The belfry, the south lock bridge, the Saarlouis gate , the old castle of Volkrange… In Thionville, a dozen sites or architectural elements are registered or classified as Historical Monuments. Today, a little last could make its entry: it is about the organ of the Saint-Maximin church , whose request for classification was made recently. “This would complete the whole, since the organ case and the Saint-Maximin church are already listed”, notes the Director of Heritage of the City.
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3,500 pipes
With its 3,500 pipes completely restored in 1969 by a certain Alfred Kern, the instrument is indeed one of those movable objects of real artistic and heritage interest.
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“For a long time, it was considered that what was only fifty years old could not be of value. This position is changing, ”admits Christophe Mantoux, organist and expert on the subject with the Ministry of Culture. This Tuesday, he came to listen to the neoclassical organ he knew by reputation but not intimately enough to pass judgment. After an hour of listening, where the whole range of variations was interpreted, Christophe Mantoux was finally able to work.
“I have to position myself on the musical value of the instrument by trying to be objective, which is by definition very difficult! I can only proceed by comparison ”, indicates the expert, obviously talented musician, holder of the organ of the Saint-Séverin church, in Paris. Enthusiastic, the expert considers having discovered “an entirely homogeneous and preserved instrument. The aesthetic is that of the 60s and 70s and has not gone out of fashion ”.
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The Kern brand
The Thionville organ is remarkable in that it passed into the hands of the Alsatian organ builder Alfred Kern. This name may not mean much to ordinary people; but, for organ lovers, that’s a different story. The Kern house has long exported its instruments throughout the world, when it has not manufactured them for remarkable buildings, such as Strasbourg Cathedral. For example. In Thionville, many international organists came to record records in the 80s and 90s.
Impressive documentation has already been recorded in a first report, made by another expert in the genre, Christian Lutz. The next step will be sending the file to the national commission in Paris. The return is not expected for several months, especially as the Covid pandemic has accumulated delay.
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