A Passion :
Establishing an Architecture of Sound
For too many years one hears, in France , America and in Europe , the same remarks about how the organ world is narrowing, taking on the odour of mothballs and old closets. The "organ" world badly needs dusting, getting rid of parasites and removing the dead rats that pollute the atmosphere.
Jean Guillou seems to be the only one ready to speak of these necessities, the only one who has created new things, orchestrations worthy of the name. He establishes amazing sound conceptions: he creates! Thanks to his teaching, his disciples are themselves able of pursuing his work.
One of these necessities consists of elaborating architectural tonal plans. I love to speak with Guillou's students about his projects. They are fascinating musicians who at last think in terms other than the 8-4-2 fondation stops, or the abject ensembles of the 16-8-4-2-mixtures with the reeds 16-8-4 . All of that is finished, of no interest. Respect for the past does not require remaining forever compartmentalized within it.
Cavaillé-Coll himself innovated with respect to the organ. Where would we be now if Cavaillé-Coll had not contributed all of his reflections and research on the "organ sound"?! He invented the harmonic flute, applied some principles of the pneumatic lever for easing mechanical actions, developed sound plans, etc.
And what if all that had never surfaced? Would we be required to stay in the muddy and stilted backwaters of old instruments?
Alpes d'Huez - Olivier tuning the Kleuker organ
It is totally out of the question that the history of the organ stop there. It is evident, useful, vital and necessary that the organ should continue to evolve. I think it would be interesting to create an anti-stagnation racism !!
When I hear certain instruments conceived by Jean Guillou I become aware that here lies the future of the organ. It is necessary to take risks, but not indiscriminately (as was and is done in certain fields, like painting)
Thus, two years before Olivier Messiaen's death, I discussed innovative sound architectures with him, not in the context of a particular stop - a prestant remains a prestant - but rather in the way one can design instruments whose stops are named after them - Thus, the organ technician pre-orchestrates, while the organist accomplishes the orchestration itself. The organ technician makes the instruments available. The organist, according to his capabilities, uses more or less effectively the instruments available to him.
What haven't I heard in the way of abject remarks made by some when they refer to instruments conceived according to Guillou's tonal sound palette? For example, they don't understand why the Positiv division of the Chant d'Oiseau organ in Bruxelles only comprises :
Flûte 8 - flûte 4 - Piccolo 1 - Sesquilatera - Aliquot -Cymbal and two soft reeds en chamades. They have no idea how to play this original specification
I rapidly noticed that they didn't know how to use them properly. As soon as they haven't access to their eternal ensembles of 8-4-2-mixtures, they seem lost. Likewise, many are those who do not really understand the presence of a Solo division which includes all the harmonic flutes, or see why there are only two pedal reeds in 32 and 16. And the others? The 8 and 4? They miss these? Well, too bad !
Iam used myself in taking up a Don Bedos plan, for a small instrument of only a few stops, based on the idea that no-one really needs the eternal 8-4-2 ensembles. During a trip to the United States . I showed the design of this very complete sound architecture using few stops to an organist there. He seemed alarmed, completely lost without his 8-4-2 foundations. He was even more appalled to find that this little instrument used electric traction to facilitate certain sound mixtures. That was too much, the ultimate heresy. I was thrilled.
This small example of specification was not all my own work, but had been thought out in collaboration with Olivier Messiaen . He suddenly decided the plan was a fantastic masterpiece, a marvel of conceptual imagination. Human behavior is really very strange, but I delighted in the approach I had just accomplished .
Another time, Messiaen brought me a page with a concept for the Trinité choir organ. While retaining Cavaillé-Coll's sound material, but adding electric traction to facilitate some subtleties, he proposed a most astonishing sound plan. On its details I prefer to remain silent, avoiding serving the interests of certain unscrupulous persons. On this subject, I might add that I was bothered several times by somber administrative types who assailed me by telephone, saying that the famous " Messiaen plans" should not be in my personal care, but must form an integral part of French cultural heritage. I'm fed up with these questions, and now ignore them.
About sound architecture, my reference is the human voice, specially when I hear the dramatic sopran Astrid Varnay, one of the greatest voice on the 20th century (R.Strauss, R.Wagner, Janacek).
Olivier Messiaen has asked to me to hear this voice in Wagner and said: "after hearing her voice, you'll understand what I love about sound balance on organ". I did and I undertood !
Messiaen also recomanded to me: "to understand what I love about organ crescendo, try to mix these two fantastic voices, Astrid Varnay and Beverly Sills, then you have the perfect sound for a crescendo progression... romantic sound with some classical light"
Great division - Trinité - Paris
Great division - Trinité - Paris
Great division - Chant d'Oiseau - Bruxelles
Positif division - Chant d'Oiseau - Bruxelles
As passion of beautiful sound, I have a friend, Jean-Louis Mascaro, who works as piano technician, one of the best in France: http://www.pianos-mascaro.fr plus http://www.bechstein.fr
Jean-Louis working
I'm very happy to work sometime with Bernard DARGASSIES who is probably and without any doubt, the best organbuilder in France ; I totaly do not care if anybody disagrees with what I say ! Bernard is a friend, he has all my support and my respect, especially after the wretched episode of Sainte Clotilde during whom the scum, the dregs of the organists populace attacked him without the least valid reason. Most of them are under advanced.
September 2007 - Bernard Dargassies has just installed this very nice nave console at Sainte-Clotilde. Thank you to Bernard for his magnificent work !!!