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Your guide will then lead you to the fascinating statue of the Pythia, and then to the Grand Escalier - a lavish split staircase with grandiose decor, featuring marble, onyx, copper, paintings, gilding, and mosaics. You may find that its splendor and captivating use of mirrors and windows are reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles. Technical and artistic conditions permitting, you will also have access to the auditorium. The Paris Opera was designed as part of the great Parisian reconstruction, which was initiated by Emperor Napolean III of the Second Empire.
Individual self-guided visits – information
The emperor chose Baron Haussmann to supervise the reconstruction, first ordering that he clear 12,000 square metres of land on which the theatre was to be built. This would be the second theatre for the world renowned Parisian Opera and Ballet companies. An open competition was announced in 1861, which was won by Charles Garnier who was an unknown 32-year-old architect at the time.
La Traviata - Paris national Opera house (
Bernard Lefort, Massimo Bodgianckino and Jean-Louis Martinoty followed in his wake, attempting to promote a singing school, and to put a troupe back together. The Paris Opera is also home to the corps de ballet which, aside from performances at the Palais Garnier, does many tours abroad and which for some years was directed by Rudolf Nureyev. The Paris Opera Orchestra consists of excellent French players, known especially for their rebellious temperament.
Chagall Ceiling: A Surrealistic Gift to Paris
Inside the Opulent Paris Ballet Opera: Etoiles, Xie Xin, and Crystal Pite - Vogue Arabia - English
Inside the Opulent Paris Ballet Opera: Etoiles, Xie Xin, and Crystal Pite.
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The Salon du Soleil (Sun Salon) has a golden sun burst and mirrored walls. The Salon de la Lune (Moon Salon) boasts a night sky adorned with silver moon rays and stars. The staircase is made of white marble from Italy, with balusters of antique red and green marble. The staircase is flanked by 36 large columns, and divides into two staircases that direct opera goers to their respective seats. The Opera Garnier is a popular attraction that you should book ahead.
Grand Staircase, aka the Catwalk
ACCESSIBILITYThe temporary exhibitions’ area and the shop are not accessible for people with reduced mobility. Charles Garnier built the stage and drew up plans for the machinery and gas lighting. Carpenters, painters and glaziers arrived on site as sculptors began their work on the façade. The collections of the Library-Museum of the Opera have been preserving the memory of the theatre for three centuries. The gallery of the museum permanently showcases paintings, drawings, photographs and models of decorations in volume.
The BastilleOpera
The architecture and art is an experience all on its own. The building itself is considered an artful masterpiece, and was one of the most expensive construction projects to come from the Second French Empire under the reign of Napoléon III. The elaborate use of different materials to lend a lavish multicolored facade was typical of many of the works under the rule of Napoléon III, and features sculptures of various figures of Greek mythology. The official inauguration in 1875 was attended by the Mayor of London and Amsterdam, the King Alphonso XII of Spain, and hundreds of members from European high society. Your tour begins at the Rotonde des Abonnés, a glorious vestibule which once served as the audience entrance.
Palais Garnier became an influential architectural prototype for many theaters built around the world. Culture Travel is a digital destination for design-minded travelers who want to discover cultural attractions around the world. We are travel writers and photographers around the world. Culture Travel is a place to discover unique cultural attractions and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Charles Garnier's design would go on to inspire architects around the world. One hundred sculptors and painters worked around the clock to complete the artwork.
The Siege of Paris forced Charles Garnier to interrupt the construction. The Opera was requisitioned and transformed into a hospital and then military supply shops. When Napoleon III was overthrown, Charles Garnier was asked to remove the Emperor's emblems and numbers from the building. This circular lobby was formerly reserved for members, who would access it through the entrance on the Eastern side of the building, now hosts the Opéra Restaurant. Discover the treasures and secrets of this 19th-century theatre architecture’s masterpiece.
Opera National de Paris - Palais Garn...
In 1896, a counterweight fell from the real chandelier, killing a woman in the audience. In Phantom, Leroux also uses a falling chandelier as a major plot point, a dramatic scene (described above) of kidnapping and senseless murder. Erik becomes obsessed with a young soprano, Christine Daaé. He becomes her “angel of music,” giving her complimentary singing lessons. The novel stars Erik as the phantom, a disfigured composer who wears a mask to cover his face. He takes up residence in the underground lake beneath the theater.
Substantial financial resources were made available to the new administrator. Rolf Liebermann made good use of them and considerably expanded the repertoire, requiring the exclusive use of the original language and inviting the big names in singing, conducting, directing and set design. The Paris Opera quickly became one of the centres of worldwide creativity.
Looking for another landmark that pulls double (or triple) duty? Check out our guide to the Panthéon, a monument, crypt, and art gallery all in one. Whether you want to enjoy the architecture from the outside alone, take a tour indoors, or splurge on a show, this is an easy add to your Paris itinerary, thanks to its central location not far from the Louvre. There are certainly plenty of classic operas, often sung in Italian, but there are also ballets and concerts highlighting work from composers like Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi.
Palais Garnier became the official name in 1989 with the construction of the Opéra Bastille, and the venue now houses primarily ballets. Showcasing more than 400 performances of opera, dance and music each year, Charles Garnier’s Paris Opera, inaugurated in 1875, is a true cathedral of culture. But many elements of Leroux’s novel, which is set in an opera house, come directly from the Paris Opera. The Phantom’s underground lake-lair is real, as I mentioned above. Though today it’s brightly lit, so not as eerily gloomy.
Chagall’s ceiling helped make the opera more fashionable again. Garnier aptly said that “The opera is the staircase.” The scandalous stairway revealed all — who was together, who was having affairs, who was favored, who was scorned. It’s made entirely of marble, and surrounded with arches, hidden nooks, statues, and gold — gold everywhere. At the very top, there’s a statue of a shining Apollo holding up a lyre. He seems intent on proclaiming that the opera house is THE place for arts. Haussman’s grand boulevards and Paris’ urban renewal were the first priority.
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