2019.01

Joël Hooybergs, The genesis of L’Art du Facteur d’Orgues, the magnum opus and testament of Dom François de Bedos de Celles (1709–1779)
L’Art du Facteur d’Orgues (1766-1778) is a monumental treatise written by the Benedictine monk Dom François Bedos de Celles (1709-1779). It has repeatedly been called the bible, the catechism, the breviary of organ-builders, and to this day has never ceased to fascinate. It still remains the unrivalled authority on the subject.
Our paper proposes to trace the genesis of this magnum opus, replacing it in its XVIIIth century context. The Age of Enlightenment was caracterized by the learned endeavours of numerous Académies and by the publication (Diderot and d’Alembert) of the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des Arts et Métiers. This unprecedented editorial undertaking marked a newapproach to the process of evolution and to humanity’s station in the universe. Progress, science and development were now more than ever before the new watchwords. Dom Bedos de Celles was born in Caux, near Pézenas in 1709. According to certain authorities he completed his schooling in the Collège de l’Oratoire in Pézenas and at the age of 16 joined the Benedictine order of the reformed Congregation of Saint-Maur in the Abbey of Notre-Dame de la Daurade in Toulouse. In 1745 he became secretary to the chapter of the Sainte-Croix Abbey in Bordeaux. Between 1745 and 1748 he built for the abbey church an organ which is still considered to be his absolute masterpiece. This instrument confirmed his unsurpassed reputation. He then returned to his native Languedoc, joining the community of the Saint-Thibery Abbey, close to his birthplace. He once again became secretary to the chapter and immediately set about building a new instrument for the abbey church. The distinguished Benedictine’s training as organ-builder remains a complete mystery. In 1759 he became a corresponding member of the Bordeaux Académie royale des Sciences et des Beaux-Arts. This was a decisive turning point in his life, giving him access to numerous eminent scholars and scientists. He thus came into contact with the Paris Académie royale des Sciences directed at the time by Henry-Louis Duhamel de Monceau. In 1760 he published in Paris La Gnomonique ou l’Art de tracer les cadrans solaires avec la plus grande précision.
This work had nothing whatsoever to do with organ-building, but demonstrated his wide knowledge of mathematics and physics and awakened the interest of another key member of the Académie, Jean-Paul Grandjean de Fouchy. Shortly afterwards Duhamel du Monceau entrusted the Benedictine academic with the compilation of a treatise on all aspects of the art and technicalities of organ-building. The “célèbre compagnie” intended this to be a further addition to its wide-ranging Descriptions des Arts et Métiers. The regular publications
of the Encyclopédie had aroused great interest since 1751.
The first part appeared in 1766. In 1767 Dom Bedos was elected corresponding member of the Paris Académie royale des Sciences. The next two parts were published in 1770. He was immediately invited to complete his treatise with a fourth part, which only came out in 1778. Exhausted by his labours and by old age, he died in the Abbey of Saint-Denis in 1779, the year following the completion of his treatise and just 10 years before the collapse of the Ancien Régime.
His famous treatise has aroused continued interest, with translations as well as adaptations and reeditions. In Belgium, there are still several original copies in public and private collections.

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