The Palais Garnier
, also known as the Opéra de Paris
or Opéra Garnier
, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra
, is a 2,200-seat opera house in Paris, France. A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.
The building is located in the IXe arrondissement and is served by the metro station Opéra
.
Upon its inauguration in 1875, the opera house was officially named the Académie Nationale de Musique - Théâtre de l'Opéra
. It retained this title until 1978 when it was re-named the Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris
. After the opera company chose the Opéra Bastille
as their principal theatre upon its completion in 1989, the theatre was re-named as the Palais Garnier
, though its more official name, the Académie Nationale de Musique
, is still sprawled above the columns of its front façade. In spite of the change of names and the Opera company's relocation to the Opéra Bastille
, the Palais Garnier
is still known by many people as the Paris Opéra
, as have all of the many theatres which have served as the principal venues of the Parisian Opera and Ballet since its founding.
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PALAIS GARNIER TICKETS
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History
The
Palais Garnier
was designed as part of the great Parisian reconstruction of the
Second French Empire instigated by
Emperor Napoleon III, who chose the civic planner
Baron Haussmann to supervise the reconstruction. In 1858 the Emperor authorized Haussmann to clear the required 12,000 square metres of land on which to build a second theatre for the world renowned Parisian Opera and Ballet companies. The project was put out to open competition in 1861, and was won by the architect
Charles Garnier (1825–1898). The foundation stone was laid in 1861, followed by the start of construction in 1862. Legend has it that the Emperor's wife, the
Empress Eugénie, asked Garnier during the construction as to whether or not the building would be built in the Greek or Roman style, to which he replied:
"It is in the Napoleon III style Madame!"
The construction of the opera house was plagued by numerous setbacks. One major problem which postponed the laying of the concrete foundation was the extremely swampy ground under which flowed a subterranean lake, requiring the water to be removed by eight months of continual pumping. More setbacks came as a result of the disastrous
Franco-Prussian War, the subsequent fall of the Second French Empire, and the
Paris Commune. During this time construction continued sporadically, and it was even rumoured that construction of the opera house might be abandoned.
An incentive to complete the
Palais Garnier
came on
October 29,
1873, when the old
Paris Opéra
, known as the
Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique
, was destroyed by a fire which raged for 27 hours, leaving the whole of Paris in despair (From 1852 until 1855, during the beginnings of the Second French Empire, the opera house was known as the
Théâtre de l'Académie Impérial de Musique
. In 1855 the opera house was re-named as the
Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra
. Upon the fall of the Second French Empire, the opera house was re-named simply as the
Théâtre de l´Opéra
, a title it retained until its destruction in 1873). The
Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique
had been the chief venue of the Parisian Opera and Ballet since 1821, and had seen many of the world's greatest masterworks of opera and ballet presented on its stage. The
Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique
is also famous for playing host to the heyday of the
romantic ballet (along with
Her Majesty's Theatre in
London).
By late 1874 Garnier and his massive workforce completed the
Palais Garnier
, much to the celebration of Paris. The
Palais Garnier
was formally inaugurated on
January 15,
1875 with a lavish gala performance. The ball consisted of the third act of
Fromental Halévy's 1835 opera
La Juive
, along with excerpts from
Giacomo Meyerbeer's 1836 opera
Les Huguenots
. The ballet company performed a
Grand Divertissement
staged by the
Paris Opéra's
Maître de Ballet en Chef
Louis Méranté, which consisted of the celebrated scene
Le Jardin Animé
from
Joseph Mazilier's 1867 revival of his ballet
Le Corsaire
, set to the music of
Léo Delibes.
In
1896, one of the counter-weights for the chandelier fell, killing one. This, as well as the underground lake and other elements of the Opera House, inspired
Gaston Leroux in 1910 to write his classic
Gothic novel,
The Phantom of the Opera
.
In 1969 the theatre was given new electrical facilities, and in 1978 part of the original
Foyer de la Danse
was converted into new rehearsal space for the Ballet company by the architect
Jean-Loup Roubert. In 1994 restoration work began on the theatre, which consisted of modernizing the stage machinery and electrical facilities, while restoring and preserving the opulent décor and strengthening the frame and foundation of the building. The restoration was completed in 2006.
Architecture and style
Although slightly smaller in scale than its predecessor, the
Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique
, the
Palais Garnier
consists of 11,000 square metres (118,404 square feet), seats an audience of roughly 2,200 under a central chandelier which weighs over six tons, and has a huge stage with room to accommodate up to 450 artists. An ornate building, the style is monumental and considered typically
Beaux-Arts, with use of axial symmetry in plan, and its exterior ornamentation.
The Palais is opulently decorated with elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray the deities from
Greek mythology. It incorporates work by well-known sculptors such as
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux and
Jean-Joseph Perraud. Between the columns of the theatre's front façade, there are bronze busts of many of the great composers, such as
Mozart and
Beethoven.
The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings allowing the movement of large numbers of people and space for socializing during intermission. Rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness.
The ceiling area, which surrounds the chandelier, was given a new painting in 1964 by
Marc Chagall. This painting proved controversial, with many people feeling Chagall's work clashed with the style of the rest of the theatre. (It was also installed directly onto the old mural, destroying it. The combined weight of both canvases has caused the 19th C. adhesives to fail over time.)
Influence abroad
The building become one of the most inspirational architectural prototypes for the next thirty years.
Poland
Structures built in
Poland based on Palais Garnier:
#
Juliusz Slowacki Theatre in
Kraków, built in 1893.
#The Warsaw Philharmonic edifice in
Warsaw, built between 1900 and 1901.
Ukraine
The influence of the Palais Garnier can be seen at:
#
The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet in
Lviv, built between 1897 and 1900.
#
Kiev Opera edifice in
Kiev, built in 1901.
See also
- Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra National de Paris
- Opéra National de Paris
- Paris Opera Ballet
- Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique
- The Phantom of the Opera
Image gallery
References