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Gonzalez-Danion-
Dargassies 1 - 2
L’oratoire du Louvre (1962)
Parisian organs built by (Danion-)Gonzalez
Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Orgue de chœur (1937) Sainte-Jeanne-de-Chantal (1939) Eglise Protestante Unie Oratoire du Louvre (1962) Saint-Joseph artisan (1966) Cathédrale arménienne Saint-Jean-Baptiste (1970) Chapelle de École militaire (1970) Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette (1970) Saint-Pierre-du-gros-caillou Orgue de chœur (1972) Conservatoire Municipal Gabriel Faure (1976) Conservatoire Municipal Maurice Ravel (1984) Saint-Sulpice (study-organ) (19xx)
Victor
Gonzalez
(1877-1956)
was
an
organ
builder
of
Spanish
origin
and
a
pupil
of
Cavaillé-Coll
and
Merklin.
He
founded
in
1922
his
own
company
in
Vanves
and
Châtillon-sous-Bagneux
(Paris
region).
Together
with
Norbert
Dufourcq,
Bérenger
de
Miramon
Fitz-James
and
André
Marchal,
he
gave
birth
to
the
neo-classical
organ
concept.
He
did
construct
and
restore
a
number
of
instruments
in
Paris.
After
his
death
in
1956,
the
firm
was led by Georg Danion.
Georg
Danion
(1922-2005)
was
about
to
start
a
carrier
as
violist
when
the
second
world
war
break
out.
During
that
war,
he
met
Annik
Gonzalez,
one
of
the
daughters
of
Fernand
Gonzalez,
Victor’s
son,
who
worked
with
him
in
the
company.
After
the
war
George
Danion
married
Annik
and
Annik
made
him
discover
the
metier
of
organ
building.
As
Fernand
died
in
the
war,
he
could
soon
replace
his
father-in
-law
in
the
firm.
When
Victor
died
in
1956,
Danion
took
over the firm.
More information on Gonzalez…
In
1962,
he
bought
the
Maison
Jacquot-Lavergne
and
transferred
his
workshop
to
that
company
in
Rambervilliers
(Vosges),
with
an
annex near Paris (Brunoy).
In
1988,
Georges
et
Annik
Danion-Gonzalez
left
the
firm
in
Rambervilliers
in
favor
of
Jean-Michel
Jamet
and
Bernard
Dargassies
and
moved
to
Lodève,
where
they
had
founded
the
Manufacture
Languedocienne
de
grandes
orgues
in
1980,
at
the
former
place
of
the
workshop
of
the
organ
builder
Edmond
Costa
(Manufacture
Lodévoise
de
grands
orgues,
1961-1972).
In
1998,
at
the
retirement
of
Danion,
the
management
of
this
firm
was
taken
over
by
Charles-Emmanuel
Sarélot
(son
of
Charles
Sarelot,
organ
builder).
The
Danion-Gonzalez
firm
constructed
and
restored
a
great
number
of
Parisian
organs
and
was
the
main
competitor
of
the
Beuchet-Debiere
firm
in
the
second
half
of
the
XXth
century.
In
the
last
decennia
of
the
XXth
century,
the
Manufacture
Vosgienne
de
Grandes
Orgues
Bernard
Dargassies
was
the
most
important
organ
builder
in
the
Parisian
region.
Dargassies
-
Jacquot-Lavergne
-
Cicchero
The neo-classical French school
Until 1925, organ aesthetics had followed music trends of
the end of the 19th century and of the beginning of the 20th
century with romantic and symphonic music. Organ builders
of this period, for which the most renowned were Merklin
and Cavaillé-Coll, offered organ design with an important
number of foundation ranks and a significant expressive
great section, providing a very symphonic sound result.
Therefore, we speak about orchestral organ.
The neo-classic organ is the outcome of the collaboration of
Victor Gonzalez, the musicologist Norbert Dufourcq and
Master André Marchal, titular organist, among others, of the
Saint Eustache's great organ from 1945 till 1963. While
preserving the best of the symphonic color of organs of
organ builders such as Cavaillé-Coll or Merklin, the neo-
classic aesthetics reintroduced more brilliant colors with
mixtures, mutation ranks and clearer and softer reeds.
Source: Marc Perrot
Organs of Paris
Gonzalez-Danion-
Dargassies 1 - 2
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2023 Vincent Hildebrandt ALL ORGANS 
Victor
Gonzalez
(1877-1956)
was
an
organ
builder
of
Spanish
origin
and
a
pupil
of
Cavaillé-Coll
and
Merklin.
He
founded
in
1922
his
own
company
in
Vanves
and
Châtillon-sous-Bagneux
(Paris
region).
Together
with
Norbert
Dufourcq,
Bérenger
de
Miramon
Fitz-James
and
André
Marchal,
he
gave
birth
to
the
neo-classical
organ
concept.
He
did
construct
and
restore
a
number
of
instruments
in
Paris. After his death in 1956, the firm was led by Georg Danion.
Georg
Danion
(1922-2005)
was
about
to
start
a
carrier
as
violist
when
the
second
world
war
break
out.
During
that
war,
he
met
Annik
Gonzalez,
one
of
the
daughters
of
Fernand
Gonzalez,
Victor’s
son,
who
worked
with
him
in
the
company.
After
the
war
George
Danion
married
Annik
and
Annik
made
him
discover
the
metier
of
organ
building.
As
Fernand
died
in
the
war,
he
could
soon
replace
his
father-in
-law
in
the
firm.
When
Victor
died
in
1956,
Danion
took
over the firm.
More information on Gonzalez…
In
1962,
he
bought
the
Maison
Jacquot-Lavergne
and
transferred
his
workshop
to
that
company
in
Rambervilliers
(Vosges),
with
an
annex near Paris (Brunoy).
In
1988,
Georges
et
Annik
Danion-Gonzalez
left
the
firm
in
Rambervilliers
in
favor
of
Jean-Michel
Jamet
and
Bernard
Dargassies
and
moved
to
Lodève,
where
they
had
founded
the
Manufacture
Languedocienne
de
grandes
orgues
in
1980,
at
the
former
place
of
the
workshop
of
the
organ
builder
Edmond
Costa
(Manufacture
Lodévoise
de
grands
orgues,
1961-1972).
In
1998,
at
the
retirement
of
Danion,
the
management
of
this
firm
was
taken
over
by
Charles-Emmanuel
Sarélot
(son
of
Charles
Sarelot,
organ
builder).
The
Danion-Gonzalez
firm
constructed
and
restored
a
great
number
of
Parisian
organs
and
was
the
main
competitor
of
the
Beuchet-Debiere
firm
in
the
second
half
of
the
XXth
century.
In
the
last
decennia
of
the
XXth
century,
the
Manufacture
Vosgienne
de
Grandes
Orgues
Bernard
Dargassies
was
the
most
important
organ
builder
in
the
Parisian
region.
Dargassies
-
Jacquot-Lavergne
-
Cicchero
L’oratoire du Louvre (1962)
