Saint Augustin
Place Saint-Augustin, 75008 Paris
Orgue de tribune
1868 - Barker
1899 - Cavaillé-Coll
1945/62 - Beuchet-Debierre
1987 - Dargassies
2022 - Lacorre
Orgue d'accompagnement sur tribune
1899 - Mutin
1973 - Gonzalez
1983 - Dargassies
photos GO/Choir organ: Didier Matry
Saint-Augustin was built between 1860 and 1871 by
Victor Baltard in an eclectic style combining Gothic and
Romanesque elements. It is almost 100 metres in length,
with a dome of 80 metres in height, and was one of the
first great buildings in Paris constructed around a metal
frame. This church is a good example of the Parisan
architecture during the Second French Empire, directed
by Baron Haussmann, with many rectilinear avenues,
which called for prestigious buildings at prominent
locations.
The organ was built by Charles Barker & Albert
Peschard and inaugurated in 1868. It was an
innovative instrument, the first organ equipped
with an electro - pneumatic transmission (type
Peschard - not to be confused with the type
Schmoele-Mol which was used by Merklin). In
1870 this system was improved by Paul Férat, one
of the pupils of Charles Barker.
In 1889, the maintenance was given to Cavaillé-
Coll (i.c. his son Gabriel, who was the expert on
electricity). However, shortly afterwards, Gabriel
left the company and Cavaillé-Coll decided to
carry out a major reconstruction of the organ,
with the replacement of the electro - pneumatic
transmission by a mechanical transmission
assisted by the Barker lever, the extension of the
three keyboards to 56 notes and the pedal to 30
notes, and the addition of 9 stops. The new organ
was inaugurated in 1899 by Eugène Gigout.
In 1925, Charles Mutin extended the instrument
to 54 stops.
In 1962 the Beuchet company (i.c. father and son
Picaud) carried out an overhaul and
reharmonization, with the addition of mixtures on
each manual and the replacement of the Voix
humaine of the Swell with a Sesquialtera II and
the Clarinette of the Positif with a Cromorne.
A new restoration and reharmonization was
carried out in 1988 by Bernard Dargassies, with
the aim to return to the original symphonic
instrument.
In 2022, an overhaul (concerning the swell and a
part of mecanic and blowers) will be carried out
by Denis Lacorre.
Photo: Jeroen de Haan
Eugène Gigout à l’orgue de Saint-Augustin, Paris