Paris Opera House

By parisian on 20/08/2009 in Attractions

Paris Opera House

The Palais Garnier, also known as the Opera de Paris or Opera Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opera, is a 2,200 seat opera house on the Place de l’Opera 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.

The building is located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris and is served by the metro station Operaand bus 21, 22, 27, 29, 42, 53, 66, 68, 81, 95.

Upon its inauguration in 1875, the opera house was officially named the Academie Nationale de Musique Theatre de l’Opera. It retained this title until 1978 when it was re named the Theatre National de l’Opera de Paris. After the opera company chose the Opera Bastille as their principal theatre upon its completion in 1989, the theatre was re named as the Palais Garnier, thoughAcademie 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 Opera Bastille, the Palais Garnieris still known by many people as the Paris Opera, as have all of the many theatres which have served as the principal venues of the Parisian Opera and Ballet since its founding.

Architecture and style

Although slightly smaller in scale than its predecessor, the Theatre de l’Academie 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 Halevy, Spontini, and Philippe Quinault.

The central roof group, Apollo, Poetry, and Music, was the work of Aime 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 Eugene Louis Lequesne. The facade incorporates major multifigure groups sculpted by François Jouffroy (Harmony), Jean Baptiste Claude Eugene Guillaume (Instrumental Music), Jean Baptiste Carpeaux (The Dance, criticized for indecency), Jean Joseph Perraud (Lyrical Drama), and other work by Gumery, Alexandre Falguiere 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 theater. (Text Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

Paris Opera House is located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. So, you may want to see;