The OHS Press is preparing to release The Great Organs of the Churches of Paris by Félix Raugel. Published in French in 1927, this book has been the classic study of the great organs of the French capital. Now, for the first time, it is available in an English translation by Rollin Smith. Fifty chapters discuss these famous organs in Paris and its environs through 600 years, from the 15th to the 20th centuries, with a history of each, one or more stoplists, and copious illustrations.

A member of Paris’s Historic Monuments Commission, Raugel knew all the great musicians from Saint-Saëns, Widor, and Vierne to Duruflé and Messiaen, and his extensive research in various archives and libraries allowed him to bring to light countless details of the organs’ construction, their cases and decoration, the galleries, and the churches that house them. His expert descriptions of the architectural elements of the organ cases are blended with documentation of the organbuilders and the organists who succeeded one another at their prestigious posts. Fascinating stories abound of the instruments’ destruction or survival during the French Revolution and their subsequent rebuilds during the 19th and 20th century. Free shipping in the USA, it is expected to be available @ April 1, 2025.