ORGANS OF PARIS © 2024 Vincent Hildebrandt HOME ALL ORGANS
Before the revolution
1. Organs in French classical style 2. Organs in neo-classical style 3. Organs rebuilt in the 19th century 4. Organs rebuilt in the 20th century
French classical style
Chapelle l’hôpital Salpêtrière Saint-Gervais Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs Versailles (Chapelle Royale) Aubervilliers (Notre Dame des Vertus)All organ builders before
the revolution
Pigache Langhedul Carlier De Héman Pecheur Thierry Clicquot other builders 17th century other builders 18th century
The
French
classical
organ
is
the
common
name
for
the
French
baroque
organ.
It
had
a
highly
standardized
stoplist,
in
line
with
its
(almost
exclusively)
liturgical
use.
The
music
played
on
those
organs
was
highly
standardized
too,
prescribing
in
detail
which
stops
had
to
be
used
(e.g
Plein
jeu,
Basse
de
Trompette,
Tierce
en
Taille).
This
system
was
still
in
use
at
the
time
of
the
revolution (end of the 18th century).
Only
3
of
the
23
organs
which
survived
the
revolution
kept
(more
of
less)
their
pre-revolutionary
French-
classical
style.
In
fact,
the
best
examples
of
an
organ
in
French
classical
style
in
an
excellent
state
can
be
found
outside Paris: in Versailles and Aubervilliers.
The table summarizes the main characteristics of the three French classical
organs. It shows that most stops of the organs of Saint-Gervais and Saint-
Nicolas-des-Champs date still to before the revolution. In contrast, the organ
of the Salpêtrière hospital lost most of its pre-revolutionary stops.
Organs of Paris
Before the revolution - French classical
style
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2024 Vincent Hildebrandt ALL ORGANS 
The
French
classical
organ
is
the
common
name
for
the
French
baroque
organ.
It
had
a
highly
standardized
stoplist,
in
line
with
its
(almost
exclusively)
liturgical
use.
The
music
played
on
those
organs
was
highly
standardized
too,
prescribing
in
detail
which
stops
had
to
be
used
(e.g
Plein
jeu,
Basse
de
Trompette,
Tierce
en
Taille).
This
system
was
still
in
use
at
the
time
of
the
revolution
(end
of
the
18th
century).
Only
3
of
the
23
organs
which
survived
the
revolution
kept
(more
of
less)
their
pre-revolutionary
French-classical
style.
In
fact,
the
best
examples
of
an
organ
in
French
classical
style
in
an
excellent
state
can
be
found
outside
Paris:
in
Versailles and Aubervilliers.
Chapelle l’hôpital Salpêtrière
Saint-Gervais
Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs
Versailles (Chapelle Royale)
Aubervilliers (Notre Dame des Vertus)
The table summarizes the main characteristics of the
three French classical organs. It shows that most stops
of the organs of Saint-Gervais and Saint-Nicolas-des-
Champs date still to before the revolution. In contrast,
the organ of the Salpêtrière hospital lost most of its pre-
revolutionary stops.
