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Paris Opera
The Palais Garnier is a grand landmark at the northern end of the Avenue de l'Opera in Paris, France. It is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. Built in the Neo-Baroque style, it is the thirteenth theatre to house the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV in 1669.
It was often also called the Paris Opera, but since the building of the Opera Bastille in 1989, it is referred to as the Opera Garnier.
It was built on the orders of Napoleon III as part of the great Parisian reconstruction project carried out by Baron Haussmann. The project was put out to competition and was won by Charles Garnier (1825-1898), a then unknown 35-year-old architect. He would go on to also build the Opera Garnier de Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
Building work, which began in 1857 and finished in 1874, was interrupted by numerous incidents, including the Franco-Prussian War, the fall of the Empire and the Paris Commune. Another problem was the discovery of an underground lake beneath the site. This required the construction of an underground reservoir below the building. This lake later inspired The Phantom of the Opera's lair. The Palais Garnier was formally inaugurated on January 15, 1875.
The large building has a total area of 11,000 square meters (118,404 square feet) and a huge stage with room to accommodate up to 450 artists. An ornate building, the style is monumental, opulently decorated with elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary. The interior too is rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubs and nymphs. The auditorium's central chandelier weighs over six tons, and its ceiling was painted in 1964 by Marc Chagall.
Legend has it that the Empress Eugénie asked Garnier whether the building was to be in Greek or Roman style to which he replied: It is in the Napoléon III style Madame!
It is currently used for ballet performances. Paris's primary opera house is now the Opera Bastille.
See also: Opéra National de Paris.
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This article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel by Gaston Leroux
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Around and About Paris: From the Guillotine to the Bastille Opera: The 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th Arrondissements (Around and About Paris, 2nd Ed) by Thirza Vallois
The Phantom of the Opera (Unabridged) by audible.com
The Phantom of the Opera (Unabridged) by audible.com
The Phantom of the Opera by audible.com
The Urbanization of Opera: Music Theater in Paris in the Nineteenth Century by Anselm Gerhard
Jacques Offenbach and the Paris of His Time by Siegfried Kracauer
Paris Opera by Moatti
The Bals Publics at the Paris Opera, 1716-1763 by Richard Semmens
Tancrede (Paris Opera, 1702): A Tragedie En Musique by Andre Campra
The Paris Opera: An Encyclopedia of Operas, Ballets, Composers, and Performers : Genesis and Glory, 1671-1715 by Spire Pitou
Charles Garnier's Paris Opera: Architectural Empathy and the Renaissance of French Classicism (Architectural History Foundation Book) by Christopher Mead
Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century. by Herbert, Weinstock
Music Drama at the Paris Odéon, 1824-1828 by Mark Everist
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