Orgue de tribune de l'église Notre-Dame-de-la-Croix de Ménilmontant, Pipe organ in a church in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, France
The tribune organ of the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Croix de Ménilmontant is a pipe organ built in 1874 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, installed on a raised gallery inside this Paris church in the 20th arrondissement. The instrument has two manuals of 56 notes each and a pedalboard of 30 notes, spread across 26 stops.
The organ was built in 1874 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, shortly after the church was completed, and the presence of the bells forced a change in the original plan, reducing the number of manuals from three to two. Over the 20th century it underwent several interventions, notably by Charles Mutin in 1912, and a partial restoration was carried out between 1989 and 1990 by Daniel Birouste.
The organ is clearly visible from the main body of the church, as it sits on a raised gallery at the back of the nave. During organ concerts or services with organ accompaniment, its sound can be heard from anywhere in the building.
Although the instrument has only 26 stops, its sound fills the entire space of the church, partly because the hollow floor of the gallery acts as a natural resonance chamber. This structural detail was already taken into account when it was built.
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