flûte harmonique

On the 6th of may the 2 co-titulars will be giving a concert: http://www.paris.catholique.fr/concert-d-accueil-des-nouveaux.html

A small mistake in my previous post. Thomas Ospital was taught by Pincemaille only in "counterpoint" at the Conservatoire supérieur (Prix in 2011) and not in improvisation. See more : http://www.thomasospital.fr/biographie/

In fact, no real surprise: the 2 best ones have been appointed. I'm particularly happy for Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard (BFMO) whom I know very well. Everybody thinks he deserves this appointment: a part being a great improvisor (and composer) he is also a nice open-minded person! Thomas Ospital has a basque origin, he is with BFMO a former student of Pierre Pincemaille who trained them both at the improvisation school of Saint-Maur des Fossés (Paris' suburbs) some years ago. Do not hesitate to meet them and listen to them when in Paris!!!!!

For sale at "la flûte de Pan" musicshop in Paris: http://www.laflutedepan.com/partition/2211899/emile-bourdon-10-pieces-opus-7-partition-orgue.html

It is obvious that the salary for such a position is miserable. Noticeable to see Guillou has been acting as titular organist for free which was not PC's case. The organists have thus to earn their life as teachers in conservatoires at least. Some remarkable musicians have been set aside by the jury because of their well known conflicts with their clergy!! (e.g. La Trinité....)

At nearly 85 y old, Jean Guillou will be replaced in Saint-Eustache by 3 co-titular organists by the end of March. A first selection took place in january-february with the assistance of a jury gathering both musicians and clergy members. 12 organists have been chosen out of a list of 52 candidates after examination of their cv's!! An oral audition made it possible to select 7 persons: M. Pierre Cambourian M. Francesco Filidei M. Ghislain Leroy M. Hampus Lindwall M. Baptise-Florian Marle-Ouvrard M. Thomas Ospital M. Pierre Queval Final musical examination the 24th of March at the organ (open to public)

Yes I do. Recording in Cannes together with "Trois danses" http://www.orgues-cannes.org/?page_id=3411 Organ recently rebuilt by the alsacian organ-maker Mühleisen Available on Spotify: Olivier Latry – Le sacre du printemps: I. L'adoration de la terre - Orgue à 4 mains

Yesterday night, I attended the concert by Latry . The nave was completely full due probably to the new expectations of the instrument and the interpretation of the Rise of Spring.... Concerning the great organ that I have been lucky enough to listen since 1968, I would say that the restauration is well achieved. The organ sounds clearer because of the clearing of dust and the new harmonisation . The new fact is the addition of the Résonnance (18 stops of the pedalboard extended to 56 notes) which seems to give a certain enhanced clarity and improves the expression effects as they are split into the swell boxes. My global impression is that this organ has now become "ultrasymphonic" and has almost lost the deep ACC feature already put in question in 1965-67 . For the Rise of Spring everyone was enthusiastic about the quasi infinite musical resources of the instrument: A real great moment thanks to Latry and his spouse. The next step for me is to listen to the GO playing a Widor or a Vierne symphony to question his abilities to correctly interpret this authors (in particular the ACC reeds of the Récit and the Grand Choeur : how have they been harmonised by Quoirin and Cattiaux who are well known by their " neo-classic" incllnation?

Inauguration concert last sunday.

Last news before the official inauguration with a small sight on the "clavier de résonance" http://api.dmcloud.net/player/pubpage/4e709e80f325e11e5f000025/54182eae94a6f63323ed1bff/86dcdf1bd8b5402c89ee49f3410fa1db?wmode=opaque

Melomania of course! 38 bd Saint-Germain nearby NDDP http://www.melomania.com/en/melomania

Recently heard at "France-Musique" a contribution to "the organists without their organ" (les organistes sans leur orgue): Louis Vierne: -Quatuor à cordes en ré mineur op. 12 - I. Lento - Allegro agitato Quatuor Spiegel MDG [644 1505-2] -Sonate pour violon et piano op. 23 - 1er, 2e et 4e mouvement Olivier Charlier (violon) & Jean Hubeau (piano) Erato [2292 45524-2] - Suite bourguignonne pour piano op. 17 Olivier Gardon (piano) Timpani [2C2023] -Mélodies Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire Spleens et détresses op. 38 - "Un grand sommeil noir" Mireille Delunsch (soprano) & François Keerdoncuff (piano) Timpani 1C1145 -La Ballade du désespéré op. 61 Steve Davislim (ténor) The Queensland Orchestra, Guillaume Tourniaire (direction) Melba Recordings [MR301123]

But you are yourself a ringside commentator! "De gustibus non est disputendum"!

In fact, the essential thing is the way the organists are able to play this incredible instrument. The deception may be immense sometimes, simply because the musician is not situated at the same level as the instrument. As it has been said earlier in this thread, the risk is to use only a little part of the quasi infinite resources and to be overwhelmed by them. Even the current titulars do not use one tenth of the possibilities offered by the stops mixture. One exception to this affirmation: I remember a concert by Latry interpreting for the first time a work of the composer Jean-Louis Florentz" Debout sur le soleil" (1990) in 2004. This opus has been specially composed for the organ of Notre-Dame because only this instrument had (and still has) the required specifications : sostenuto at each manual, separation (coupure clavier adaptable), and combinations. This concert was a great one, one of the best I have ever heard in NDP after Cochereau's period. As for Lefebvre's impros: his choice is to stand away from PC's style by adopting a "21th century music style" probably to exist besides a genius dead in 1984?

If Pierre Cochereau had lived a bit longer, the GO of NDP would have been different as today. His intention was to reinstate the "positif de dos" and to get down the case with the support of the "Commission supérieure des monuments historiques" which is in charge of all the historical monuments in France. Some people do complain about the huge amount of public money spent on this organ which was already restored, almost entirely, with little success as for the computerized installation, in 1992...But as you know we do like public expenditures in our country!! Hopefully, the current reconstruction will last longer than 20 years?

Details on the new console and the stops list here: http://www.atelier-quoirin.com/ParisND_etude_eng.php

I tell you my opinion after the concert dear PCND!

And Latry will perform the "Sacre du printemps(Rite of Spring)" saturday the 27th of september (8.30 pm, free entrance) together with his new spouse and former student Shin Young Lee. I'm curious to listen again to the restored organ of NDP....

Pierre Pincemaille improvising on "Faust" (Murnau's film) in Saint-Ouen. Astonishing !

A new CD has been released by Solstice-fy: http://www.solstice-music.com/en/album-reference/SOCD302-COCHEREAU-Pierre-THE-ART-OF-VARIATION

There is a collective agreement written in 1968 which sets up the rules between the clergy and the organists. This agreement applies only in 4 districts: Paris, Nanterre, Saint Denis and Créteil in which the organists receive a salary. Unfortunately, the wages are so modest that it is simply not possible for a huge majority of them to earn their live. Some rare exceptions exist in the biggest parishes where, due to the number of people, there are more than 3 services each week end and several weddings and obituaries which include a fee payment. In these cases, the organist may survive.... Thus, to earn their live, the French organists are also teachers either in the "Conservatoires de musique" (at city or regional levels) or in the national public sector (schools, colleges). Of course for the more famous of them, the concerts fees represent a complementary budget quite or relatively important, even though the number of events in France is declining as well as the corresponding fees....

In effect, it's not rare that some French organists are in the same time titular somewhere and co-titular elsewhere. Examples: Vincent Warnier: co-titulaire at Saint Etienne-du-Mont (together with Thierry Escaich) and titular at cathedral Notre Dame de Verdun Gabriel Margheri: co-titular at Sacré coeur de Montmartre (together with Philippe Brandeis) and titular at sanctuaire saint Bonaventure in Lyon Sophie-Véronique Cochefer-Choplin: deputy-titular at saint Sulpice and titular at Saint Jean Baptiste de la Sale (Paris 15ème). The reason is that being titular is often not a sufficient charge and leaves enough time to run an other position.

As from 50'15 a short tv report on the new console.

A little up with a short video: no music but nice views.

The catalogue in question: http://www.editions-delatour.com/fr/content/51-catalogues