fugue in B-Flat (Law-rence); Guilmant, Introduction and Allegro from Sonata I (Warner); Franck, Prelude, Fugue, and Variation (Smith); Widor, Variations from Symphony VIII (Mulvey); Duruflé, Fugue on the Theme of the Soissons Cathedral Carillon (Livengood); and Vierne, Adagio and Final from Symphony III (Kitterman). This music spanned the period from before the building of the organ until much later, but this organ was the perfect vehicle for each of the compositions. At the conclusion, Frank Vaudray, the gifted assistant organist of the church, improvised in perpetual motion, making a seamless crescendo from the softest stops to the full organ.
Our whole world has changed dramatically since this wonderful institute in France last summer--there could hardly be a greater contrast between the acrid, smoldering ruins of lower Manhattan and the serenity and beauty of Souvigny or the power and majesty of Lyon. Although September 11 has now made all our lives very different, it is still possible to remember and revisit the monuments of French organs. I hope I have the opportunity to return to Souvigny and Lyon, and I certainly encourage others to go there. They will be amply rewarded by an institute which fosters the understanding of our rich organbuilding heritage and provides a unique educational experience, as well as a very pleasant summer sojourn.
