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With some help from Google translate...

The Minister of Culture, Franck Riester, said on France Inter that "the organ seems to be quite achieved" , while remaining cautious and emphasizing that "it is too early to make a total diagnosis" .... 

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If, as we all hope, the organ were to be saved I imagine that it would have to removed from the cathedral to allow for the fabric of the building to be properly assessed and repaired. With this in mind it will be many years if not decades before it will be heard again. I have just played the Solstice recording of Pierre Cochereau's improvisation in the minor key on La Marseillaise which he played in 1977 for the funeral mass of Pres. Giscard d'Estaing. It seemed appropriate...

Amd what has Radio 3 just played? Go on, guess. [Clue - it's not an improv by PC]

 

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1 hour ago, biggestelk said:

With some help from Google translate...

The Minister of Culture, Franck Riester, said on France Inter that "the organ seems to be quite achieved" , while remaining cautious and emphasizing that "it is too early to make a total diagnosis" .... 

The French word Franck Riester used was « atteint », which implies the organ has been affected, or reached by the fire. “Achieved” is an odd translation in that context. 

Also just seen on social media:

Quote

Selon Mgr Benoist de Sinety, vicaire général de l’archidiocèse de Paris, l’orgue de Notre-Dame de Paris est « pratiquement totalement détruit ».

According to Mgr Benoist de Sinety, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Paris, the Notre-Dame organ is “practically completely destroyed.”

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16 minutes ago, handsoff said:

If, as we all hope, the organ were to be saved I imagine that it would have to removed from the cathedral to allow for the fabric of the building to be properly assessed and repaired. With this in mind it will be many years if not decades before it will be heard again. I have just played the Solstice recording of Pierre Cochereau's improvisation in the minor key on La Marseillaise which he played in 1977 for the funeral mass of Pres. Giscard d'Estaing. It seemed appropriate...

Amd what has Radio 3 just played? Go on, guess. [Clue - it's not an improv by PC]

 

Perhaps the funeral mass was not for President Giscard d'Estaing, as that former President is still alive!

 

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13 minutes ago, David Surtees said:

The French word Franck Riester used was « atteint », which implies the organ has been affected, or reached by the fire. “Achieved” is an odd translation in that context. 

Also just seen on social media:

According to Mgr Benoist de Sinett, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Paris, the Notre-Dame organ is “practically completely destroyed.”

Photographs of the interior would suggest that most of the stone vaulting has survived. The stone structure of the cathedral itself, together with most of the furnishings in the quire as well as hopefully the west end gallery, appears to be intact.

No doubt the grand organ has been affected by smoke and water, but let's hope it can be rebuilt. How long this will take is anyone's guess? Either way the rebuilding of the cathedral and restoring the interior furnishings, including the restoration of the grand organ, will take a very long time.

Will any of us hear this organ play again? 

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20 minutes ago, contraviolone said:

Perhaps the funeral mass was not for President Giscard d'Estaing, as that former President is still alive!

 

Oops! It was in the presence of Giscard d'Estaing the mass being in honour of De Gaulle. I should wear my specs for CD case writing.

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This has just popped up from Thomas Monnet (with apologies for the Google translation):

Hello everyone
 I am here the spokesman of Eric Brottier, organ technician, with whom I have the pleasure of working.
 The first observations on Notre Dame's instrument, including on the inside, show that the organ obviously did not (I insist on the word) really suffer from the fire.  It has been preserved from water flows thanks to the cover slab between the towers and has not suffered from heat (the pipes are structurally preserved).
 This reassuring information will have to be supported by an in-depth observation which has not yet been achieved.

There are lots of conflicting reports about the organ being destroyed.  We wait with baited breath to see if the Grand Orgue has survived....

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Well, I'm delighted to be able to say "I told you so"....not in triumph, but with a sense of relief. I saw a picci, which showed the organ case intact.

Even in these days of Brexit, there is something on which we may all agree.  The organ will need tuning!  (Not that this was ever a major obstacle to organ music  in France)

My next guess?     A team of people from York, hot footing it to Paris to inspect the glass. York is probably the world epicenter of medieval glass restoration.

MM

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10 minutes ago, MusoMusing said:

Well, I'm delighted to be able to say "I told you so"....not in triumph, but with a sense of relief. I saw a picci, which showed the organ case intact.

Even in these days of Brexit, there is something on which we may all agree.  The organ will need tuning!  (Not that this was ever a major obstacle to organ music  in France)

My next guess?     A team of people from York, hot footing it to Paris to inspect the glass. York is probably the world epicenter of medieval glass restoration.

MM

Do you have a link to that picture please?

Meanwhile more things circulated on social media this morning, 16th April through the "Organs of Paris" Facebook group.

At around 0715 BST the vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Paris, Mgr Benoist de Sinety, was quoted as saying: "L’orgue de Notre-Dame de Paris est « pratiquement totalement détruit » but that contradicts the more positive words from Monseigneur Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris on BFMTV: "It is possible that the great organ is saved."

More encouraging words, however, have since emerged from other sources. BFM TV ran a report which said that the great organ is in a relatively good state.

But easily the most important, and best, quotes come from four other sources which have been quoted on the FB group:

Michel Picaud (Friends of Notre Dame, a US-based foundation dedicated to fundraising for the Cathedral's reconstruction work), confirmed on NBC that the roof had been destroyed but added: "The fire started up near the roof top, while another fire started in the north bell tower. All damage seems to be up high and did not go into the lower part of church or touch the organ or stained-glass windows."

(I have heard on media here in the UK that all 3 of the main rose windows in the cathedral survived the blaze. One of them sits behind the great organ so if the organ had been lost then the west rose window would likely have followed it.)

Philippe Lefèbvre, one of the organiste titulaires of Notre-Dame de Paris, has been quoted as saying: "The organ is there but as long as no one gets into it we won't know if the heat, water or vault debrits will have deteriorated the instrumental part."

There is indeed a god!

Dave

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6 minutes ago, DaveHarries said:

Do you have a link to that picture please?

Meanwhile more things circulated on social media this morning, 16th April through the "Organs of Paris" Facebook group.

At around 0715 BST the vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Paris, Mgr Benoist de Sinety, was quoted as saying: "L’orgue de Notre-Dame de Paris est « pratiquement totalement détruit » but that contradicts the more positive words from Monseigneur Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris on BFMTV: "It is possible that the great organ is saved."

More encouraging words, however, have since emerged from other sources. BFM TV ran a report which said that the great organ is in a relatively good state.

But easily the most important, and best, quotes come from four other sources which have been quoted on the FB group:

Michel Picaud (Friends of Notre Dame, a US-based foundation dedicated to fundraising for the Cathedral's reconstruction work), confirmed on NBC that the roof had been destroyed but added: "The fire started up near the roof top, while another fire started in the north bell tower. All damage seems to be up high and did not go into the lower part of church or touch the organ or stained-glass windows."

(I have heard on media here in the UK that all 3 of the main rose windows in the cathedral survived the blaze. One of them sits behind the great organ so if the organ had been lost then the west rose window would likely have followed it.)

Philippe Lefèbvre, one of the organiste titulaires of Notre-Dame de Paris, has been quoted as saying: "The organ is there but as long as no one gets into it we won't know if the heat, water or vault debrits will have deteriorated the instrumental part."

There is indeed a god!

Dave

All very encouraging. I would also like to see that photograph!

 

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27 minutes ago, contraviolone said:

All very encouraging. I would also like to see that photograph!

 

It wasn't a still photograph as such, but part of a video. The organ-case was clearly visible and complete.  On a technical level, what seems to have happened is that fire has swept along the cathedral at upper-roof level rather than ceiling-level....in other words, the wooden roof supports rather than the stone vaulting of the cathedral structure beneath. The stone vaulting seems to have acted as a barrier, which explains how firefighters were able to rush inside and rescue so many artifacts.

On a bigger scale, it is York Minster replayed, where most of the wooden roof beams ended up on the deck. Not good, but not so bad as it could have been. In fact, thinking about it, the stone vaulting probably deflected much of the roof as it fell.

They don't build 'em like that anymore!
 

MM

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7 minutes ago, MusoMusing said:

It wasn't a still photograph as such, but part of a video. The organ-case was clearly visible and complete.  On a technical level, what seems to have happened is that fire has swept along the cathedral at upper-roof level rather than ceiling-level....in other words, the wooden roof supports rather than the stone vaulting of the cathedral structure beneath. The stone vaulting seems to have acted as a barrier, which explains how firefighters were able to rush inside and rescue so many artifacts.

On a bigger scale, it is York Minster replayed, where most of the wooden roof beams ended up on the deck. Not good, but not so bad as it could have been. In fact, thinking about it, the stone vaulting probably deflected much of the roof as it fell.

They don't build 'em like that anymore!
 

MM

They certainly don't! The stone vaulting is obviously very strong and has clearly saved the cathedral!

More news that the organ has survived the fire, as confirmed by the Deputy Mayor of Paris:

https://slippedisc.com/2019/04/paris-latest-cavaille-coll-organ-has-survived-the-fire/

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2 hours ago, MusoMusing said:


My next guess?     A team of people from York, hot footing it to Paris to inspect the glass. York is probably the world epicenter of medieval glass restoration.

MM

Despite the fact that my late wife worked with Peter Gibson at York I suspect it will be the team from Chartres who will be the ones called in to look at the stained glass at Notre Dame!!

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1 hour ago, S_L said:

Despite the fact that my late wife worked with Peter Gibson at York I suspect it will be the team from Chartres who will be the ones called in to look at the stained glass at Notre Dame!!

The team at York did a fantastic job on the stained glass. As mentioned by MM before, it really is remarkable the way the glass can be restored back to its former glory. This must take ingenuity and skill, not to mention patience, in order to do this!

I gather that the rose windows in the North and South transepts have survived the fire? If so this is incredible news, although given the collapse of the central space of the cathedral I am surprised that the fire has not affected the lead and glass?

Given that the quire furnishings are also largely unaffected, let's hope the Orgue de Choeur has survived as well.

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There was an interview with Johann Vexo (who was playing the organ when the fire broke out) on the Radio 4 Today programme this morning.  You can listen here (starting about 2h 10 mins in): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00045kf

Quick transcription because the recording will drop off the bbc website before long; apologies for typos:

Johann Vexo was in the cathedral when the fire broke out. He was playing for Mass at 6:15pm.  During the gospel the fire alarm rang, and everyone wondered what it was, as it was the first time they'd heard it.   JV stayed 20 mins and the cathedral was empty, and didn't see any fire or smoke until he got home, through his window.  He then went back, but is was too terrible to watch and he couldn't stay more than a few minutes.  He had his colleagues on the phone and they felt the same.  There is no official information on the state of the organ, it's too early. The building is very weak.  As far as they know this morning the main organ might be preserved but 'we have to speak very wisely'. He describes the grand organ as 'the most famous instrument in the world; it was absolutely stunning, gorgeous.  We dont have any words to describe it because it was just a wonderful experience every time.  Even when we knew the organ well, every time we came back it was such a privilege to play.  We don't know what will happen in the coming weeks, it's impossible to know when we might play one of them again.'

Edited by SomeChap
Spelling of Johann Vexo
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And according to europe1.fr :

EXCLUSIVE  https://www.europe1.fr/societe/exclusif-lorgue-principal-de-notre-dame-de-paris-miraculeusement-preserve-rien-na-brule-rien-na-fondu-3892910

Under the disemboweled roof of Notre-Dame de Paris were hundreds of masterful, historical and priceless works. In what state are they today, after the terrible fire that devastated the cathedral on Monday night? Particularly the huge Grand Organ, with some pipes dating back to the 15th century. In exclusive Europe 1 Tuesday, Laurent Prades, steward of the interior heritage of Notre-Dame de Paris, has provided reassuring information.

"The big organ was not touched at all except that it was very dusty, but it did not take a single drop of water. It took soot and dust, so it is totally unusable, but nothing has burned, nothing has melted, "he assures Europe 1. As for the second organ, used daily and located in the choir, "it was copiously watered (by the fire hoses), to preserve the 18th century choir stalls that are just below."

Today, with firefighters, architects and curators, M Prades is carrying out a comprehensive survey in the devastated building "to note the major architectural disorders, the things that must be stored away in the coming hours in case of further collapse".

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I watched an interview with a respected academic on medieval buildings, and I was surprised to learn that the wooden roof arrangement, with stone-vaulting beneath, was both insulation AND a fire barrier, due to previous timber roofs catching fire.
I didn't catch the name of the academic, but he made the wonderful point, that it took 800 and more years to test the system, and it worked perfectly!

I was quite stunned by that analyisis.

MM

 

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