Chercheurs d’Orgues, a new documentary on Arte

Fondation Rémy Cointreau is in partnership with Schuch Productions to produce “Chercheurs d’Orgues”. It is a documentary realised by Pascale Bouhénic and Bernard Fouccroulle. In 91 minutes, it puts in highlights this ancient instrument not much known by the public. The organs crossed the centuries and occupied a great place in the European patrimonial landscapes. The objective of this project is talking about organs as a discreet witness of our past full of modernity.

This documentary is available on May 1^st, 2022 on arte.tv, and will be broadcast on TV on May 8^th, 2022, at 5:10 p.m.

« Chercheurs d’Orgues »

Created in more than two thousand years, the organ has crossed the centuries and has known its height in the XVII^th Century. Today, this wind instrument is often associated to church while it represents more than a simple accompanist of religious songs. France counts 65 organ specialists and 8700 organs which 1500 of them are listed historical monuments.

Through a Europe travel, this documentary proposes to discover the organs as a contemporary and multicultural instrument, rich of architecture and musical repertoire, with infinite interpretation.

The organ offers the possibility to organists to play with a full chorus. In fact, it is composed of several parts such as the hand keyboard, the foot keyboard, or the bellows. The multitude of pipes makes a lot of sounds and interpretes different registers of music: classical, contemporary, jazz etc. All by itself, the organ represents an orchestra. This is how it is so modern.

A new partnership for the Fondation Rémy Cointreau

The organ is still present today thanks to organs specialists. This craftsman is the creator and the restorer. He masters carpentry, cabinet making, marquetry, etc. This trade is as complex as the instrument and asks a great control of the handicrafts.

The craftsman designs all the organ pieces according to the musical repertoire (classical, contemporary) and the future place of residency of the instrument. He has to be an expert in history, music and mechanic, but also to have an interest for new technologies. In fact, today, the mechanicals are evolving to produce new organs. Those ones will be a part of the rich heritage.

« Chercheurs d’Orgues » is beyond the organs specialists because it participates to the transmission values. The Fondation Rémy Cointreau is in partnership with Schuch Productions in order to support and diffuse this know-how not enough well-known but essential for the comprehension of our history.