"Intet nytt under solen", Bach er og har vært inspirasjonskilde for svært mange skapende mennesker - uavhengig av kunstform og sjanger. Albert Schweitzer mente alt fører til Bach, i forståelsen at Bach var et vendepunkt som alt pekte frem mot før, og alt i ettertid pekte tilbake til. 

Bach to the future

Olivier Latry blir betegnet som en virtuos, tenkende og eventyrlysten musiker. Han har utforsket alle deler av orgelmusikken, og har et eksepsjonelt talent som improvisator. Han er sterkt forbundet med det franske orgelrepertoaret. I tillegg til Messiaens komplette verk har han også spilt inn verk av blant andre César Franck, Camille Seint-Saëns og Johann Sebastian Bach. Selv om Latry har et dypt forhold til de gamle mestere, er han samtidig kjent for å framføre mye ny musikk av samtidskomponister

In fact, at the beginning when I was appointed, I thought that this organ was not suitable to play Bach on, you know, I was in the way of the politically, musicologically informed (laughs) if you know what I mean. And, in fact, I played like this, and for me the organ of Notre Dame was something else – it was an organ to play Vierne, Widor, Franck, Messiaen, all of that. But no Bach. And then after some years I thought, well, maybe if we think Bach in another way – maybe like transcriptions, you know?

Because when we play for example Bach on a piano, it's not a harpsichord. And what I hate is hearing the piano played like a harpsichord. If we are on a piano, we have to use the piano with everything, you know? There are two ways in that case: One would be Glenn Gould (and other people); and the other way would be Cyprien Katsaris, who uses everything on the piano, you know – you have octaves, you have things, he adds chords you know, and then we hear piano.

I think the music works better that way on the piano than just making a harpsichord. If you want to have the sound of the harpsichord, why play on the piano? Just go on the harpsichord! So it is the same for Notre Dame. So if we play the music by Bach there, then in that place we have to go on the way of the organ, with all the possibilities, and this is what I try to do. 
               
- Olivier Latry, interview with Brian McGreath, Classical Radio Boston

Et mirakel

Latry ble sensasjonelt nok utnevnt til domkantor i Notre-Dame allerede som 23-åring. Brannen i helligdommen gikk naturlig nok sterkt innpå ham.

"– Det var et voldsomt drama for meg. Men selv om jeg har vært organist der i 30 år, preget det meg ikke nødvendigvis mer enn andre mennesker rundt om i verden. Det var et kollektivt sjokk at en bygning vi alle trodde var evigvarende kunne ødelegges i løpet av bare noen timer. Heldigvis ble ikke selve orgelet rammet av brannen, verken av varmen eller vannet fra slokkingen. Det var et mirakel, sier Latry, som ser fram mot gjenåpningen av katedralen i 2024 med stor forventning."

- Fra Trondheim internasjonale Olavsfest 2021 

Spiret som falt reddet orgelet

Les mer fra:

- Olivier Latry, interview with Brian McGreath, Classical Radio Boston

Olivier Latry: The fact that the spire fell down in the cathedral, made a big opening, and then the heats just went out of the cathedral. Otherwise the organ would have, you know, every pipe would have just collapsed on themselves because of the heat.

Brian McCreath: This is amazing because the spire falling was the moment that all of us watching from afar felt the worst about this whole disaster. It just, it was unbelievable. But it's so nice to hear there is something good about the spire falling that in a way, it saved the organ.

Olivier Latry: It saved many things. The cathedral, not only the organ, I think, because what would happen, for example, the heat could have destroyed the paintings and everything.

Brian McCreath: Whether you look at it as a simple fortunate accident of the physics of fire or an outright miracle, the fact that so many artifacts survived the fire is good news. And as Paris works to preserve the building - and the organ that still resides within it - Olivier Latry has the distinction of having made the last recording at Notre-Dame before that fire.

Make possible the unthinkable

Blessing of the organ - 7.12-2024

L'orgue de Notre-Dame (ARTE) - 2015