The Grand Organ of Saint Eustache

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

This is a fantasic recently-uploaded video showing you through the Grand Organ of Saint Eustache in Paris.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVeswROIeIM

[davidecasteel]

I briefly visited that church in Paris in 1999, but there was not anything happening there at the time. I took this (poor) picture of the organ: Z14--St. Eustache organ by David Casteel, on Flickr.

David

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

A wonderful new video clip of the Grand Organ at Saint Eustache being played by the titulaire organist....

[AllenAnalog]

A very impressive performance of the transcription by Hirsch. Notice his frequent use of the "NEXT" toe stud and pistons for the piston sequencer. When both feet are busy he often uses his left thumb. And he doesn't even have music marked with the piston numbers - it's all from memory! Watching the display, it looks like he went through 4 memory levels with 20 pistons each for this performance.

Quite a few years ago European organs started featuring multiple copies of the piston sequencer buttons, located all around the console, for use in concert performances. (This is a 1989 organ with a new combination action installed on the remote console in 2010.) Yet American builders still seem to like installing wall-to-wall pistons under the manuals. I understand that for church service use but preludes, postludes and organ recitals could benefit from this; you would think that this concept would catch on here by now.

[prm]

AllenAnalog - AMEN to that!!! I can almost do it on my Allen with the + and - tabs, but I have to be pretty darned quick to change the memory level. Some of the newer pipe organs do have this feature.

[myorgan]

A very impressive performance of the transcription by Hirsch. Notice his frequent use of the "NEXT" toe stud and pistons for the piston sequencer. When both feet are busy he often uses his left thumb. And he doesn't even have music marked with the piston numbers - it's all from memory! Watching the display, it looks like he went through 4 memory levels with 20 pistons each for this performance.

With that frequent stop changes, it makes me wonder how anyone ever played any of these pieces with just 2 registrants! If I knew registering the organ was so difficult, I would never have learned how to use it.:devil: How did anyone ever play without a NEXT button!

Michael

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

A further video clip of the Grand Organ of Saint Eustache....