A Small Instrument
In the 12th century, during the construction of the cathedral, Léonin, the composer and founder of the Notre-Dame School, and Pérotin only had small instruments in the choir. The presence of the first organ, suspended in a “swallow’s nest” under a high window in the nave, is documented as early as 1357.
This modest instrument included a small keyboard (possibly 36 keys with 4 to 6 pipes per note) and a progressive full stop with the largest pipe measuring 6 feet. In 1392, the chapter of Notre-Dame appointed Renaud de Reims as the organist. He arranged for an expert visit, which concluded that the organ needed repairs. King Charles VI financially supported its restoration in 1394. However, the sound dimension remained insufficient to resonate throughout the vast nave of the cathedral. The Duke of Berry, a generous benefactor, commissioned a new instrument from organ builder Frédéric Schambantz.
The New Organ
In 1401, the new organ was placed on the gallery above the grand west portal, while the old organ continued to serve. For several decades, there were two organs in the great nave. Since the Middle Ages, only about fifty organists have played these keyboards.
Three towers surrounded by four flat panels measured 20 feet wide by 15 feet high. Twelve bellows behind the case supplied air to the instrument. Ornaments and automata decorated the lower part, including a rotating sun and a small man playing. It featured a 46-note keyboard and a pedalboard. Organist Renaud de Reims thus had a grand blockwerk.
Three years later, a curtain was placed to protect the case. In 1415, the instrument underwent repairs. Meanwhile, the old 13th-century organ, still hanging in the nave, was abandoned and sold in 1425 for its metal weight, yielding 800 pounds of tin.
The First Overhauls
Overhauling involves cleaning, reviewing, and retuning the instrument. For the organ, it is a complex task requested by the organist to improve the sound quality. The cathedral chapter provided the funding. Often, it was an opportunity to make modifications by an organ builder.
Jean Campana, appointed in 1458, had the organ reviewed by organ builder Jean Bourdon of Laon. In 1463, Troyen builder Jean Robelin performed an overhaul thanks to the patronage of the bishop of Troyes. Pierre Mouton had another overhaul done by builder Pasquier Bauldry in 1528: new windchests, dust protection, softer harmonization at the chapter’s request, and replacement of pipes. Loys Regnault obtained another overhaul in 1564 by Nicolas Dabenet: the keyboard was extended, pipes were repaired, and the pedal action mechanism was equipped with a coupler.
