Grand jeu
Stop on the harmonium (or organ) that brings the full works to sound.
What it means
Grand jeu, French for “great play,” is a registration in which a full, powerful sound picture is produced on the harmonium and organ. On the harmonium it is a stop that brings the whole instrument to sound.
Musical use
In French organ music of the Baroque, grand jeu denotes a particular registration with strong reed stops such as trumpet and cromorne, together with cornet and principals. It sounds brilliant and colorful and is used for festive, rhythmically pointed pieces. French composers such as François Couperin and Nicolas de Grigny wrote movements with the instruction “Grand jeu” expressly for this registration.
The grand jeu should be distinguished from the plein jeu, which denotes a registration with principals and mixtures without reed stops and has a bright, full sound. On the harmonium it differs from quieter stops and from the forte function, which only controls volume.
Performance practice
When playing in a grand jeu registration, choose a festive, not too fast tempo and shape the rhythms clearly and crisply. Listen to the balance of the stops and play with deliberate articulation so that the full sound does not blur.