Good news from France!

[acc]

Very sorry to hijack the thread ACC - it's simply grown from my curiousity over why an organ builder from the 1800s would tune an instrument at 415Hz. (note to self - I should perhaps change my signature quotation!)

Oh, but I don't view this as “hijacking,” since the change of pitch that occured during the previous restoration in 1978–1980 has been the single most contentious issue of that restoration. Note that the original Cavaillé-Coll pitch was not A=415Hz, but A=435Hz. But even raising it from 435 to 440 is problematic, since it changes the ratio between height and diameter of the flue pipes, and therefore the sound colour (gambes becoming more montre-ish, and montres becoming more flute-ish). As for the reeds, they were cut or had their curvature changed, which also changed their voicing.

That the organ was still beautiful after all this only shows the genius of its original builder!

As for the original 1880 pitch of 435Hz, I guess it was simply dictated by that of the orgue de chœur from 1846 (both instruments were raised to 440Hz in 1978, and now lowered to 435 again by Hurvy).

[Contratrombone64]

acc - you are full of fascinating info. Love reading your posts.