Notre Dame

des Champs

91, boulevard Montparnasse, 75006 Paris

Organiste titulaire Yannick Merlin Famous organists in the past: René Vierne, Jean-Pierre Leguay Concerts Irregularly Masses with organ Saturday 6.30p.m., Sunday 11p.m., 5.30p.m., 7.30p.m. Videos Yannick Merlin Olivier ALAIN – Suite pour Rameau pour trompette et orgue (1964) François Frémeau (trompette), Yannick Merlin (orgue) Ouverture - Sarabande - Loure vive - Contredanse - Air italien - Rigaudon - Menuet grave - Tambourins Philippe Ourselin - J. Brahms Praelidum und fuge in A

C2 The organ of Notre-Dame-des-Champs was built by Cavaillé-Coll in 1877. It originally consisted of 26 stops. 1947 Daniellot & Salmon carried out maintenance works. On this occasion, the organ was set back by 1.80 m. 1973 Schwenkedel altered the instrument, replacing the Plein Jeu progressif of the GO by a Fourniture V and Cymbale IV and adding a Plein Jeu IV on the récit. He added a Doublette, Flûte à fuseau, Sesquialtera and a Tierce on the récit (out of the old Plein Jeu) and on the récit he replaced the Flûte traversière by a Bourdon 8, the Flûte octaviante 4 by a Principal italien 4 et the old Octavin by a Flûte 2. The pedal was enlarged with the addition of a new wind chest of 8 stops, with 4 new stops added. The organ was re-voicing by Laurent Steinmetz. 2004 Overhaul by Yves Fossaert. Built according to the plans of the architect Ginain, the church houses a new organ commissioned from one of its parishioners, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, whose workshops are next door on Avenue du Maine. A first official performance of the instrument was given by Fauré for the Christmas holidays of 1876, shortly before its appraisal by Gigout. The Alsatian Auguste Andlauer was unanimously appointed (out of 9 candidates) as the first titularie by a prestigious jury (Gounod, Franck, Widor, Guilmant, Gigout, Dhibaut, Bleuze and Delorme. The blessing and inauguration of the instrument (Andlauer and Widor) took place on March 20, 1877. Several titular organists followed one another (Auguste Chapuis, Emile Bernard, Camille Andrès) until the appointment of René Vierne (brother of Louis Vieme) in 1904. In 1914, the project to add a third positive manual was immediately abandoned because of the outbreak of war. In 1947, the organist Francisque Froment (in office from 1918 to 1961) had the organ rebuilt by Daniellot and Salmon who did not touch the composition, but restored the action. This work was inaugurated on 25 January 1948 by Dupré. It was under the impetus of Jean-Pierre Leguay (titular organist from 1961 to 1984) that the organ underwent important modifications during the restoration carried out by the Schwenkedel factory, between 1969 and 1973. Its sound aesthetics were notably remodelled in the neo-classical taste of the time. The instrument was increased to 34 stops. The inaugural concert took place on 7 February 1973 with G. Litaize and J-P. Leguay. A final restoration was carried out by the Fossaert company in 2004 (the composition remains identical, except for the 4' oboe of the Swell which becomes an 8' oboe again), while Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet-Hakim is titular organist (1985-2008). Since 2009, the maintenance of the organ has been entrusted to Alain Léon. Today, the organ is in a bad condition. Yannick Merlin

The origin of the place of Notre-Dame-des-Champs dates back to the early days of Christianity, the temple was dedicated to the Virgin and took the name of Our Lady of the Vignes. King Robert the Pious (972-1031) decided to rebuild the building and entrust it to Benedictine monks from the Alsatian abbey of Marmoutier. In the 18th century, the abbey enjoyed a prodigious influence. Bossuet preached there. Mademoiselle de la Vallière withdrew there. Madame Acarie (beatified in 1791) assisted Cardinal de Bérulle in his Carmelitan reform. During the Revolution, the convent was closed, the church destroyed. In 1858, the parish was created. In 1867, the architect Paul-René-Léon Ginain (1825-1898) began the construction of the present church, freely inspired by the Romanesque style. It was completed in 1876. Charles Mutin was a parishioner of this church located not far from the former Cavaillé-Coll workshops.