Best Samples for French Baroque

I am looking for the best organ samples to play Couperin, Daquin, and the like. I have got a 3 manual instrument and would like to be able to use all three. I usually buy wet samples, as I have no external reverb.

Please share your favorites, with links to the vendors if possible.

Thanks!

I really like Organ Art Media’s 1732 Andreas Silbermann Organ https://www.organartmedia.com/en/andreas-silbermann-organ#specification. Have a look at it and listen to the audio samples.

Iain

I like Sonus Paradisi's St. Pons, St. Maximin, and St. Michel best for French Classical.

If you can wait some few days, the new incoming organ of Zamárdi (AVO) might be the one that you need, and it will be very afordable. You have already beautiful demos on Contrebombarde played by DominiqueD, Jepisi and Istwan.It's not an historical instrument but it was built very French baroque styled.

I really like Organ Art Media’s 1732 Andreas Silbermann Organ https://www.organartmedia.com/en/andreas-silbermann-organ#specification. Have a look at it and listen to the audio samples.

Iain

Thanks. Believe it or not, this was the first sample set I reviewed this morning!

I second the recommendation of St. Maximin. The stops have a lot of character, and the reverb is quite nice.

The smaller, but free and very historic organ of Solignac is not bad too
https://hauptwerk-augustine.info/Solgnac_sample.php

I second the recommendation of St. Maximin. The stops have a lot of character, and the reverb is quite nice.

Agree! http://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/organs/f ... ximin.html
Free demo available: http://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/blog/st- ... ample-set/

I second the recommendation of St. Maximin. The stops have a lot of character, and the reverb is quite nice.

Agree! http://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/organs/f ... ximin.html
Free demo available: http://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/blog/st- ... ample-set/

Thanks. This is a large instrument and looks interesting. When playing on a 3 manual rig, does one assign the Recit and Raisonance the same manual? Both of the sample sets I have are two manual instruments.

Thanks. This is a large instrument and looks interesting. When playing on a 3 manual rig, does one assign the Recit and Raisonance the same manual? Both of the sample sets I have are two manual instruments.

For me, the Raissonance is an extension of the Grand Orgue. If you use the Raissonance on the same keyboard as the Recit you compromise some registrations on a three manual console. I’m thinking of Daquin, where you need to use the Recit Cornet with the Grands Jeux - the Raissonance very much adds to the Grand Orgue.

In Hauptwerk, you can change the assignment of manuals on the fly with the "floating division" functionality. So you can choose whatever configuration you like best.

"I’m thinking of Daquin, where you need to use the Recit Cornet with the Grands Jeux - the Raissonance very much adds to the Grand Orgue".

I've never been certain whether one could or should use a Mixture and Cornet together on the same manual. What are the historical guidelines for this?

On the 1966 Schantz from Evensong Music (now discontinued) the Great has both Mixture and Cornet; I like the sound when both are part of Full Great, and the sound is what matters most. Jake has added a fourth - Solo - manual for me, since I have four here; having the Cornet available independently on the Solo makes it easier to balance the cornet voluntaries that were once popular in England.

In a market town near here there's a two-manual organ on which the only way to lead a large congregation is to use the Great Cornet as part of full organ - otherwise there's not enough power.

Those are the practicalities, but it would be good to understand more about the use of the cornet in music of various periods and national styles.

--Regarding the specific music you are referring to, one could recommend definitely :
-Saint PONS ( from S.P.) which is very well done and near from the original ( and very good for working, because its acoustic is not too wet) ;
-and St MAXIMIN( from SP also) for its unique atmosphere.

I've never been certain whether one could or should use a Mixture and Cornet together on the same manual. What are the historical guidelines for this?

On French Baroque organs there is a sharp distinction between the Grand Jeu which consists of the reeds + the Cornets (no Mixtures), and the Plein Jeu which consists of the principals including the Mixture (so no reeds, Tierces or Cornets) - except that reeds can be used for a melody line in the pedal.

See http://www.sonusparadisi.cz/media/demos ... ques_2.pdf for more tips and details.

Post-Baroque, combining a Cornet and a Mixture is often acceptable.

Thanks josq - exactly what I need to know - this fills a large gap in my understanding. I was at music college in London (studying piano and organ) in the 1960s, and organ teaching then was very much based on typical English instruments of the time. Although the Royal Festival Hall organ had been opened in 1954, and very much embodied the principles of the Organ Reform Movement, it took many years for those principles to find their way into new organs, and for performing and teaching to adapt.

Only two organs in my home town have a complete chorus up to mixtures on two of the manuals and on the pedals, so I'm learning a lot from Hauptwerk.