Titelouze

[Guest Echo Gamba]

In another topic, Pierre mentioned the organ Titelouze would have known at Rouen.

 

The Titelouze edition I use is full of unauthentic registration (I have an idea Guilmant may have been involved but it's not clear from the copy, which has lost its cover)

 

What did Titelouze have at his disposal, and what would authentic registrations be for the pieces please? I presume the pedal "cantus firmus" would have been played on an 8' Trompette? The Magnificat versets abound in suggested manual changes, which do not always make musical sense.

[Pierre Lauwers]

Here is a project I did for a Titelouze organ:

 

GRAND ORGUE

 

Montre 16'

Bourdon 16'

Montre 8'

Bourdon 8'

Prestant 4'

Quintadine 4' (Flûte bouchée)

Nasard 2 2/3'

Doublette 2'

Quarte de Nasard 2'

Tierce 1 3/5'

Sifflet 1'

Sesquialter 2r 1 1/3'- 4/5', puis 2 2/3'-1 3/5', principalisant

Fourniture

Cymbale

Cornet 5r

Trompette 8'

Voix humaine 8'

Clairon 4'

 

POSITIF

 

Montre 8'

Bourdon 8'

Prestant 4'

Flûte 4'

Nasard 2 2/3'

Doublette 2'

Flageolet 2'

Larigot 1 1/3'

Fourniture

Cymbale

Cromorne 8'

Régale 4'

 

 

 

CORNET SEPARE (demi-clavier): Cornet 5r

 

PEDALE (28-29 notes)

 

Flûte 8'

Flûte 4'

Trompette 8'

 

The main differencies with the later french organ (18th century) are:

 

-Less deep breaks in the treble for the Mixtures.

-The Principal chorus has tierce ranks (a flemish influence), here with a Sesquialter,

might also be a "Tiercelette" 4/5', like described by Mersenne.

-The Cornet is narrower, and may even sometimes be added in the Principal chorus

-The reeds have tinplate (fer-blanc, Weissblech) resonators, light pressure,

and can sometimes be added to the Principal chorus

-No Flutey tierce to the Positif (and on the great, this one is already a compromise!)

 

Titelouze was a friend of flemish builders like Matthijs Langhedul and Crespin Carlier,

they initiated, togheter, the move that would eventually lead from the Renaissance

organ to the baroque organ in France.

 

Pierre