2022.02

The organ of Saint-Sulpice has been preserved in almost its original state thanks to two organist-composers, Charles Marie Widor (1844–1937) and Marcel Dupré (1886–1971), who successively played the instrument for nearly a century. When the interior of the church was being completed, Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin (1739–1811) was asked to submit a design for an organ case that would harmonize with the architecture of the gallery. François-Henri Clicquot (1732–1790), the most famous French organ builder of the time, was commissioned to construct the instrument. Fortunately, during the French Revolution, the organ was spared from destruction.
In 1855, Pierre-Henri Lamazou (1828–1883), the assistant pastor of the church, entrusted the maintenance of the organ to Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. The work progressed slowly, and by the planned completion date of June 1858, the organ was still less than half finished. Later that year, Cavaillé-Coll decided to expand the organ without parish approval. The contract had been signed for an organ with 72 stops, four manuals, and pedal, at a price of 47,000 francs. Cavaillé-Coll wanted to build an organ with 100 stops, five manuals, and pedal, at a total cost of over 146,000 francs. Ultimately, the organ was completed in 1862, after five years of work. What had begun as a four-manual instrument with 97 ranks had grown into a five-manual instrument with 135 ranks.
After his thirty-year association with the organ, Widor used the 1903 revision to make a few additional changes. Since the Récit had become increasingly important in the repertoire and the manual was therefore frequently played, the Bombarde and the fifth manual were swapped. The Bombarde manual was renamed Solo. In 1922, the organ was equipped with an electric blower. On January 1, 1934, exactly 64 years after he was appointed ‘provisional’ organist at Saint-Sulpice, Widor resigned. He was succeeded by his student Marcel Dupré. In tribute to Widor, a Principal 16’ and 8’ were added to the Pedal, bringing the number of ranks to 137.