Sounds of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

January 28, 2017 7:08 AM

Priests singing a Gregorian Mass. All the bells ringing. The organ accompanying the choir.
posted by colfax (3 comments total)

A great story about the organ at Notre Dame (from Wikipedia) - "[Louis] Vierne suffered either a stroke or a heart attack (eyewitness reports differ) while giving his 1750th organ recital at Notre-Dame de Paris on the evening of 2 June 1937. He had completed the main concert, which members of the audience said showed him at his full powers—"as well as he has ever played." Directly after he had finished playing his "Stele pour un enfant defunt" from his 'Triptyque' Op 58, the closing section was to be two improvisations on submitted themes. He read the first theme in Braille, then selected the stops he would use for the improvisation. He suddenly pitched forward, and fell off the bench as his foot hit the low "E" pedal of the organ. He lost consciousness as the single note echoed throughout the church. He had thus fulfilled his oft-stated lifelong dream—to die at the console of the great organ of Notre-Dame. Maurice Duruflé, another major French organist and composer, was at his side at the time of his death."
posted by lagomorphius at 8:17 AM on January 28, 2017 [8 favorites]

Vierne is a great favorite of our church's organist/choirmistress. I know she would appreciate this story (if she doesn't already know it by heart, that is).
posted by tully_monster at 10:37 AM on January 28, 2017

The story behind Gregorian Masses (said thirty days in a row for a particular deceased) told in Wikipedia is an eyebrow-raiser. Holy crap ... they were STRICT back in the Dark Ages !!
posted by Twang at 12:16 PM on January 29, 2017