The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15

avenue Montaigne The Avenue Montaigne () is a street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Origin of the name The Avenue Montaigne was originally called the Allée des Veuves ("Widows' Alley") because women in mourning gathered ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while the smaller Comédie and Studio des Champs-Élysées above the latter may seat 601 and 230 people respectively. Commissioned by impresario Gabriel Astruc, the theatre was built from 1911 to 1913 upon the designs of brothers Auguste Perret and Gustave Perret following a scheme by Henry van de Velde, and became the first example of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

architecture in the city. Less than two months after its inauguration, the Théâtre hosted the world premiere of the

Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Russian Revolution, Revolution ...

' '' Rite of Spring'', which provoked one of the most famous classical music riots. At present, the theatre shows about three staged opera productions a year, mostly

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

or chamber works more suited to the modest size of its stage and

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is an area in a theatre (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. The orchestra plays mostly out of sight in the pit, rather than on the stage as for a concert, when providing music fo ...

. It also houses an important concert season. It is the home venue of the

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

and the Orchestre Lamoureux, and serves as a French base for the

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of ...

as well.

Architecture

The theatre is built of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

and features rectangular forms, straight lines, and decoration attached to the outside on plaques of marble and stucco, which was a radical departure from the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style, and, at the time, shockingly plain in appearance. The building's concrete construction was not merely a stylistic choice. Subsoil conditions and the site's proximity to the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

made concrete necessary. Henry van de Velde was the initial architect, resigning when it was clear that the contractors, the Perret brothers, had a far deeper understanding of reinforced concrete construction than he did, although the Perrets, were not licensed architects and had another designer, Roger Bouvard, sign their plans. The building includes an exterior

bas relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

Antoine Bourdelle Antoine Bourdelle (; 30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important ...

, a dome by

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, ...

, paintings by

Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, Vuillard was a member of the avant garde artistic group Les Nabis, creating paintings that assembled areas ...

and Jacqueline Marval, and a stage curtain by Ker-Xavier Roussel. The building houses two smaller stages, the Comédie des Champs-Élysées theatre on the 3rd floor, and the Studio des Champs-Élysées on the 5th floor. The building is considered a landmark of

modern architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...

, and has been a ''

monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...

'' of France since 1957. File:Théâtre des Champs-Élysées DSC09330.jpg, Perspective view File:Theatre-des-champs-elysees-.jpg, left, Street façade with bas-reliefs by

File:Antoine Bourdelle, 1910-12, Apollon et sa méditation entourée des 9 muses (The Meditation of Apollon and the Muses), bas-relief, Théâtre des Champs Elysées DSC09313.jpg, ''The Muses Running to Apollo'' and ''Apollo at his Meditation'' File:Theatre Champs Elysees 35.jpg, View of the auditorium and stage File:Scène du Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.jpg, Stage File:Plafond du Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.jpg, Ceiling

Early history

Gabriel Astruc was the first director of the theatre, and programmed contemporary music, dance and opera, including works by

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

and

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

. Although Astruc was soon financially overextended, the first season was "nothing short of dazzling."Simeone 2000, pp. 198–201. The theatre opened on 2 April 1913 with a gala concert featuring five of France's most renowned composers conducting their own works: Claude Debussy (''

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune ''Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune'' ( L. 86), known in English as ''Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun'', is a symphonic poem for orchestra by Claude Debussy, approximately 10 minutes in duration. It was composed in 1894 and first performed ...

''), Paul Dukas ('' L'apprenti sorcier''),

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. ...

(''La naissance de Vénus''), Vincent d'Indy (''Le camp'' from ''Wallenstein''), and

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...

('' Phaéton'' and excerpts from his choral work ''La lyre et la harpe''). This was followed the next day with a performance of Hector Berlioz's opera ''

Benvenuto Cellini Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...

'' conducted by

Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zadar, Zara, Kingdom of Dalmatia, Dalmatia, Austrian Empire (now ...

which included a "dance spectacular" by

Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlovna Pavlova. (born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova; – 23 January 1931) was a Russian prima ballerina. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, but is most recognized for creating ...

. Later there was a series of concerts devoted to

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

conducted by Weingartner and featuring the pianists Alfred Cortot and

Louis Diémer Louis Joseph Diémer (14 February 1843 – 21 December 1919) was a French pianist and composer. He was the founder of the Société des Instruments Anciens in the 1890s, and also gave recitals on the harpsichord. His output as a composer was exten ...

, and the soprano Lilli Lehmann. The

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, established in 1888 at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). It is considered one of the world's leading orchestras. It was known as the Concertgebouw Orchestra u ...

of Amsterdam conducted by Willem Mengelberg gave two concerts:

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus number, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, the final complete symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many criti ...

and the Paris premiere of Fauré's opera '' Pénélope'' (10 May). Sergei Diaghilev's

presented the company's fifth season, although their first in the new theatre, opening on 15 May with Igor Stravinsky's ''

The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (; ) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine, who c ...

'', Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's ''

Scheherazade Scheherazade () is a major character and the storyteller in the frame story, frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the ''One Thousand and One Nights''. Name According to modern scholarship, the name ''Scheherazade ...

'' (as choreographed by

Michel Fokine Michael Fokine ( – 22 August 1942) was a Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and at the age of 9 was accepted into the Saint Petersburg Imperial Ballet Sch ...

), and the world premiere of Debussy's '' Jeux'' (with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and designs by Léon Bakst). Some in the audiences had been offended by the depiction on stage of a tennis game in ''Jeux'', but this was nothing compared to the reaction to the ritual sacrifice in Stravinsky's ''Rite of Spring'' on 29 May.

Carl Van Vechten Carl Van Vechten (; June 17, 1880December 21, 1964) was an American writer and Fine-art photography, artistic photographer who was a patron of the Harlem Renaissance and the literary estate, literary executor of Gertrude Stein. He gained fame ...

described the scene: Marie Rambert heard someone in the gallery call out: "Un docteur … un dentiste … deux docteurs…." The second performance (4 June) was less eventful, and, according to

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

, the entire musical work could actually be heard. The first season ended on 26 June 1913 with a performance of ''Pénélope'', and the new one opened on 2 October with the same work. On 9 October d'Indy conducted Carl Maria von Weber's opera ''

Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...

''. On 15 October Debussy conducted the ''Ibéria'' section from his orchestral triptych ''

Images pour orchestre ''Images pour orchestre'', L. 122, is an orchestral composition in three sections by Claude Debussy, written between 1905 and 1912. Debussy had originally intended this set of ''Images'' as a two-piano sequel to the first set of ''Images'' ...

'', and a week later he conducted his cantata '' La Damoiselle élue''. By 20 November Astruc was out of money and was ejected from the theatre, and the sets and costumes were impounded. The following season consisted of operas presented by

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

and the Boston Opera Company. Neysa McMein - For Victory - Allied Women on War Service - Conference and Mass Meeting - Original

During most of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the theatre was closed, but the Congress of Allied Women on War Service was held there in August 1918. Pavlova's ballet company presented a short season of dance performances in 1919.

Later history

The theatre was purchased by Madame Ganna Walska (Mrs.

Harold Fowler McCormick Harold Fowler McCormick (May 2, 1872 – October 16, 1941) was an American businessman. He was chairman of the board of International Harvester Company and a member of the McCormick family. Through his first wife, Edith Rockefeller, he became a ...

) in 1922, although not with the intention of being its manager. She stated that she had purchased the nine-year lease from Jacques Hébertot, who would remain the manager. In 1923 Louis Jouvet was named director of the smaller Comédie des Champs-Élysées (located upstairs, over the foyer of the main theatre).Knapp 1985, p. 6. The Comédie stage was the home of Jules Romains' long-running medical satire, ''Dr. Knock'' (1923), in which Jouvet played the title role''.'' Jouvet also staged Charles Vildrac's ''Madame Béliard'' (1925), Bernard Zimmer's ''Bava the African'' (1926), Jean Sarment's ''Leopold the Well-Beloved'' (1927), and Marcel Achard's ''Jean of the Moon'' (1929). He is perhaps best known for directing the premier of three of

Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; ; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His wo ...

's plays: ''

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

'' in 1928, '' Amphitryon 38'' in 1929, and ''

Intermezzo In music, an intermezzo (, , plural form: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term ha ...

'' in 1933. On 4 December 1924 the Ballets Suédois production of

Francis Picabia Francis Picabia (: born Francis-Marie Martinez de Picabia; 22January 1879 – 30November 1953) was a French avant-garde painter, writer, filmmaker, magazine publisher, poet, and typography, typographist closely associated with Dada. When consid ...

's '' Relâche'', described by him as a ''ballet instantanéist'' was premiered in the main theatre. The music by

Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoire but was an undi ...

was conducted by

Roger Désormière Roger Désormière () (13 September 1898 – 25 October 1963) was a French conducting, conductor. He was an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, but also conducted performances of early eighteenth century French music. Life and career ...

. The ballet included an interlude with a film by

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

(shot on the roof of the theatre), which was accompanied by Saties's "new and astonishing film score ''Cinéma''." At the conclusion of the ballet, Satie took his curtain call in Désormière's

car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...

filmed the video for New Moon On Monday here in January 1984.

Current use

The theatre shows about three staged opera productions a year, mostly

or chamber works, suited to the modest size of its stage and

. In addition, it houses an important concert season. It is home to two orchestras: the

and Orchestre Lamoureux, as well as the French base of the

. The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and Ensemble orchestral de Paris play most of their concerts here too, along with other

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

, recital and pop events. Although the theatre is privately owned, it is supported by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, which has owned the building since 1970. The theater houses a restaurant on its roof, called Maison Blanche.

Yasmina Reza Yasmina Reza (; born 1 May 1959) is a French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter best known for her plays ''Art (play), 'Art and ''God of Carnage''. Many of her brief satiric plays have reflected on contemporary middle-class issues. ...

's 'Art' premiered on the Comédie stage in 1994, winning two Molière awards.ART by Yasmina Reza
Prices can be expensive for the main stage, and vary widely even for a particular event, from €15 for restricted visibility to €180 for the best seats (April 2022). The theater, both outside and inside, was featured in the 1973 French espionage movie '' Escape to Nowhere''. It appeared in Jan Kounen's 2009 film '' Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky'', starring Mads Mikkelsen and Anna Mougalis in the title roles. The film begins with a brief exterior shot followed by an extensive recreation of the original staging of the "Rite of Spring" and the audience reaction. The theater was the main venue for the 2006 romantic comedy ''Fauteuils d'orchestre'' (Orchestra Seats), starring Cécile de France and directed by Danièle Thompson.

Notes

Bibliography

*Collins, Peter (2004). ''Concrete: The Vision of a New Architecture'', 2nd edition. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. . *Hanser, David A. (2006). ''Architecture of France''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. . *Knapp, Bettina L. (1985). ''French Theatre 1918–1939''. London: Macmillan.
Copy
at Internet Archive. *Paul, Harry W. (2011). ''Henri de Rothschild, 1872–1947: Medicine and Theater''. Ashgate. . *Simeone, Nigel (2000). ''Paris: A Musical Gazetteer''. Yale University Press. . *Texier, Simon ( 012. ''Paris: Panorama de l'architecture de l'antiquité à nos jours''. Paris: Parigramme. . *White, Eric Walter (1966). ''Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works''. Berkeley: University of California Press. . (Dover reprint).

External links

*
Théâtre des Champs-Elysées at Google Cultural InstituteComédie des Champs Elysées at Google Cultural Institute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theatre des Champs-Elysees Champs-Elysees Buildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of Paris Art Deco architecture in France Champs-Elysees 1913 establishments in France Music halls in Paris Opera houses in Paris Orchestre National de France