Itaru Sekiguchi was just 10 years old when he first heard the Great Organ of Notre Dame in Paris. The “infernal sound” of the instrument left a lasting impression on him and forever changed his life.
“It was a bit of a culture shock,” said Sekiguchi, reflecting on the experience.
Now 53, the Japanese-born organ specialist is one of the few entrusted with tuning and voicing the iconic instrument as Notre Dame prepares to reopen on December 7 after the devastating 2019 fire. Remarkably, the nearly 300-year-old organ was spared from the flames.
Sekiguchi, who moved to France in his 20s to pursue a career as an organ builder and restorer, has long dreamed of working on the “voice” of the celebrated Gothic cathedral.
“I wanted to come to France because that’s where it’s happening,” he explained, fluent in French. “But when I told my family, they thought I was a bit out of my depth.”
In 2018, he became the official organ builder for Notre Dame, overseeing the maintenance of France’s largest musical instrument, which stands as tall as a four-story building. The Great Organ, with its 8,000 pipes, has been the voice of the cathedral since 1733 and produces a sound that its players describe as truly symphonic.
“It was my dream. It gave me a chance to get to know the instrument a little better,” said Sekiguchi, who has lived in the central Correze department of France for 25 years.
For three weeks each month, Sekiguchi was responsible for maintaining the organ, which included tuning the pipes and adapting to the challenges posed by working in one of the most visited tourist destinations in France.
“Time is very limited,” he explained. “You have to work at night because otherwise, it disturbs the tourists. Plus, you need absolute silence for tuning.”
However, his time in the role was cut short. In 2019, a devastating fire ravaged the cathedral, and Sekiguchi lost his position.
Despite the tragedy, he found comfort in knowing that the organ had been spared from the worst of the fire. Although the flames damaged parts of the cathedral, the organ was doused with relatively little water as firefighters worked to save the historic structure.
“I was afraid for the organ because during the night, we didn’t know what was going on. We received contradictory information. It was a nightmare,” Sekiguchi recalled.
He believes that had the organ suffered significant damage, restoration would have been impossible. “Today, we wouldn’t be able to do the same thing,” he said.
While the organ itself wasn’t directly damaged by the fire, it did suffer some harm. Lead residue from the fire’s smoke seeped into the pipes, and the instrument was further weakened by the extreme heat during a summer heatwave in 2019.
In December 2020, the organ was dismantled for restoration. Three expert organ-building workshops were involved in the extensive restoration process. Once the restoration was completed, Sekiguchi and other specialists resumed the work of tuning and voicing the instrument, again working under the cover of night.
With Notre Dame’s reopening approaching, many are eager to know what the restored Great Organ will sound like.
“It’s very difficult to give the right tone,” said Olivier Chevron, an organ builder who invited Sekiguchi to work on the project. “A pipe can speak in 1,000 different ways.”
The task of restoring the organ is so specialized that the organ builders often create their own unique tools, some of which have no official name, relying on their expertise and subjective judgment.
Bertrand Cattiaux, another organ builder who played a key role in the organ’s maintenance for many years, offered his perspective on the instrument’s sound.
“It’s difficult to describe the sound of a great organ,” Cattiaux said. “For me, it reflects the sound color of the cathedral. It was a warm instrument, not tense or aggressive.”
Sekiguchi has also drawn from his own memories to help restore the organ’s unique sound.
Despite the monumental task, he feels privileged to be part of the restoration of such an iconic French landmark.
“It’s a lot of things—honor, work, and responsibility—but also a lot of joy,” Sekiguchi said. “It’s just incredible.”
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