Gustav Leonhardt

A late seventeenth-century style made at the beginning of the twenty-first century…
The musical success of an organ is founded partly on the unity of its conception but also on the aural perception of the builder whetehr ancient or modern. It is always a peasurable experience to play an instrument made by Bertrand Cattiaux, either in the French style or in the German tradition, as in the case of the organ at Amilly, which is not only a « wondrous machine », but also a really musical instrument.

JAMES DAVID CHRISTIE

Chair and Professor of Organ:
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin. OH,USA
Distinguished Artist in Residence:
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA,USA
Organist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston, MA, USA

I have had the great pleasure to see and perform on a great number of Bertrand Cattiaux's organs and each one of them was a great work of art. His attention to very detail is extraordinary. His understanding of sensitive mechanical action is second to none and his voicing is always musical and solidly founded in histocical inspirations from the Renaissance through the early 20th century. Mr. Cattiaux's workmanship, both inside and out, is of the highest quality. He has the unique abiliry to make a great synthesis of diverse schools and periods of organ building, leading to an outstanding approach to the universal problem of the electric organ. What makes his work stand out particularly for me is the connection between his instruments and the vast palette of organ repertoire. His approach to voicing is so musical that a stop, for example, voiced in a baroque style can serve romantic music perfectly well.

Francis Chapelet
Organist of Saint-Séverin de Paris

I have known Betrand Cattiaux since his beginning as an organ buider.
I was able to appreciate his great talent when playing on the historical organs of Sarlat, Cintegabelle andEtampes which he has wonderfully restored.

The organs of the cathedrals at Lunéville and Saint-Rémi de Reims confirm that Bertrand Cattiaux is a major artist.

Toulouse, 18th of March 2008
Michel Bouvard
Organiste de Saint-Sernin de Toulouse

I have known Bertrand Cattiaux for almost thirty years and have followed his extraordinary evolution as an organ builder. From the time he worked with Jean-Loup Boisseau until today, he has become the undisputed Master.

In the 1980s, when Bertrand Cattiaux was in close contact with the famous Clicquot of Poitiers, he already was filled with a passion for the French classical organ, its luminous, balanced harmony and appropriate mechanics. His classical training and his passionate contact with ancient organs have established an invaluable base for the continuance of his art.

So many brilliant creations, so many scrupulous restorations in varied styles, from the Renaissance to the 18th century, all involving research and devoted discipline, and more personal constructions in which the organ tuner's feelings can fully express themselves!

Olivier LATRY
Paris, 4th of November 2004

I consider Bertrand CATTIAUX one of the best French organ builders of his time. He has a remarkably good ear and his qualities as an organ tuner are acknowledged by most organists and fellow organ builders.

Thanks to his multiplicity of talent, he has not shut himself up in a single aesthetic. One easily can be convinced of that by looking at the list of works t his enterprise has achieved and, above all, by hearing the sound of his instruments.

I had the opportunity to play on many of them and was always enchanted by the refinement of their tone. And what is to say about the organ of Notre-Dame de Paris he restored in 1992? Each time I play there, I am surprised by its qualities.

I must point out the double aspect of Bertrand CATTIAUX as a restorer and designer, a rare occurence among organ builders. He understands that restoring ancient organs could help him to make the art of his predecessors his own; that ís how he acquired such a great culture and how his own instruments continue an age-old tradition. When building new organs, he knows how to associate the heritage of the past with a constant research in varied fields, as in general design, case design, mechanics flexibility, even electronic contribution for harmonics.

Philippe Lefebvre
Titular organist of Notre-Dame de Paris

A master of sound dedicated to music and organists, a real artist, respectful of the material and mechanism of the organ, an open mind in continual search, a scrupulous and reliable partner, a wise manager.

Bertrand CATTIAUX is without a doubt one of the greatest organ builders in the world whose talent, combined with his personal experience, have allowed him to reach a very high rank.

For more than thirty years, I have played all the instruments he has restored or constructed. Each one is a new discovery, giving to the organist a rare emotion and the real liberty of playing and expression.

His knowledge of the techniques, his mastery of organ building, his musical culture are the guarantee of an accomplished work. By himself he is a whole polyphony of organ building given that he restored and constructed organs of all styles, dating from the 16th to the 21st century. This is unique — I have never met any other organ builder able to reach such a level of perfection in such a wide field.

Following the example of the most famous organ builders, as Clicquot, Schnitger, Silbermann or Cavaillé-Coll, his skills have no limit because

Jean-Loup Boisseau

Bertrand Cattiaux, whom I've known for about forty years, could have been an excellent organist – he had the talent for it but he prefered to dedicate himself to organ building and learn this trade by becoming my partner.

We worked together on a great number of prestigious sites (Notre-Dame de Paris, Houdan, Levroux, Poitiers, Toulouse and so many others). That ís what allowed him to prove his skill.

Having followed his work with great interest since he gained his independence, I can say that, in terms of historical organ restoration as well as modern organ building, his sense of aesthetics, human relations, organization, and his passion for properly executed work make him one of the most outstanding organ builders of his generation.

François-Henri Houbart
Organist of La Madeleine, Paris

11 March 2008

Not content with having perfectly mastered the technique of ancient French organ building, Bertrand CATTIAUX opened his mind to the different aesthetics and became an all-round craftsman and artist.

His knowledge and professionalism have made him a figure of the French organ building world that cannot be ignored.

Trained by Boisseau, immersed in a great organ culture, encouraged by the most famous soloists (from Pierre Cochereau to Jean Boyer) Mr. Cattiaux has succeeded in making a name for himself which is now the synonym of perfection.