enEnglisch
Paris, Saint-Gervais
Louis Bessart and François-Henri Clicquot 1760-69
State of preservation: Wooden pipes from the 16th and 17th centuries, the majority of other pipes by Bessart and Clicquot , with some losses of higher harmonics ranks removed in 1811. The poverty of the church parish luckily prevented major changes. In 1920-24 restored by Louis Béasse under explicit rule of the intonation being unaltered. In 1967-74 another restoration by Jacques Bertrand (Fa. Gonzalez).
For almost two centuries from 1653 to 1826 members of the Couperin family were the organists of Saint-Gervais including (1685 to 1733) François Couperin. Over their times the instrument built in 1601 by Mathieu Langhedul including older material was expanded and adapted to varying tastes again and again. After Armand-Louis Couperin entered service in 1748 a new organ was planned and begun in 1758 with a new case, finished over a decade later with last works at pipes.