ORGANS OF PARIS © 2023 Vincent Hildebrandt ALL ORGANS
Notre Dame
de la Croix
3, place de Ménilmontant, 75020 Paris
Orgue de tribune
1874 - Cavaille-Coll
1912 - Charles Mutin
1922 - Fernand Prince
1955 - Erwin Muller
1990 - Daniel Birouste
2000 - François Delangue
2010 - Hubert Brayé
orgue de choeur
1900 - Mutin
1960 - Gutschenritter/Masset
1991 - Daniel Birouste
photo GO: Jeroen de Haan
This big and very majestically positioned church
was built in during the reign of Napoleon III, by the
architect Louis-Antoine Heret, in a neo-roman style
with gothic elements and a modern metallic
structure. It is built on the steep slope of the Hill of
Ménilmontant, which necessitated the construction
of a 54 steps to make up for the difference in level
between the facade and the apse. It is the third
Church in Paris by its length and has a very large
surface of slate roofs. They are supported by
wooden frames, but the attic of the Church also
have metal beams supplementing cast-iron ribs
visible under the vaults of the nave. It was the first
church in Paris to have a visible metal structure.
The organ of Notre-Dame-de-la-Croix is one of the rare
organs built by Cavaillé-Coll, which have not been
altered to a significant extent during the past centuries.
The organ was built in 1872-1874.
When designing the instrument, Cavaillé-Coll faced two
serious problems: the rose window, and a bell
passageway in the center of the gallery. It was used for
the mechanical operation of the bells and as a route to
bring down the bells for repairs. From the floor to the
steeple, there are nine crosses in the rose window, a
symbolic number, and none of them had to be
concealed. So Cavaillé-Coll built an organcase in two
sections leaving the center of the gallery and the rose
window unmasked. The passageway for the bells
prevented building a console in the center of the gallery
with a direct action towards both organcases.
The original plan included a Récit expressiv, a Grand-
Orgue, a Positif expressiv and a Pedal. The console was
installed, facing the nave, with its three manuals. After
the installation of the Récit and Grand-Orgue, it became
evident that it would be impossible to build the action
for the Positif. So the first manual, that was to be the
Positif, was transformed into a permanent coupling
manual, meaning that it couples the Récit with the
Grand-Orgue. To take into account the passageway for
the bells, Cavaillé-Coll was forced to turn the console
(facing the rose window) and to use a complex action
design, which resulted in an action which is very hard
for the organist (although a Barkermachine is assisting
the action of the GO).
The right organcase houses pipework from the Grand-
Orgue division. The action, part of the wind system and
the Barker machine are located in the lower part of the
organcase. The left organcase houses pipework from
the Recit. Just next to it, there is a large empty space,
meant for the 11 stops of the never built Positif and
now occupied by a electric motor. The Pedal division is
located on each side in the back of the gallery with in
the middle the main bellows.
In 1912, Charles Mutin renovated the organ and raised
the wind pressure. Some works were done in 1922 by
Fernand Prince. In 1955, Erwin Müller modified two
stops: the 4' Octave in the Grand-Orgue became a 2 2/3'
Quinte; the harmonic progression of the Plein Jeu III-VI
in the Grand-Orgue was modified to become a Plein-Jeu
III-IV with breaks (C = 1 1/3, c = 2, c' = 2 2/3', c'' = 4). In
1989, the organ was restored by Daniel Birouste
(Plaisance).
In 2010, an overhaul was carried out by Hubert Brayé of
Mortzwiller (68). An important work of equalization,
especially concerning the reed stops, was carried out.
main source
Although this organ has only 26 stops, the instrument has
an amazing power and it can OKbe described as one of the
finest Cavaillé-Colls in Paris.
Site of the organ
The choir organ was built in 1912 by Charles Mutin,
replacing a very modest 4-stop organ, the buffet of
which is still in place today, behind the high altar
(photo).
Modified by Gutschenritter in 1960 and S. Grolleau in
1979, it was moved to the transept and then placed
back in the choir during the 1992 restoration by Daniel
Birouste. Its last restoration was carried out in 1996 by
François Delangue. On this occasion, the original wind
pressure was restored to 150 mm C/E!
Photo : Pierre Marteau
Empty organ case
Before the current church was built - in the 1860s -
there was a 'Chapelle Notre Dame de la Croix', just
down the street behind the church. It was destroyed at
the time. It had a small organ but we have no
information on the instrument. When the church was
built, this little organ was installed behind the choir (see
photo). It was used until the construction of the great
organ in 1872. It is now totally empty, there is nothing
in it and it is used as a cupboard to store things.
Thanks to Frédéric Denis for this information.
Photo : Christopher Marx
Photo : Christopher Marx