The Saint-Gervais organ

Saint Gervais organ builders in the 17th century:

Matthijs Langhedul  (15?? - v.1635)

Coming from a Flemish family of organ builders active since the 15th century, he was instructed by his father Jan.
Jan moved to Paris in 1585 because of the war in Flanders, and then worked on several organs with his son.

When his father decided to return to Flanders, Matthijs went to Spain, where he was, from 1592 to 1599, the organ tuner for the Spanish court. When he went back to Paris in 1599, his reputation brought him immediate work: St Jean-en-Grève, St Benoit, Saints-Innocents, St Jacques-la-Boucherie. His most important organ is the new one he built for St Gervais, from 1599 to 1601, which still contains many untouched stops.

It was Matthijs Langhedul, together with Crespin Carlier, who laid the groundwork for the classic French organ of the 17th century.

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