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The Paris Opera, or Palais Garnier, is the most famous auditorium in the world. With 2,200 seats, this opera house designed by Charles Garnier is admired as one of the most prominent architectural masterpieces of its time. Built in 1875 by architect Charles Garnier, the Palais Garnier is the largest opera house in Europe, housing more than 2,000 seats under its elaborate roof. The theatre was formally inaugurated on 5 January 1875 with a lavish gala performance attended by Marshal MacMahon, the Lord Mayor of London and King Alfonso XII of Spain. During the intermission Garnier stepped out onto the landing of the grand staircase to receive the approving applause of the audience. The opera house is as extravagant and imposing as the different shows you can enjoy there.
Il Pirata - Paris National Opera house (
That’s Apollo, Greek god of music and dance (and the sun and other things), holding a golden lyre with the figures of Poetry and Music by his side. The guided tour of the Palais Garnier Opera House lasts 1 hour 20 minutes. The Palais Garnier is accessible by the metro station Opéra (Lines 3, 7, 8) and Auber (RER Line A). Our hotline can be reached in case of difficulty finding the venue weekdays from 10 am to 7pm Paris time. Arrive early to admire the gorgeous building and take photos on the iconic marble stairway. If the performance isn’t in English, there will be subtitles.
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Il Primo Omicidio - National Opera of Paris (
For instance, there was the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin built for Marie Antoinette in 1781, abandoned during the Revolution, and destroyed in a fire during the Commune of 1871. Luckily for us, however, Palais Garnier, the grandest example of them all, still exists and it as glorious as ever. Palais Garnier became the center of Paris cultural life during the Belle-Époque period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It continued on as France's most prestigious opera house right through the World Wars and into the 1960s. Charles Garnier's travels, his study of Greek and Roman classics, and his Beaux-Arts training is evident in the design and decoration for the opera house. He expertly employed classic principles such as symmetry and concentric forms within rectangular frames, and gave the opera house the pomp of a palace.
Interior
In 1939 a decree established the Union of National Lyric Theatres. Its responsibilities were shared by an administrator and a director. Despite some prestigious productions and sumptuous casts, the Opera declined slowly until 1970, when major reforms were instituted. Whilst the troupe was dissolved and the theatre was closed, Roilf Liebermann was appointed managing director of the Paris Opera, with Georg Solti serving for a time as musical advisor.
Concert by the Academy of the Paris national Op...
In its first forty years, performances remained cautious and low-profile, as French composers practised a strict protectionist policy. Things began to change in 1915 with the arrival of Jacques Rouché, who held his position for thirty years. He trained a highly structured troupe and virtually banned foreign artists from the stage. The Opera, which incidentally produced quite decent performances, was however cut off from the international opera world.
One the eastern side is the Emperor’s Pavilion, the only non-symmetrical part of the building. This was the entrance for Napoleon and wealthy season ticket holders. Right then and there, Napoleon resolved to build a new opera house that he could safely attend. You can experience the incredibly opulent palace space, designed by Charles Garnier.
You can catch a variety of shows at this Paris opera house — not just operas. Rumor has it, French firefighters use it to practice mock rescues here. What we do know is that the eerie subterranean reservoir inspired the French writer behind the “Phantom of the Opéra” novel, who decided to set the phantom’s lair there. But don’t let the subtitles distract you from gazing, in adoration, at the sublime Chagall ceiling.
If you want to actually visit the auditorium, you have to go on a guided tour. On the self-guided audio tour, you can only peek through a window and can’t properly see the Chagall ceiling. Legend holds that General de Gaulle and Andre Malraux, minister of culture, were attending an opera with a set and costumes designed by Chagall.
Ariodante - Opéra National de Paris - Palais Ga...
The auditorium itself is in a traditional Italian horseshoe shape, seating 1900. The stage is the largest in Europe and can accommodate 450 artists, revealed by the opening of the legendary painted curtain. Garnier himself designed the 7-tonne chandelier sparkling above the audience. In 1896, one of the many chandelier counterweights broke free and killed a concierge, the incident that inspired the scenes in the 1910 novel-turned-musical The Phantom of the Opera. The space above the auditorium in the copula dome was once used strictly for cleaning the chandelier, but has since been transformed into a space for opera and dance rehearsals.
Garnier's goal was to make everyone who entered the opera feel as if they were the stars of the show. He achieved this with the lavish Neo-Baroque style — grand marble staircases, elegant corridors, and hidden alcoves. The auditorium has a traditional Italian horseshoe shape and can seat 1,979.
Paris is home to two world-class opera houses, the historic Palais Garnier and the more contemporary Opéra de la Bastille. Operated under the same organizational umbrella, they offer a variety of spellbinding operatic, orchestral and ballet performances throughout their jam-packed seasons. Music and dance aficionados will be thrilled by performances at either national treasure. Like many Paris monuments, this place packs a lot into one location. It’s an opera house, museum, library, and architectural marvel. With nearly 480,000 visitors each year, the Palais Garnier is one of Paris’ most visited monuments.
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The Opera Garnier still functions as a world class performance venue. So usually ballet is on the menu, but there are also concerts and operas. Christine’s star rises, and a handsome suitor enters the picture.
The stage is the largest in Europe and can accommodate as many as 450 artists. The canvas house curtain was painted to represent a draped curtain, complete with tassels and braid. The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings, allowing the movement of large numbers of people and space for socialising during intermission. Rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness. Beyond the Rotonde des Abonnés, the Bassin de la Pythia leads to the Grand Escalier with its magnificent thirty-meter-high vault. Built of marble of various colours, it is home to the double staircase leading to the foyers and the various floors of the theatre.
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