Monday: May 31
One of the largest theatres in world - Paris Opera
It's not really the Opera, but it's known as the Opera. It isn't the largest; the Opera Bastille (discussed earlier) is bigger. But it is one impressive place. You'll love it.
The thirteenth century Paris Opera (Opéra de Palais Garnier)
is one of the largest theatres in world in terms of its size. Rose marble
columns catch the eye outside but you have not seen anything yet. Come inside
and climb the grand opulent coloured marble staircase. See the mosaic covered
ceiling with its numerous chandeliers. Seek a peek at the lavishly decorated
auditorium with red velvet, plaster cherubs and gold leaf below its green copper
ceiling painted by Chagall.The overall effect of the building is one of stunning
extravagance and 18th century decadence
Palais Garnier
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 on the Place de l'Opéra
in Paris, France, which was the primary home of the Paris Opera from 1875 until
1989. A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it
is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.
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 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.
The Palais Garnier was designed as part of the great Parisian reconstruction of
the Second Empire initiated by Emperor Napoleon III, who chose the Baron
Haussmann to supervise the reconstruction. In 1858 the Emperor authorized
Haussmann to clear the required 12,000 square metres (1.2 ha) 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
whether the building would be built in the Greek or Roman style, to which he
replied: "It is in the Napoleon III style, Madame!"
I put the picture here in case you
didn't want to read it all....but it's interesting! Continues after the picture.
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.
On 29 October 1873, an incentive to complete the Palais Garnier came 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.
(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 counterweights for the grand chandelier fell, killing one.
This, as well as the underground lake, cellars, and other elements of the Opera
House, inspired Gaston Leroux in 1909 to write his classic Gothic novel, The
Phantom of the Opera.
Although slightly smaller in scale than its predecessor, the Théâtre de
l'Académie Royale de Musique, the Palais Garnier is a building of exceptional
opulence. It 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. 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. Between the columns of the theatre's front façade, there are bronze
busts of many of the great composers, Mozart, Rossini, Daniel Auber, Beethoven,
Meyerbeer, Fromental Halévy, Spontini, and Philippe Quinault.
The central roof group, Apollo, Poetry, and Music, was the work of Aimé Millet.
The two gilded figural groups Harmony and Poetry were both designed by Charles
Gumery, and the two smaller bronze Pegasus figures at either end of the gable
are from Eugène-Louis Lequesne. The facade incorporates major multifigure groups
sculpted by François Jouffroy (Harmony), Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume
(Instrumental Music), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (The Dance, criticized for
indecency), Jean-Joseph Perraud (Lyrical Drama), and other work by Gumery,
Alexandre Falguière and others.
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, thereby destroying it. The
combined weight of both canvases has caused the 19th century adhesives to fail
over time.).