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Place de l'Opéra , 75009
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In 1860, french architect Charles Garnier won the contest organized by Napoleon III in order to provide a design for a new opera for Paris.
The outer parts were built from 1861 to 1870 and the opera inaugurated in 1875 (the gap was due to 'la Commune' revolution, during which the edifice was used as prison and storage rooms).
The overdecorated, mix of baroque, neo-classical and italian inspired style is typical of Napoleon III's era.
Since 1990 the Opera Garnier has a "baby brother" : the Opera Bastille where most of the lyric performances occur nowadays, while the ballets remain mainly in Garnier.
The Opera hosts a dance museum and can be visited between performances (the interior decoration is stunning (if somewhat pompous).
For performances, you can book on-line :
either directly from the Opera
http://resa.opera-de-paris.fr/pages/index.asp
or via FNAC
http://www.fnac.com/Spectacles/ Leave a Comment
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All you loyal readers of my Nürnberg page (thanks again to both of you!) will recall that there I talked about the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) and his opera Iphigenie in Aulis, composed in 1774.
Here in Paris I saw the sequel, Iphigenie en Tauride, with the American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the title role. She has been one of my all-time favorite singers ever since I saw her as Octavian in Birmingham, England, in the 1990s. As Iphigenie she was fantastic as usual, and was enthusiastically cheered by the audience in the Opera Garnier.
The orchestra and the other singers were first-rate, as well, and the attractive stage set included reflecting walls that could be raised or lowered at appropriate times. Up where I was sitting we saw the orchestra and conductor reflected on those walls, and the folks downstairs saw the reflection of the golden balconies of the large hall, which I thought was a beautiful way of incorporating the magnificent architecture of the building into the staging of the opera itself.
The one thing that detracted somewhat from the performance was the fact that the stage director had decided it should take place in an old-people's home, so there were about twenty extra players as old women limping around the stage at various times. Normally I am quite good at figuring out what the stage directors are trying to say (I know some of these folks and am on their wavelength, so to speak), but this time I was quite baffled. And I wasn't the only one, because when these extra players came on stage to take their bows at the end, the whole house erupted in loud boos. (Which was a bit unfair to these poor ladies who were only doing what the stage director told them to do. As this performance was not the premiere, the stage director was no longer there to take the blame.)
Second photo: Spectators taking their seats in the upper balconies. Leave a Comment Phone: 08 92 89 90 90Directions: Third and fourth photos: The paintings on the ceiling were commissioned by André Malraux, then Minister of Culture, and were painted by Marc Chagall between 1960 and 1964. Website: http://www.operadeparis.fr/
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 1. The library-museum in the
Opéra Garnier by Nemorino, 3 more photos
Unfortunately (for him) the Empire was overthrown in 1870, five years before the completion of the building, so this pavilion was never fully completed and the dressed blocks of stone can still be seen as they were in 1870.
The main purpose of this library is to conserve documents of the history of the Paris operas from 1669 to the present.
Second photo: Historical costumes on display in the museum.
Third photo: A model of the stage set for Verdi's Rigoletto, from the opera house in Monte Carlo, January 29, 1881.
Fourth photo: Bust of Jacques Rouché (1862-1957), who was the general director of the Paris opera from 1914 to 1944. Because he stayed at his post and kept the opera running during the Nazi occupation, Rouché was long suspected of being a Nazi collaborator, though he was totally exonerated in 1951. In the summer of 2007 the library-museum was showing an exhibition on his life and work. Leave a Comment
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 Opera Garnier by bpacker
It's called Opera Garnier and was built in 1860. When I first saw it, my jaw dropped to the ground with a thud. The facade was majestic to say the least and richly ornamented with gold figures. But it wasn't the phantom that enticed me to enter the opera.
I wanted to see the painted frescos on the ceiling that was painted by the Russian painter, Marc Chagall in 1964. And who is Chagall? Well, he's the dude who did the romantic painting that was prized by Julia Roberts' character in Nottinghill. And I wasn't disappointed. The ceiling paintings were astounding and somehow, it went well with the pompous staircase, the grand chandeliers and facade of the grand interior.
On hindsight: Folks mentioned that this opera was an inspiration to the the opera built in Hanoi. But frankly, I don't see any semblance. Leave a Comment
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This landmark Opera by Charles Garnier is a wonderful example of classically based monumental style. It is hard to say it is the most beautiful building in the world, but it ranks very high on the list with its polychrome facade and lavish statuary, gilded in many cases. The interior is small (seating capacity of 2000-2500) which is why a new and larger opera house was built near the Bastille. But this one has multi-colored marbles and a grand staircase that makes even the most calloused gasp. Its ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall and is a work of art in itself. It is said that the seating was designed so that the audience could watch one another as well as the performance. Don't miss the lovely guilded bust of Garnier in front of the entrance. Click on the picture to view the whole front facade. Leave a Comment Phone: 40 01 22 63Directions: Metro: Opera or Chaucee d'Antin
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In terms of the number of seats that they can actually put on sale for any given evening, around 1,750, this is only the third largest opera house in Paris.
But when you consider the amount of stunningly high-quality space that is available for these 1,750 people to walk around in, for instance the entrance hall, the Grand Staircase, the balconies overlooking the Grand Staircase, the Grand Foyer, the avant-foyer, the Rotonde des abonnés and the loggia, then their claim that this is the world's largest theater begins to seem plausible.
Second photo: The Grand Staircase.
Third photo: Balconies overlooking the Grand Staircase
Fourth photo: The Grand Foyer is being set up here for a VIP-sponsoring function after the performance.
Fifth photo: The stage entrance has its own courtyard at the back of the building. I only saw about a dozen bicycles parked here, but over twice as many motor scooters and motorcycles. Leave a Comment Phone: 08 92 89 90 90Directions: Place de l'Opéra, Metro: Opéra 48°52'16.73" North; 2°19'54.97" East.Website: http://www.operadeparis.fr/
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Unfortunately I haven't got the chance (I'd better say the time) to visit the Opera inside or to see a performance, but only seeing the building from outside is impressive enough to make an idea about how beautiful it is.
Taking the name from the unknown architect who won the contest for the new Opera project, Opera Garnier was inaugurated in 1875.
Its main facade, looking over Place d'Opera, is beautifully adorned with tall statues, while the interior is decorated with different colors of marble (white, red, blue, pink) from different parts of the country.
Opera Garnier in figures:
- surface: 11,237 sqm
- length: 173 m
- width: 125 m
- height: 73.6 m
- scene: 60 m height, 27 m depth, 48.5 m length
- seats: 2,200 Directions: M: Opera (lines 3, 7 and 8)
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 Opéra de Garnier with
old-fashioned lamps by BeatChick,
4 more photos
During intermission try a coupe de champagne - la di da (about 9€ April 2003 prices). It is such an ephemeral Parisian moment to drink champagne at the Opéra Garnier during intermission. However, you will not be allowed to take the glass back with you to your seat.
A very nice way to capture the memory of your time at the ballet and a reminder of who & what you saw is to buy a program (10€ - pricing 7 years ago).
Don't forget to peer up at the Marc Chagall ceiling (painted in 1964) ~ very colorful & otherworldly! You would think Chagall's modern & inimitable work would clash with the Opéra's original Second Empire Baroque style but somehow it works together beautifully.
If for some reason you did not manage to procure tickets to the Opéra before you came to Paris, you'll find there are people selling tickets (quite literally) at the door as you go in. However, prices are not guaranteed!
Also, I believe the best time to view this building in all her glory is at night (see photos).
Guided tours in English provided daily at 3pm.
Photos: November 2008 Leave a Comment Phone: 01 40 01 22 63Directions: Take the no. 3, 7, 8 lignes to Metro stop Opéra ~ VOILA! You will be amazed at the sight of the Opéra façade looming before you.Website: http://www.operadeparis.fr/ Other Contact: 01 42 65 10 16 Fx#
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 by rukiLeave a Comment Directions: Metro: Opéra
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It is best known as a performance venue, but the building itself sparkles after a recent cleaning.
The Garnier name is that of the architect Charles Garnier. We can thank Louis XIV for the various arts academies, but kudos to Napoleon III, who in 1858 got the ball rolling on the present building.
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The Palais Garnier is one of my first sights on most visits to Paris as I take the Roissybus in from the airport that leaves you off behind the Opera Garnier. Leave a Comment
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