Public and Private Financing for Restoration
In February 1900, Louis Vierne succeeded Eugène Sergent. He implemented several modifications: some eliminations, the addition of zinc pipes for the bass of several stops, and the replacement of acoustic basses with real ones.
In 1910, the Seine River overflowed, flooding the presbytery courtyard and the crypt. The air became overly humid, causing mechanical issues and cornements in the organ. The following year, a heatwave caused further damage: splitting in the windchests, dried-out leather, bellows leaks, and mechanical malfunctions. The organ’s condition deteriorated. Vierne struggled to secure necessary funds after the 1905 law separating Church and State. Claude Johnson, director of Rolls-Royce and an organ enthusiast, was appalled by a technical incident during a 1920 concert and financed a new motor installed in 1924.
In 1927, Vierne requested the electrification of the transmission, a new console, additional stops, higher-pitched mixtures, and the addition of chamades, among other enhancements. In 1931, Joseph Beuchet, the new director of the Cavaillé-Coll Company, led the work. Some modifications were refused, including the electrical transmission and a significant portion of the new stops. The instrument was inaugurated on June 10, 1932, by Vierne and Widor.
The Tradition of Concerts
In 1955, Pierre Cochereau was appointed titular organist. The Organ Commission funded the work, supplemented by a chapter endowment. Organ builder Robert Boisseau installed electrification, a new console with new manuals and pedalboard, multiple accessories, including an 8-general combination system, 6 specific combinations, and 4 coupler combinations.
Cochereau felt as if he had rediscovered the grand plein jeu of the 18th-century organ. He opened the organ loft to performers worldwide by organizing Sunday organ auditions (1968). Following his death in 1984, Notre-Dame de Paris revived the tradition of the “quarterly service” established from 1755 to 1793, appointing four titular organists to play in rotation.
Recent Restorations
The 1992 restoration equipped the organ with computerized elements. The cathedral’s high attendance increased ambient humidity and accumulated dust. Two restoration campaigns in 2012 and 2014 included installing high-pressure pneumatic jacks and conducting a general cleaning and tuning of the 7,952 pipes.
Organs and Organists of the 21st Century
Until the April 15, 2019 fire, titular organists Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefebvre, and Vincent Dubois represented a broad diversity among contemporary organ schools in France. Yves Castagnet was the titular organist of the choir organ.
After six centuries of transformations, the grand organ remains Notre-Dame’s master instrument, renowned for its exceptional sound quality. It resonates under the hands of organists from around the world during Church services and organ concerts.
