As we celebrate 120 years of organbuilding

As we celebrate120yearsof organbuilding Louis Mitchell
what is probablythe mostgloriousperiod in
at CasavantFr~res,it is gratifying to comLouis Mitchell, a French-Canadianwith Mitchell's fertile career,which was marked
plete suchan exceptionalproject, especially Irish roots, was born in Montreal and lived by the constructionof largeinstrumentslike
as it allowed us to investigatethe important there all his life. Little is known about him Saint-JacquesChurch in Montreal (1868),
formative years of our founders' lives and before1855,when he joined SamuelWarren Holy Family Church in Chicago(1868-70),
work.
(1809-82),then the most prominent organ- and Saint-SauveurChurch in QuebecCity
builder in Canada.Mitchell openedhis own (1873),and by a close contact with French
workshop around 1860 with CharlesForte, Romantic organbuilding, as illustrated by
Casavantand Mitchell
also from Warren,but their partnershiplast- the work of Aristide Cavaille-Coll.
The organof Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire
in ed only somefive years.At the time of his reLevis, Quebec,was built in 1870 by Louis tirement in 1893, Mitchell had installed The 1870Instrument
Mitchell (ca.1823-1902),who was active as most of his organsin Quebec,but also built
FacingQuebecCity on the south shoreof
an organbuilder during the lives of Joseph instrumentsfor churchesin other Canadian the St. Lawrence River, the city of Levis
Casavant(1807-74)and his two sons,Claver provincesand in the United States.
(originally Pointe de Levy) was settled by
(1855-1933)and Samuel(1859-1929),who
We do not know the exact number of or- Frenchpioneersasearly asthe 17th century.
founded Casavant Freres in 1879.
The parish of Notre-Dame-de-laVicWhile the history of organbuildingin
toire was founded in 1850by Father
Quebechas yet to be written, one
Joseph-DavidDeziel, who was inmayassumethat Mitchell andJoseph
strumental also in the development
Casavantfirst met at the College of
of the city by founding schoolsand
Sainte-Therese(north of Montreal).It
hospitals. Built between 1851 and
is reported that Mitchell went there
1854,the l,500-seatchurch,which is
to study music, while JosephCasaamong the finest examples of neovant entered in 1837 apparently to
classical architecture in Quebec,is
study Latin. Father Charles-Joseph
attributed to the famousQuebecarDucharme(1786-1853),the director
chitect ThomasBaillarge.
of the school, certainly was instruThe specificationwas preparedby
mentalin JosephCasavantbecoming
Father Laurie, a Jesuit priest who
an organbuilder,and he possiblyhad
lived in Fordham, New York. The
a similar influence on Louis
three-manual organ had 39 stops
Mitchell. While a student, Joseph
(preparedfor 41) on three manuals
Casavant was asked by Father
(56 notes; CC-G4) and pedal (25
Ducharmeto reinstall an old organin
notes;CCG-c).The metalpipesof tin
the college.To help educatehimself,
and lead alloy were imported from
he studied the famous treatise by
France and made according to
Dom Bedosde Celles,L 'Art du facthe best French traditions, first deteur d'orgues.Someyears later, Fafined by Dom Bedos(1766-78)and
ther DucharmeencouragedCasavant
revisited by Hamel in the Manuel
to build his first organfor Saint-Marcomplet du facteur d'orgues(1849).
tin Parishin Laval.
Of exceptional quality for North
It is likely that Claverand Samuel
American standards of that timeCasavantcamein closecontact with
there were no zinc pipes-the metal
Mitchell in the 1870s.After their fapipes were provided by the same
ther died in 1874, the two brothers
pipe makers,such as Voignier, who
were under the tutelage of Eusebe
weresupplyingCavaille-CollandlatBrodeur,who wasJosephCasavant's
er the Casavantbrothers. Mitchell
assistantand, from his retirement in
most probably made his own wood1866, his successor. The brothers
en pipes. The black walnut case,
were initiated into organbuilding by gansconstructedby Mitchell. However,from crowned with statuesof St. Cecilia and four
Brodeurwhile studying at the Seminairede materialsin the Casavantarchives,periodi- angelswith trumpets, was designedby LeSaint-Hyacinthe,although the relationship calsof the time, and church records,we have prohon and Bourgeau,the latter being rewith their tutor apparentlywas stormy. It is beenableto identify some70 organsbuilt by sponsiblefor the interior re-decoration,and
assumedthat Claver worked with Mitchell Mitchell, and some 20 additional instru- possibly the organcasework,of Notre-Dame
in Montreal before leaving for Europe in ments that could be attributed to him. Our Basilicain Montreal.
1878, and from the letters he wrote to his archives also contain information on
Dedicatedon August 17,1870,by Quebec
young brother, we know that Samuel Mitchell's stoplists, principles of construc- organists Antoine Dessane (Saint-Roch
worked in the Mitchell workshop before tion, scales, composition of compound Church),ErnestGagnon(Notre-DameCathejoining Claver in Franceat the beginning of stops,and winding system(e.g.,size of dou- dral), Adolphe Hamel (St. Patrick Church),
1879.Therefore,the Casavantbrotherswere ble-risebellows and wind trunks). This doc- and Frederick W. Mills, the new organwas
familiar with Mitchell's tonal philosophy umentation was most valuable for the Levis unanimouslysalutedwith enthusiasmin the
and work methods. It is normal then that project.
press.
their first instruments were influenced by
Mitchell remains an emblematicfigure of
the Mitchell style, which is found in the organbuildingin Quebecin the secondhalf The 1912 Renovation
stoplists and the use of pipework imported of the 19th century, as witnessedby the few
Some 40 years after its installation, howfrom France, as seen at the Cathedral in instruments that are still extant and by the ever, the mechanism of the instrument was
Saint-Hyacinthe (1885) and Notre-Dame unanimous appreciation of his contempo- in such poor condition that the organ reBasilicain Montreal (1891).
raries. The Levis organ is representativeof quired substantial work. A letter by Henri
34
Copyright 2001 by the American Guild of Organists
Reprinted by permission of The American Organist Magazine
THE AMERICAN ORGANIST
Bernier, parish organist, to Samuel Casavant,
dated March 30, 1911, reveals the precarious
working condition of the instrument at that
time:
You know our organ in Levis for having
repaired it four or five years ago. . . The system is totally worn out. You verified that
by yourself when you worked on our organ. . . At this point, the organ is barely
playable anymore, and I assure you it is a
real pain to have to play it in such condition. (Casavant Freres Archives)
The organ was rebuilt as an electropneumatic instrument of 38 stops on three manuals
and pedal (Opus 475). Most of the Mitchell
pipework was retained, along with the case
and two large double-rise bellows. The scope
of the work consisted in replacing the mechanical action and attached keydesk with
new ventil windchests and a detached console. From the tonal standpoint. 35 existing
stops were repaired, repitched, and revoiced
according to the tonal preferences and practices of that time. Three new stops were provided, along with new bass pipes to extend
six stops with common basses to full compass. The bellows were refurbished and a
new electric blower was provided.
Except for replacing the Grand Orgue
Trompette 8' in 1931 (the 1870 pipes were
stored in the base of the instrument at that
time and reused in 1999), this organ remained virtually untouched from 1912 until
its recent reconstruction.
their Roman mouths imitating the round
arches found in the building itself. The
smaller pipework in the two-storied flats at
the sides of the caseworkare gilded wood
mutes. The woodwork features handsome
details such as carved bracketswith acanthus leavesandturned spiral column inserts.
The keydesk sits under the cantilevered
central tower that forms an elaboratescalloped canopyoverthe organist.Although the
original en fenetre keydesk disappearedin
the 1912electrification of the organ,studies
of period instrumentswere madein order to
determine an appropriate appearancefor
this area. The stops and couplers are controlled by turned pearwood drawknobs
topped with porcelain facesthat are handletteredin a script often seenin instruments
of the late 19th century.
The internal layout of the instrument follows historic 19th-centurymodels,with the
three manual divisions in the center and
pedal stops divided to the left and right
sides. The exception is the open wood
Soubasse16', which is at the back of the instrumentwhereits very large-scalepipework
(16%inches by 19 inches at CCC)does not
block other divisions, while benefiting from
the natural acoustic reflection of the rear
gallery wall.
Of special interest are the two large double-risebellows usedfor winding the instrument. Located in the base of the case, they are
connectedby wood wind trunks to the divisionsabove.The sizeof the reservoirs(11'by
7' and 11' by 5'6"), along with the original
iron weights, provides a natural breath-like
The 1999 Reconstruction
quality to the soundof the pipework. An adIn the late 1970s, area organists and the
ditional featureof the winding is the use of
church leaders became aware of the imporDom Bedos-styletremulants, a Tremblant
tance of this instrument. Somewhat later,
doux for the Positif and Tremblantfort for
Antoine Bouchard, then dean of the School
the Recit. The Tremblant doux is especially
of Music and organ professor at Universite
beautiful and effecLaval in Quebec City, became instrumental
tive with its subtle
in a project to rebuild the organ. Together
winding nuances inwith Father Jean-Marc Bolduc, they dreamed
fluenced by the temwhat the instrument might become and
po, number of stops
made several attempts to launch a project, all
employed,and density of texture when
of which were abandoned for lack of funds.
playing chords.
Subsequently, in themid-1990s, the Comite
The organ,with its
des orgues of the Fondation du patrimoine
wealth of eight-foot
religieux du Quebec was formed to evaluate
foundation stops so
and oversee organ projects involving historic instruments in Quebec. The formation
typical of late-19thof this commission was the final important
and early-20th-centustep in realizing the reconstruction of the
ry organs, provides
instrument.
a beautifully rich
We made a thorough inventory of the pipes
and luxurious fonds
and mechanism, documenting the original
d'orgue. The Grand
parts and detailing modifications and addiargue is basedupon a
tions made since 1870. We presented a thorMontre 16' that, beough report on the value and condition of the
cause of the internal
instrument to the committee in order to ad- height restrictions,
dress their main concern, which was to de- has stopped bass
termine if the work done in 1912 could be re- pipes for the first ocversed. Once it was decided that this was tave. Thesepipes are
possible,the course for reconstruction was fitted with metal
beards, which are
established.
After the contractwas signed,membersof very successful in
the committee maintained regular and im- maintaining suffiportant collaborationwith us throughoutthe cient harmonic develprocess,including numerous visits to the opment in the tone
Casavantworkshop. Massimo Rossi, who that one doesnot noservedas principal consultant,and Antoine tice the usual break
Bouchardfollowed the progressregularly in betweenthe openand
our workshop and the church.
stopped pipework at
The instrument is housed in the original tenor C.
1870casefeaturing a round central tower of
The principal stops
grandproportions.The facadepipesarefrom of the Grandargue inthe Montre 16' and 8' of the Grand Orgue, clude a Quinte 2%'
MARCH2001
and two Dom B6dos-style mixtures (2' Fourniture V, and 'IS'Cymbale IV), which give
breadth and grandeur to the instrument's
main diapason chorus, A full chorus of reeds
in 16', 8', and 4' provides power while blending fully with the fluework of the division.
Throughout the research phase and building process, it was clear that Mitchell had
thoroughly studied the work of Dom B6dos
and Hamel. Their influence was apparent in
the many choices he made during the conception and construction of the instrument,
clearly illustrating the continuum of organbuilding in Europe and North America.
The reconstructed instrument was heard
in its first public program during the July
2000 joint convention of the Royal Canadian
College of Organists and Federation quebecoise des amis de l'orgue. The instrument
was inaugurated in two concerts performed
in September 2000 to capacity audiences.
Each program featured Dany Wiseman, titular organist of Notre-Dame de L6vis, and Benjamin Waterhouse, titular organist at the
Cathedral (Anglican) of the Holy Trinity in
Qu6bec City.
We wish to thank the members of the committee and parish for allowing us the opportunity to help realize their dream of a truly
fine instrument for Eglise Notre-Dame-de-laVictoire in L6vis.
CASAVANT FRERES
Jean-LouisCoignet
Simon Couture
AndIe Gremillet
JacquelinRochette
StanleyScheer
35
From the Consultant
(Thefollowing text is takenfrom the official
report submitted to the parish on July 5,
2000,by the consultanton behalf of the Fondation du patrimoine religieux du Quebec)
The committee,upon consultingwith specialists, recommendedthat the organbe rebuilt accordingto the original instrument's
tonal specification of 1870. Its mechanical
action was restored and Mitchell's organbuilding techniqueswere followed as closelyas possible.However,upon a study of existing Mitchell instruments, it was
determinedthat this project would be more
than just a historical reproduction. While
strictly observingthe tonal principles of the
original instrument, the new organ would
havean improved action in terms ofresponsiveness,morereliable chests,and a console
equippedwith modernfeatures.The specification was slightly modified from 41 to 42
stops, again following the practices of the
time.
The Mitchell pipework, with the exception of onedamagedwoodenstop,which has
beenstoredin the church, wasrestoredwith
great care. New pipework was built using
material and techniquesreflective of the existing pipes. Both large original reservoirs
werereused.The slider windchestswere designedin accordancewith Mitchell's scaling
and disposition but include modernfeatures
to ensuretheir reliability in all climatic conditions. The attacheden fenetre keydeskis
practical and comfortable.
The organwas installed with greatcarefor
maximum solidity, stability, and precision.
The keyboardaction is light and responsive.
The wind system (reservoirs,wind trunks,
windchests) was built strictly following
Mitchell's concepts.The result is a wind system with a flow that makesit impossibleto
notice any wind lossor drop in pressure.The
wind is lively and allows for a nuanced
touch.
Voicing was accomplishedwith particular
attentionto reproducingthe original work as
faithfully aspossible.The tonal director and
voicers of CasavantFreresshowedfine sensitivity with the tonal finishing, and the result is of the highestartistic level.
The different soundsof the organresonate
magnifically within the building, and each
stop speaks with a distinctive voice. The
tonal synthesis,both vertically and horizontally, is perfect. Membersof the committee
were unanimousin describingthe fine tonal
quality of the organ and its sound as being
"luminous, full but not forced,clearwithout
being aggressive,and with an elegancein its
movement."
The typically French sound of the instrument is most obvious in its details and ensembles. Especially noticeable is the
grandeurof Europeanorgansound,much appreciatedduring Mitchell's time, found in a
plein jeu of principals and its mixtures plus
a chorus of trumpets in the Grand argue.
Paul Letondal, in 1870,describedthe effect
as "majestic and thrilling."
CasavantFreres and its artisans deserve
the highestpraise for their successfulwork.
I considerthe reconstructionof the Mitchell
organof Notre-Damede Levis to mark an important milestone in the history of organbuilding in Quebec.The organ fully meets
the wishes of Paul Letondalwho, on August
36
tGLISE NOTRE-DAME-DE-LA- VICfOIRE
LtvIs, QuEBEC
CASAVANTFRERES
SAINT-HYACIN1liE,
QuEBEC
GRAND ORGUE (58 notes)
16
Montre (13-21 in facade)
8
Montre (1-10 in facade)
8
Flute traversiere (wood)
8
Garnbe
8
Flute ~ cheminee
4
Prestant
4
Flute harmonique (wood)
2%
Quinte
2
Doublette
2
Fourniture V
%
Cymbale IV
16
Trompette
8
Trompette
4
Clairon
ANALYSIS
Division
Grand argue
Positif
Recit
Pedale
Total
8
4
2
2%
8
8
8
Stops
14
11
11
-2
42
COUPLERS
Grand Orgue/Pedale
Positif/Pedale
Recit/Pedale
Positif/Grand argue
Recit/Grand argue
RecitiPositif
POSffiF (58 notes)
8
Principal
8
Dulciane
8
Voix celeste (CC)
8
Bourdon (wood)
4
Salicional
4
Flute crouse (wood)
2%
Nazard
2
Piccolo
1~
Tierce
2
Mixture III
8
Chromome (sic)
Tremblant doux
RtCIT
16
8
8
8
PEDALE (30 notes)
16
Soubasse (open wood)
16
Bourdon (stopped wood)
16
Violoncelle
8
Violon
16
Bombarde
8
Trompette
(58 notes)
Bourdon (wood)
Fugara
Violoncelle
Flute harmonique (wood, 1-12 common
with Fugara 8)
Bourdon
Flute
Octavin
Comet III (TC)
Comopion (sic)
Hautbois
Voix-humaines (sic)
Tremblant fort
8,1870,wrote: "It is definitely an instrument
that should serveasa model for othersof the
sametype that could be built later in this
country." A historical model has been revived at Levis and it is a rich addition to our
cultural and organheritage.
I would also like to pay tribute to Father
Jean-MarcBolduc and the Committeemembersfor their valuableinitiative and their devotion to such a noble cause.
MASSIMO ROSSI
Ranks
21
13
13
-2
53
Wind Pressures:
Grand argue: 80 mm
Positif:
80 mm
Recit:
90 mm
Pedale:
90 mm
DESIGN DETAILS
Mechanical floating key action-Grand argue, Positif, Recit, Pedale
Electric stop action
Electronic combination action-32 levels of memory
Combination pedals
Fonds
Plein Jeu du Grand argue
Anches du Grand Orgue
Mechanical expression: Recit
Keydesk: en fen~tre
Drawknobs: turned pearwood drawknobs with
hand-lettered porcelain faces
Thumb pistons: rosewood with white faces engraved with black lettering
Black walnut casework (1870)
Winding: electric blower feeding two large doublerise bellows. Wood wind trunk connections
throughout
Cover photo: Michael Perrault
Black and white photos: Michael Perrault and Stanley Scheer (exterior)
This memorableevening had us witness
the "resurrection" of the mostprestigiousorgan of its time, and therefore honored the
memory of the renowned builder Louis
Mitchell.
In behalf of the parish. I would like to say
how much we appreciatedthe completeand
sincerecollaborationof CasavantFreresduring the whole process.Congratulationsto the
builder for a brilliant success.
JEAN-MARc
BOlDUC
Priest-in-Charge, Notre-Dame of Levis
From the Church
On September 20, 2000. more than 1,300
people were privileged to attend the inaugural concert of the organ at the Notre-Dame
Church in Levis. It followed a year of major
reconstruction work done in the Casavant
Freres workshops.
Thanks to the knowledge of the artisans
and specialists, and the rigor with which the
builder observed original building techniques and materials, the organ has once
again found its beauty and typically French
sound.
An excellent performance by the organists
allowed us to appreciate the tonal richness
and remarkable quality of the instrument.
The performers chose varied works that
showed the different colors of the stops,
which were much appreciated by music
lovers attending the concert.
From the Organist
Since July 2000,Louis Mitchell's masterpiece onceagainhasfound its splendorand
eloquence,thanks to the work of Casavant
Freres.This organis, in my opinion, a most
beautiful achievement in terms of reconstruction. As the titular organistplaying this
historic instrument,I havemuch pleasurein
interpreting the Romantic and symphonic
repertoire.The organhas all the qualities of
a greatCavaille-Coll:rich foundations,luminous mixtures, and noble reeds. Furthermore,the Mitchell organis especiallysuited
for liturgical music and improvisationby its
flexibility, comfortableconsole,fine voicing,
and the perfectblend of its soundpalettein
the acousticsettingof the church.
Bravo,and thank you, CasavantFreres,for
having revived the great work of Louis
Mitchell.
DANY WISEMAN
THE AMERICAN ORGANIST