confused about Notre-Dame's chamades

[smilingvox]

I disagree - I think that they sound superb; certainly nothing like fingernails on a blackboard.

I agree regarding the acoustics. However, I dislke greatly both examples which you cite, particularly those at Saint Paul's Cathedral, London. They are so thin they sound more like a giant harpsichord than any type of trumpet. The State Trumpet I have only heard on recordings and, recently, on YouTube (the recording was of good quality). Personally, it did nothing for me.



However, beauty is in the ear...

Recordings offer only part of the true sound. When in NY, go to a service in which they use the organ (St. John the Divine), stand under the State Trumpet during a postlude (usually used then) and tell us if that doesn't do something.

To hear a good balance between it and the main organ, go to the Nave, about the second or third bay back from the dome.

And, about the disagreement about the Boisseau chamades..... No hurt feelings here. We're all entitled to our opinions.

[acc]

And, about the disagreement about the Boisseau chamades..... No hurt feelings here.

Seconded.

[pcnd5584]

Hi. The Chamades had pipes added at the bottom and were made full length, also increasing the scales.

No, this is incorrect. Please see my post below.

[pcnd5584]

The three chamades (8', 4', and 2'/16') built in 1965 by Robert Boisseau are still there, but were significantly revoiced in the 1992 restoration by Jean-Loup Boisseau (Robert's son) and Bertrand Cattiaux: it is now possible to sit at the console without earplugs.

Two additional chamades (8' and 4') in "Cavaillé-Coll style" were added in 1992.

So we now have a total of five chamade stops, but I don't know which is which among the horizontal pipes sticking out in front of the case. Günther Lade's monography on Notre-Dame will certainly contain detailed answers, but so far, only volume 1 has appeared, convering history up to the year 1900.

To the best of my knowlegde (and David Briggs agrees with me), the Boisseau Chamades were not revoiced at the time of the 1990-92 restoration. Howver, they were re-winded (to their detriment; they are now a little less stable). For the record, in the absence of the second volume of Günther Lade's monography, every other account of the rebuild which I have read also states that the Boisseau Chamades were retained tonally as they were prior to the restoration.

The two additional Chamades (8ft. and 4ft.) were made, specifically as exact copies (aside from the hand of the original voicer) of those on the G.O. of the superb Cavaillé-Coll instrument in the Basilica of S. Sernin, Toulouse.

With regard to earplugs - this is definitely incorrect. I have been in the loft on a number of occasions, either turning pages for DJB, or standing next to Philippe Léfébvre and I can assure you that the tutti is still staggeringly loud - even without either set of Chamades. When these were added, I discovered that the human ear can 'distort', in a similar manner to the speakers on a home stereo....

[Corno Dolce]

Hi pcnd,

If my memory serves me, last time I visited NDdeP and Maitre Latry I noticed that the 2'/16' was titled "Regals" - Could those horizontal resonators represent regals on steroids? Help me out here.............

[pcnd5584]

Hi pcnd,

If my memory serves me, last time I visited NDdeP and Maitre Latry I noticed that the 2'/16' was titled "Regals" - Could those horizontal resonators represent regals on steroids? Help me out here.............

No. There is (in addition to the chamade Trompettes) a Regal at 16ft. and 2ft. pitch. However, the chamades stops which you see protruding form the impost of the case are the 8ft. and 4ft. Chamades from the 1960s, installed by Robert Boisseau and the newer (1992) 8ft. and 4ft. chamades installed by his son (Jean-Loup Boisseau), which latter are modelled on those on the G.O. at the Basilica of S. Sernin, Toulouse (Cavaillé-Coll, 1888).