The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102.

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically fo ...

at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

. Initially referred to as ''le nouvel Opéra de Paris'' (the new Paris Opera), it soon became known as the Palais Garnier, "in acknowledgment of its extraordinary opulence" and the architect Charles Garnier's plans and designs, which are representative of the Napoleon III style. It was the primary theatre of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when a new opera house, the Opéra Bastille, opened at the Place de la Bastille. The company now uses the Palais Garnier mainly for

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

. The theatre has been a ''

monument historique ''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 col ...

'' of France since 1923. The Palais Garnier has been called "probably the most famous opera house in the world, a symbol of Paris like Notre Dame Cathedral, the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...

, or the Sacré Coeur Basilica".Hanser 2006, pp. 172–179. This is at least partly due to its use as the setting for Gaston Leroux's 1910

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

'' The Phantom of the Opera'' and, especially, the novel's subsequent adaptations in films and the popular 1986 musical. Another contributing factor is that among the buildings constructed in Paris during the Second Empire, besides being the most expensive,Simeone 2000, p. 177. it has been described as the only one that is "unquestionably a masterpiece of the first rank".Watkin 1996, pp. 391–392. This opinion is far from unanimous however: the 20th-century French architect

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

once described it as "a lying art" and contended that the "Garnier movement is a décor of the grave". The Palais Garnier also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum), which is managed by the

Bibliothèque Nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

and is included in unaccompanied tours of the Palais Garnier.

Dimensions and technical details

The Palais Garnier is from ground level to the apex of the stage flytower; to the top of the facade. The building is long; wide at the lateral galleries; wide at the east and west pavilions; from ground level to bottom of the cistern under the stage. The structural system is made of masonry walls; concealed iron floors, vaults, and roofs.

Architecture and style

The opera was constructed in what Charles Garnier (1825–1898) is said to have told the Empress Eugenie was "Napoleon III" style The Napoleon III style was highly eclectic, and borrowed from many historical sources; the opera house included elements from the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

, the classicism of

Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of t ...

, and

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought ...

blended together. These were combined with axial symmetry and modern techniques and materials, including the use of an iron framework, which had been pioneered in other Napoleon III buildings, including the Bibliothèque Nationale and the markets of

Les Halles Les Halles (; 'The Halls') was Paris' central fresh food market. It last operated on January 12, 1973, after which it was "left to the demolition men who will knock down the last three of the eight iron-and-glass pavilions""Les Halles Dead at 200 ...

.Texier, Simon, ''Paris- Panorama de l'archirecture'' (2012) page 95 File:Palais Garnier plan at ground floor - Mead 1991 p101.jpg, Plan of the ground floor File:Palais Garnier plan d'ensemble - Nuitter 1875 p196 - Google Books.jpg, Plan of the main floor File:Palais Garnier plan at the highest floor level - Steinhauser 1969 plate5.jpg, Plan at the auditorium ceiling level File:Palais Garnier plan of the roof - Mead 1991 p104.jpg, Plan of the roof The façade and the interior followed the Napoleon III style principle of leaving no space without decoration. Garnier used polychromy, or a variety of colors, for theatrical effect, achieved different varieties of marble and stone, porphyry, and gilded bronze. The façade of the Opera used seventeen different kinds of material, arranged in very elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray deities of

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

Exterior

Main façade

The principal façade is on the south side of the building, overlooking the Place de l'Opéra and terminates the perspective along the Avenue de l'Opéra. Fourteen painters, mosaicists and seventy-three sculptors participated in the creation of its ornamentation. Opéra Garnier facade with sculpture labels

Opéra Garnier facade with sculpture labels

The two gilded figural groups,

Charles Gumery Charles-Alphonse-Achille Guméry (14 June 1827 – 19 January 1871) was a French sculptor working in an academic realist manner in Paris. Several of his figures ornament the Opéra Garnier most notoriously the group ''La Danse'', which was com ...

's ''L'Harmonie'' (Harmony) and ''La Poésie'' (Poetry), crown the apexes of the principal façade's left and right

avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than oth ...

. They are both made of gilt copper electrotype. The bases of the two avant-corps are decorated (from left to right) with four major multi-figure groups sculpted by

François Jouffroy François Jouffroy (1 February 1806 – 25 June 1882) was a French sculptor. Biography Jouffroy was born in Dijon, France, the son of a baker, and attended the local drawing school before being admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 18 ...

(''Poetry'', also known as ''Harmony''), Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume (''Instrumental Music''), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux ('' The Dance'', criticised for indecency), and Jean-Joseph Perraud (''Lyrical Drama''). The façade also incorporates other work by Gumery, Alexandre Falguière, and others. Gilded galvanoplastic bronze busts of many of the great composers are located between the columns of the theatre's front façade and depict, from left to right,

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

, Auber,

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

Spontini Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini (14 November 177424 January 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor from the classical era. Biography Born in Maiolati, Papal State (now Maiolati Spontini, Province of Ancona), he spent most of his ca ...

, Meyerbeer, and Halévy. On the left and right lateral returns of the front façade are busts of the librettists Eugène Scribe and Philippe Quinault, respectively.Fontaine 2000 Image:Palais Garnier Statue.JPG, Gumery's ''L'Harmonie'' (1869), atop the left

of the façade, is 7.5 metres (25 ft) of gilt copper electrotype Image:PhotoB 062.jpg, ''Apollo, Poetry and Music'' roof sculpture by

Aimé Millet Aimé Millet (September 28, 1819 – January 14, 1891) was a noted French sculptor, who was born and died in Paris. Millet was the son of miniaturist Frédéric Millet (1796–1859) and uncle to Chicago architectural decorator Julian Louis ...

Image:Apollon opera Garnier.jpg, ''Apollo, Poetry and Music; Apollo's lyre'' detail Image:Right roof sculptures Paris Opera.jpg, ''Poetry'' roof sculpture by

Image:Harmony-Poetry-Music-statue-Garnier.jpg, ''Harmony'' façade sculpture by Francois Jouffroy (depicts Harmony-Poetry-Music) Image:Lyrical drama Perraud.jpg, ''Lyrical Drama'' façade sculpture by Jean-Joseph Perraud Image:Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux La Danse.jpg, '' The Dance'' by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Image:PhotoB 064.jpg, Bronze busts of Beethoven and Mozart on the front façade Image:Exterior-light-garnier.jpg, Light outside the building

Stage flytower

The sculptural group ''Apollo, Poetry, and Music'', located at the apex of the south gable of the stage flytower, is the work of

, and the two smaller bronze Pegasus figures at either end of the south gable are by

Eugène-Louis Lequesne Eugène-Louis Lequesne (or Le Quesne) (15 February 1815 – 3 June 1887) was a French sculptor. Lequesne was born and died in Paris. In 1841, he entered the École nationale des beaux-arts, in James Pradier's workshop. In 1843, he won t ...

Pavillon de l'Empereur

Also known as the Rotonde de l'Empereur, this group of rooms is located on the left (west) side of the building and was designed to allow secure and direct access by the Emperor via a double ramp to the building. When the Empire fell, work stopped, leaving unfinished dressed stonework. It now houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum) which is home to nearly 600,000 documents including 100,000 books, 1,680 periodicals, 10,000 programs, letters, 100,000 photographs, sketches of costumes and sets, posters and historical administrative records.

Pavillon des Abonnés

Located on the right (east) side of the building as a counterpart to the Pavillon de l'Empereur, this pavilion was designed to allow subscribers (''abonnés'') direct access from their carriages to the interior of the building. It is covered by a 13.5-metre (44-ft) diameter dome. Paired obelisks mark the entrances to the rotunda on the north and the south. File:Palais Garnier (Eastern Elevation), 2014-07-05.jpg, East façade and the Pavillon des Abonnés File:Façade Ouest de l'Opéra Garnier (2014).jpg, West façade and the Pavillon de l'Empereur

Interior

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.

Grand staircase

The building features a large ceremonial staircase of white marble with a balustrade of red and green marble, which divides into two divergent flights of stairs that lead to the Grand Foyer. Its design was inspired by Victor Louis's grand staircase for the Théâtre de Bordeaux. The pedestals of the staircase are decorated with female torchères, created by

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (born Albert-Ernest Carrier de Belleuse; 12 June 1824 – 4 June 1887) was a French sculptor. He was one of the founding members of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and was made an officer of the Legion of ...

. The ceiling above the staircase was painted by Isidore Pils to depict ''The Triumph of Apollo'', ''The Enchantment of Music Deploying its Charms'', ''Minerva Fighting Brutality Watched by the Gods of Olympus'', and ''The City of Paris Receiving the Plan of the New Opéra''. When the paintings were first fixed in place two months before the opening of the building, it was obvious to Garnier that they were too dark for the space. With the help of two of his students, Pils had to rework the canvases while they were in place overhead on the ceiling and, at the age of 61, he fell ill. His students had to finish the work, which was completed the day before the opening and the scaffolding was removed. File:GarnierOperaParis.jpg, Louis Béroud: ''L'escalier de l'opéra Garnier'', 1877 ( Musée Carnavalet) File:Palais Garnier Grand Escalier d'Honneur - Garnier 1880 vol2 plate8.jpg, Engraving from Garnier's ''Nouvel Opéra'', 1880 File:Opera Garnier Grand Escalier.jpg, The grand staircase of the Palais Garnier File:Monumental stairway of the palais Garnier opera in Paris.jpg, The grand staircase File:Amphitheater-Entrance-Palais-Garnier.jpg, The Amphitheater Entrance. The two caryatids by Jules Thomas. Tragedy with her sword (left) and Comedy with her harp (right).

Cave of Pythia

At the foot of the Grand staircase, Garnier wanted to place a white marble statue of

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...

, but there weren't enough funds for this. Then there were talks about moving the La Danse (Carpeaux) from the main facade, but instead Garnier chose the ''Pythia'' by Adèle d'Affry (the artist also known by the pseudonym Marcello). There are two bronze lamps on each side of Pythia, made by Jules Corboz. The intrados of the staircase have plant motifs and musical instruments, masks and shells, the artist imagine it as a

Nymphaeum A ''nymphaeum'' or ''nymphaion'' ( grc, νυμφαῖον), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs. These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habit ...

. According to the Greek mythology,

Pythia Pythia (; grc, Πυθία ) was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as the Pythoness ...

was the priestess of Apollo, the god of arts, and she delivered the oracles of the god. Marcello wanted her Pythia to look different from Pythias of other artists. She wrote: "will be an Indian Pythia, the one whose tongue Alexander set wagging. A kind of gypsy." "A poor woman of a rather strange and bestial type, illuminated by the spirit." She would be like the fortune tellers of India "with tamed snakes curled around their forehand." File:Opéra Garnier - Bassin de la Pythie 03.JPG File:Paris, France, Opera Garnier (interior 1).jpg File:Opéra Garnier - Bassin de la Pythie 02.JPG File:Pythia.jpg

Avant foyer or "Foyer of Mosaics"

The Avant foyer is twenty meters long with doors leading to an open salon at each end, in the east to the "Sun" and at the west side to the "Moon" salons. At its north it open to the Grand Escalier, while at its south is connected by three monumental doors to the Grand Foyer.

=Chandeliers

= The Avant Foyer is lit by five big chandeliers designed by Charles Garnier in

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

style.

=Greek mosaic inscriptions

= There are two Greek mosaic inscription, written in the 8th century Byzantine style letters ( Greek uncial), which read: "Decorative mosaic was applied for the first time in France to the ornamentation of this vault and the popularisation of this art." (see Greek inscription 1) "The figures painted by Curzon, were executed by Salviati, the ornaments by Facchina. The architecture is by Charles Garnier." (see Greek inscription 2) File:Palais Garnier Avant Foyer Greek inscription 1.jpg, Greek inscription 1 File:Palais Garnier Avant Foyer Greek inscription 2.jpg, Greek inscription 2

=The four pair mosaic panels

= The mosaic represent four couples from the

(

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orat ...

and Psyche,

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with ...

and

Endymion Endymion primarily refers to: * Endymion (mythology), an Ancient Greek shepherd * ''Endymion'' (poem), by John Keats Endymion may also refer to: Fictional characters * Prince Endymion, a character in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime franchise * Raul ...

and

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the na ...

, Eos and Cephalus). In two of the panels the scenes are more erotic (Artemis - Endymion, Eos - Cephalus), while the other two depict the couples leaving the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwo ...

and are more about death than love (Hermes - Psyche, Orpheus - Eurydice). The theme of death and love alternate. File:Hermes-Psyche-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and Psyche. Their names are in Greek, ΨΥΧΗ (Psyche) and ΕΡΜΗΣ (Hermes). Above Psyche's head there is a butterfly. File:Artemis-Endymion-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and

. Their names are in Greek, ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ (Artemis) and ΕΝΔΥΜΙΩΝ (Endymion). File:Orpheus-Eurydice-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and

. Their names are in Greek, ΟΡΦΕΥΣ (Orheus) and ΕΥΡΥΔΙΚΗ (Eurydice). File:Eos-Cephalus-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Eos and Cephalus. Their names are in Greek, ΗΩΣ (Eos) and ΚΕΦΑΛΟΣ (Cephalus). The decoration framing the mosaic panels with the mythological couples include theatre masks, musical instruments, birds, all surrounded by flowers, fruits and gold. File:Mosaic mask 1 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 2 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 3 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 4 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 5 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 6 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 7 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 8 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 9 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 10 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 11 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 12 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier 2.jpg File:Mosaic mask 13 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 14 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg

=The four medallions

= There are four bronze gilt medallions representing musical instruments (

sistrum A sistrum (plural: sistra or Latin sistra; from the Greek ''seistron'' of the same meaning; literally "that which is being shaken", from ''seiein'', "to shake") is a musical instrument of the percussion family, chiefly associated with ancient ...

for Egypt,

lyre The lyre () is a string instrument, stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the History of lute-family instruments, lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it ...

for Greece,

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called " zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, tho ...

and pan flute for Italy, ivory horn for France), encircled by leaf-work characteristic of each country and have the name of the countries in Greek (Egypt=ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΣ, Greece=ΕΛΛΑΣ, Italy=ΙΤΑΛΙΑ and France=ΓΑΛΛΙΑ). File:Egypt-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Egypt medallion File:Greece-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Greece medallion File:Italy-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Italy medallion File:France-Palais-Garnier.jpg, France medallion

The Salons of the Sun and Moon

At the east and west end of the Avant foyer there are the ''Salon du Soleil'' (Salon of the Sun) and the ''Salon de la Lune'' (Salon of the Moon). They were designed as the entrance vestibules for the smoking room and the Galerie du Glacier. Their themes were heat for the smoking room and cold for the Glacier, but because they completed in haste in order to be ready for the inauguration of 1875, in the rush there was a mistake and the themes were reversed.

Grand foyer

This hall, high, long and wide, was designed to act as a drawing room for Paris society. It was restored in 2004. Its ceiling was painted by

Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry (7 November 1828 17 January 1886) was a French painter. Life Baudry was born in 1828 in La Roche-sur-Yon in the Vendée. He studied art under Michel Martin Drolling and enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts in 1845. ...

and represents various moments in the history of music. The foyer opens onto an outside loggia and is flanked by two octagonal salons with ceilings painted by

Jules-Élie Delaunay Jules-Élie Delaunay (; June 13, 1828 – September 5, 1891) was a French academic painter. Biography He was born at Nantes in the Loire-Atlantique ''département'' of France. Delaunay studied under Flandrin, and at the École des Beaux Art ...

in the eastern salon and Félix-Joseph Barrias in the western salon. The octagonal salons open to the north into the Salon de la Lune at the western end of the Avant-Foyer and the Salon du Soleil at its eastern end.Fontaine 2004, p. 152. File:Opéra Garnier - le Grand Foyer.jpg, View of the Grand Foyer looking west File:Ceilings of the palais Garnier in Paris, 04.jpg, View of the Grand Foyer looking east File:Opera Garnier-DSC 2523w.jpg, Part of the ceiling of the Grand Foyer with paintings by Paul Baudry: the central rectangular panel is ''Music'', while the oval panel at the western end is ''Comedy''.Fontaine 2004, p. 152. File:Ceilings of the palais Garnier in Paris, 03.jpg, Ceiling of the octagonal salon at the eastern end with

's central oval panel, ''The Zodiac'', and over-door panel, ''Apollo Receiving the Lyre''

=Muses and personifications

= There are eight canvases representing the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

from the Greek mythology. In mythology, the Muses were nine, but because of lack of room,

Polyhymnia Polyhymnia (; el, Πολυύμνια, lit=the one of many hymns), alternatively Polymnia (Πολύμνια), was, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime. Etymology ...

was "sacrificed". Victorin de Joncières protested against this and wrote that it would be better if

Urania Urania ( ; grc, , Ouranía; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy, and in later times, of Christian poetry. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, ...

was "sacrificed", since she was the Muse of Astronomy. Nuitter responded that Polyhymnia has a statue in the Grand Foyer among the Qualities (Polyhymnia is also depicted in the big Parnassus panel on the far right corner). Image gallery with the muses and the personifications: Thalia (top, Muse of comedy), Epithumia (bottom left, meaning desire) and Pistis (bottom right, meaning good faith, trust and reliability), their names are in Greek. Thalia = ΘΑΛΕΙΑ, Epithumia = Η ΕΠΙΘΥΜΙΑ and Pistis = Η ΠΙΣΤΙΣ File:Thalia-Epithymia-Pistis-Palais-Garnier.jpg

Melpomene In Greek mythology, Melpomene (; grc, Μελπομένη, Melpoménē, to sing' or 'the one that is melodious), initially the muse of chorus, eventually became the muse of tragedy, and is now best known in that association. Etymology Mel ...

(top, Muse of tragedy), Sophrosyne (bottom left, meaning excellence of character and soundness of mind) and Elpis (bottom right, meaning hope), their names are in Greek. Melpomene = ΜΕΛΠΟΜΕΝΗ, Elpis = Η ΕΛΠΙΣ and Sophrosyne = Η ΣΩΦΡΟΣΥΝΗ File:Melpomene-Sophrosyne-Elpis-Palais-Garnier.jpg Terpsichore (top, Muse of dance), Autonomia (bottom left, meaning autonomy) and Phantasia (bottom right, meaning imagination), their names are in Greek. Terpsichore = ΤΕΡΨΙΧΟΡΗ, Autonomia = Η ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΙΑ and Phantasia = H ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑ File:Terpsichore-Autonomia-Phantasia-Palais-Garnier.jpg

Erato In Greek mythology, Erato (; grc, Ἐρατώ) is one of the Greek Muses, which were inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius ...

(top, the Muse of lyric poetry), Rhome (bottom left, meaning strength) and Sophia (bottom right, meaning wisdom), their names are in Greek. Erato = ΕΡΑΤΩ, Rhome = Η ΡΩΜΗ and Sophia = Η ΣΟΦΙΑ File:Erato-Rhome-Sophia-Palais-Garnier.jpg Calliope (top, Muse of eloquence and epic poetry), Dianoia (bottom left, meaning thinking) and Euprepia (bottom right, meaning preeminent beauty), their names are in Greek. Calliope = ΚΑΛΛΙΟΠΗ, Dianoia = Η ΔΙΑΝΟΙΑ and Euprepia = Η ΕΥΠΡΕΠΕΙΑ File:Calliope-Dianoia-Euprepia-Palais-Garnier.jpg

(top, Muse of astronomy), Diadochi (bottom left, meaning succession) and Episteme (bottom right, meaning to know, to understand, to be acquainted with), their names are in Greek. Urania = ΟΥΡΑΝΙΑ, Diadochi = Η ΔΙΑΔΟΧΗ and Episteme = Η ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΗ File:Urania-Episteme-Diadochi-Palais-Garnier.jpg

Euterpe Euterpe (; el, Εὐτέρπη, lit=rejoicing well' or 'delight , from grc, εὖ, eû, well + el, τέρπειν, térpein, to please) was one of the Muses in Greek mythology, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse ...

(top, Muse of music), Kalossyni (bottom left, meaning kindness, charity) and Charis (bottom right, meaning grace), their names are in Greek. Euterpe = ΕΥΤΕΡΠΗ, Kalossyni = Η ΚΑΛΛΟΣΥΝΗ and Charis = Η ΧΑΡΙΣ File:Euterpe-Kalossyni-Charis-Palais-Garnier.jpg

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλε ...

(top, Muse of history), Boulesis (bottom left, meaning will) and Phronesis (bottom right, meaning prudence, practical virtue and practical wisdom), their names are in Greek. Clio = ΚΛΕΙΩ, Boulesis = Η ΒΟΥΛΗΣΙΣ and Phronesis = Η ΦΡΟΝΗΣΙΣ File:Clio-Boulesis-Phronesis-Palais-Garnier.jpg

Auditorium

The auditorium has a traditional Italian horseshoe shape and can seat 1,979. 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. File:Palais Garnier auditorium and stage.jpg, Auditorium File:Palais Garnier transverse section at the auditorium and pavilions - Beauvert 1996 p106.jpg, Transverse section at the auditorium and pavilions File:Paris. Palais Garnier. Interior. Postcard from 1909.jpg, Auditorium. Postcard from 1909 The ceiling area which surrounds the chandelier was originally painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu. In 1964 a new ceiling painted by Marc Chagall was installed on a removable frame over the original. It depicts scenes from operas by 14 composers –

Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...

, Mozart,

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, Berlioz, Rameau,

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 infl ...

, Ravel, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky,

Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', which has become on ...

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the ...

, and

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he ...

. Although praised by some, others feel Chagall's work creates "a false note in Garnier's carefully orchestrated interior".

Chandelier

The seven-ton bronze and crystal chandelier was designed by Garnier. Jules Corboz prepared the model, and it was cast and chased by Lacarière, Delatour & Cie. The total cost came to 30,000 gold francs. The use of a central chandelier aroused controversy, and it was criticised for obstructing views of the stage by patrons in the fourth level boxes and views of the ceiling painted by Lenepveu.Fontaine 2004, p. 94–95. Garnier had anticipated these disadvantages but provided a lively defence in his 1871 book ''Le Théâtre'': "What else could fill the theatre with such joyous life? What else could offer the variety of forms that we have in the pattern of the flames, in these groups and tiers of points of light, these wild hues of gold flecked with bright spots, and these crystalline highlights?" File:Palais Garnier, Lenepveu ceiling model 1872 – Fontaine 2004 p. 83 (adjusted).jpg, Final model for the ceiling painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu File:Palais Garnier auditorium chandelier - Nuitter 1875 p147.jpg, Auditorium chandelier File:The-paris-opera-482508 1920.jpg, Lighted chandelier under the ceiling by Marc Chagall On 20 May 1896, one of the chandelier's

counterweight A counterweight is a weight that, by applying an opposite force, provides balance and stability of a mechanical system. The purpose of a counterweight is to make lifting the load faster and more efficient, which saves energy and causes less we ...

s broke free and burst through the ceiling into the auditorium, killing a concierge. This incident inspired one of the more famous scenes in Gaston Leroux's classic 1910

gothic novel Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

'' The Phantom of the Opera''. Originally the chandelier was raised up through the ceiling into the cupola over the auditorium for cleaning, but now it is lowered. The space in the cupola was used in the 1960s for opera rehearsals, and in the 1980s was remodelled into two floors of dance rehearsal space. The lower floor consists of the Salle Nureïev ( Nureyev) and the Salle

Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

, and the upper floor, the Salle Petipa.

=Organ

= The grand organ was built by

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (; 4 February 1811 – 13 October 1899) was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ build ...

for use during lyrical works. It has been out of service for several decades.

Restaurant

Garnier had originally planned to install a restaurant in the opera house; however, for budgetary reasons, it was not completed in the original design. On the third attempt to introduce it since 1875, a restaurant was opened on the eastern side of the building in 2011. L'Opéra Restaurant was designed by French architect

Odile Decq Odile Decq (born 1955 in Laval, France) is a French architect, urban planner and academic. She is the founder of the Paris firm, Studio Odile Decq and the architecture school, Confluence Institute. Decq is known for her unique, self-described ...

. The chef was Christophe Aribert; in October 2015, Guillame Tison-Malthé became the new head chef. The restaurant, which has three different spaces and a large outside terrace, is accessible to the general public. Image:Terrasse Est Opéra Garnier - L'Opéra Restaurant.jpg, Palais Garnier east side with L'Opéra Restaurant Image:MezzanineOpera2.jpg, L'Opéra Restaurant opened in 2011

History

Selection of a site

Two projected site sites for the new Paris Opera by Barnout - Gallica 2014

In 1821 the Opéra de Paris had moved into the temporary building known as the

Salle Le Peletier The Salle Le Peletier or Lepeletier (sometimes referred to as the Salle de la rue Le Peletier or the Opéra Le Peletier) was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and con ...

on the . Since then a new permanent building had been desired. Charles Rohault de Fleury, who was appointed the opera's official architect in 1846, undertook various studies in suitable sites and designs. By 1847, the

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

of the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

, Claude-Philibert de Rambuteau, had selected a site on the east side of the Place du Palais-Royal as part of an extension of the Rue de Rivoli. However, with the

Revolution of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europe ...

, Rambuteau was dismissed, and interest in the construction of a new opera house waned. The site was later used for the

Grand Hôtel du Louvre Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and comm ...

(designed in part by Charles Rohault de Fleury). With the establishment of the Second Empire in 1852 and Georges-Eugène Haussmann's appointment as Prefect of the Seine in June 1853, interest in a new opera house revived. There was an attempted assassination of

Emperor Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephe ...

at the entrance to the Salle Le Peletier on 14 January 1858. The Salle Le Peletier's constricted street access highlighted the need for a separate, more secure entrance for the head of state. This concern and the inadequate facilities and temporary nature of the theatre gave added urgency to the building of a new state-funded opera house. By March, Haussmann settled on Rohault de Fleury's proposed site off the Boulevard des Capucines, although this decision was not announced publicly until 1860. A new building would help resolve the awkward convergence of streets at this location, and the site was economical in terms of the cost of land. On 29 September 1860 an Imperial Decree officially designated the site for the new Opéra, which would eventually occupy . By November 1860 Rohault de Fleury had completed the design for what he thought would be the crowning work of his career and was also working on a commission from the city to design the façades of the other buildings lining the new square to ensure they were in harmony. However, that same month Achille Fould was replaced as Minister of State by Count

Alexandre Colonna-Walewski Alexandre Florian Joseph, Count Colonna-Walewski (; pl, Aleksander Florian Józef Colonna-Walewski; 4 May 181027 September 1868), was a Polish and French politician and diplomat, best known for his position as Foreign Minister of France under Na ...

. His wife Marie Anne de Ricci Poniatowska had used her position as mistress of Napoleon III to obtain her husband's appointment. Aware of competing designs and under pressure to give the commission to Viollet-le-Duc, who had the support of Empress Eugénie, Walewski escaped the need to make a decision by proposing to mount an architectural design competition to select the architect. File:Entrance elevation of a project for the Théâtre Impériale de l'Opéra by Rohault de Fleury, November 1860 - Mead 1991 p59.jpg, Entrance elevation of a project for the Théâtre Impériale de l'Opéra by Rohault de Fleury, November 1860 File:Plan of a project for the Théâtre Impériale de l'Opéra by Rohault de Fleury, November 1860 - Mead 1991 p59.jpg, Plan

Design competition

On 30 December 1860 the Second Empire of Emperor

officially announced an architectural design competition for the design of the new opera house. Applicants were given a month to submit entries. There were two phases to the competition. Charles Garnier's project was one of about 170 submitted in the first phase. Each of the entrants was required to submit a motto that summarised their design. Garnier's was the quote "Bramo assai, poco spero" ("Hope for much, expect little") from the Italian poet

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' ( Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

. Garnier's project was awarded the fifth-place prize, and he became one of seven finalists selected for the second phase. In addition to Garnier, among the others were his friend Leon Ginain, and Joseph-Louis Duc (who subsequently withdrew due to other commitments). To the surprise of many, both Viollet-le-Duc and Charles Rohault de Fleury missed out. File:Perspective view of Viollet-de-Duc's Opera Competition project, 1861 - Mead 1991 p66.jpg, Perspective view File:Plan of Viollet-de-Duc's Opera Competition project, 1861 - Mead 1991 p74.jpg, Plan File:Long section of Viollet-de-Duc's Opera Competition project, 1861 - Mead 1991 p75.jpg, Long section The second phase required the contestants to revise their original projects and was more rigorous, with a 58-page program, written by the director of the Opéra,

Alphonse Royer Alphonse Royer, (10 September 1803 – 11 April 1875) was a French author, dramatist and theatre manager, most remembered today for having written (with his regular collaborator, Gustave Vaëz) the librettos for Gaetano Donizetti's opera ''La ...

, which the contestants received on 18 April. The new submissions were sent to the jury in the middle of May, and on 29 May 1861 Garnier's project was selected for its "rare and superior qualities in the beautiful distribution of the plans, the monumental and characteristic aspect of the facades and sections".Quoted and translated in Mead 1991, pp. 76, 290. Garnier's wife Louise later wrote that the French architect Alphonse de Gisors, who was on the jury, had commented to them that Garnier's project was "remarkable in its simplicity, clarity, logic, grandeur, and because of the exterior dispositions which distinguish the plan in three distinct parts—the public spaces, auditorium, and stage ... 'you have greatly improved your project since the first competition; whereas Ginain he first-place winner in the first phasehas ruined his.'" Legend has it that the Emperor's wife, the Empress Eugénie, who was likely irritated that her own favoured candidate, Viollet-le-Duc, had not been selected, asked the relatively unknown Garnier: "What is this? It's not a style; it's neither Louis Quatorze, nor Louis Quinze, nor Louis Seize!" "Why Ma'am, it's Napoléon Trois" replied Garnier "and you're complaining!" Andrew Ayers has written that Garnier's definition "remains undisputed, so much does the Palais Garnier seem emblematic of its time and of the Second Empire that created it. A giddy mixture of up-to-the-minute technology, rather prescriptive rationalism, exuberant eclecticism and astonishing opulence, Garnier's opera encapsulated the divergent tendencies and political and social ambitions of its era."Ayers 2004, pp. 172–174. Ayers goes on to say that the judges of the competition in particular admired Garnier's design for "the clarity of his plan, which was a brilliant example of the ''beaux-arts'' design methods in which both he and they were thoroughly versed".

Opéra Agence

After the initial funds to begin construction were voted on 2 July 1861, Garnier established the Opéra ''Agence'', his office on the construction site, and hired a team of architects and draftsmen. He selected as his second-in-command, Louis-Victor Louvet, followed by Jean Jourdain and Edmond Le Deschault.

Laying of the foundation

The site was excavated between 27 August and 31 December. On 13 January 1862 the first concrete foundations were poured, starting at the front and progressing sequentially toward the back, with the laying of the substructure masonry beginning as soon as each section of concrete was cast. The opera house needed a much deeper basement in the substage area than other building types, but the level of the groundwater was unexpectedly high. Wells were sunk in February 1862 and eight steam pumps installed in March, but despite operating continuously 24 hours a day, the site would not dry up. To deal with this problem Garnier designed a double foundation to protect the superstructure from moisture. It incorporated a water course and an enormous concrete cistern (''cuve'') which would both relieve the pressure of the external groundwater on the basement walls and serve as a reservoir in case of fire. A contract for its construction was signed on 20 June. Soon a persistent legend arose that the opera house was built over a subterranean lake, inspiring Gaston Leroux to incorporate the idea into his novel '' The Phantom of the Opera''. On 21 July the cornerstone was laid at the southeast angle of the building's facade. In October the pumps were removed, the brick vault of the ''cuve'' was finished by 8 November, and the substructure was essentially complete by the end of the year.

Model

The emperor expressed an interest in seeing a model of the building, and a plaster scale model (2 cm per meter) was constructed by Louis Villeminot between April 1862 and April 1863 at a cost of more than 8,000 francs. After previewing it, the emperor requested several changes to the design of the building, the most important of which was the suppression of a balustraded terrace with corner groups at the top of the facade and its replacement with a massive attic story fronted by a continuous frieze surmounted by imperial '' quadrigae'' over the end bays.Mead 1991, pp. 149–151. With the incorporated changes, the model was transported over specially installed rails to the Palais de l'Industrie for public display at the 1863 exhibition. Théophile Gautier wrote of the model (''Le Moniteur Universel'', 13 May 1863) that "the general arrangement becomes intelligible to all eyes and already acquires a sort of reality that better permits one to prejudge the final effect ... it attracts the crowd's curiosity; it is, in effect, the new Opéra seen through reversed opera glasses." The model is now lost, but it was photographed by J. B. Donas in 1863. The emperor's quadrigae were never added, although they can be seen in the model. Instead Charles-Alphonse Guméry's gilded bronze sculptural groups ''Harmony'' and ''Poetry'' were installed in 1869. The linear frieze seen in the model was also redesigned with alternating low- and high-relief decorative medallions bearing the gilded letters from the imperial monogram ("N" for Napoléon, "E" for Empereur). The custom-designed letters were not ready in time for the unveiling and were replaced with commercially available substitutes. After the fall of the empire in 1870, Garnier was relieved to be able to remove them from the medallions. Letters in Garnier's original design were finally installed during the restoration of the building in 2000.

Change in name

The scaffolding concealing the facade was removed on 15 August 1867 in time for the Paris Exposition of 1867. The official title of the Paris Opera was prominently displayed on the entablature of the giant

Corinthian order The Corinthian order ( Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...

of coupled columns fronting the main-floor loggia: "ACADEMIE IMPERIALE DE MUSIQUE". When the emperor was deposed on 4 September 1870 as a result of the disastrous Franco-Prussian War, the government was replaced by the Third Republic, and almost immediately, on 17 September 1870, the Opera was renamed Théâtre National de l'Opéra, a name it kept until 1939.Levin, Alicia. "A documentary overview of musical theaters in Paris, 1830–1900" in Fauser (2009), p. 382. In spite of this, when it came time to change the name on the new opera house, only the first six letters of the word IMPERIALE were replaced, giving the now famous "ACADEMIE NATIONALE DE MUSIQUE", an official title which had actually only been used during the approximately two-year period of the Second Republic which had preceded the Second Empire.

1870–1871

All work on the building came to a halt during the Franco-Prussian War due to the siege of Paris (September 1870 – January 1871). Construction had so advanced that parts of the building could be used as a food warehouse and a hospital. After France's defeat Garnier became seriously ill from the deprivations of the siege and left Paris from March to June to recover on the

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

n coast of Italy, while his assistant Louis Louvet remained behind during the turmoil of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defende ...

which followed. Louvet wrote several letters to Garnier, which document events relating to the building. Because of the theatre's proximity to the fighting at the Place Vendôme, troops of the National Guard bivouacked there and were in charge of its defence and distributing food to soldiers and civilians. The Commune authorities planned to replace Garnier with another architect, but this unnamed man had not yet appeared when Republican troops ousted the National Guard and gained control over the building on 23 May. By the end of the month the Commune had been severely defeated. The Third Republic had become sufficiently well established by the fall, that on 30 September construction work recommenced, and by late October a small amount of funds were voted by the new legislature for further construction.

1872–1873

The political leaders of the new government maintained an intense dislike of all things associated with the Second Empire, and many of them regarded the essentially apolitical Garnier as a holdover from that regime. This was especially true during the presidency of

Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( , ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian. He was the second elected President of France and first President of the French Third Republic. Thiers was a key figure in the July Rev ...

who remained in office until May 1873, but also persisted under his successor Marshal MacMahon. Economies were demanded, and Garnier was forced to suppress the completion of sections of the building, in particular the Pavillon de l'Empereur (which later became the home of the Opera Library Museum). However, on 28–29 October an overwhelming incentive to complete the new theatre came when the Salle Le Peletier was destroyed by a fire which raged the entire night. Garnier was immediately instructed to complete the building as soon as possible.

Completion

The cost of completion of the new house during 1874 was more than 7.5 million francs, a sum that greatly exceeded the amounts spent in any of the previous thirteen years. The cash-strapped government of the Third Republic resorted to borrowing 4.9 million gold francs at an interest rate of six percent from François Blanc, the wealthy financier who managed the Monte Carlo Casino. Subsequently (from 1876 to 1879) Garnier would oversee the design and construction of the Monte Carlo Casino concert hall, the Salle Garnier, which later became the home of the

Opéra de Monte Carlo This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most ...

. During 1874 Garnier and his construction team worked feverishly to complete the new Paris opera house, and by 17 October the orchestra was able to conduct an acoustical test of the new auditorium, followed by another on 2 December which was attended by officials, guests, and members of the press. The Paris Opera Ballet danced on the stage on 12 December, and six days later the famous chandelier was lit for the first time.Simeone 2000, pp. 177–180. 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. The program included the overtures to Auber's '' La muette de Portici'' and Rossini's '' William Tell'', the first two acts of Halévy's 1835 opera ''

La Juive ''La Juive'' () (''The Jewess'') is a grand opera in five acts by Fromental Halévy to an original French libretto by Eugène Scribe; it was first performed at the Opéra, Paris, on 23 February 1835. Composition history ''La Juive'' was one ...

'' (with Gabrielle Krauss in the title role), along with "The Consecration of the Swords" from Meyerbeer's 1836 opera '' Les Huguenots'' and the 1866 ballet '' La source'' with music by Delibes and Minkus. As a soprano had fallen ill one act from Charles Gounod's ''Faust'' and one from Ambroise Thomas's ''Hamlet'' had to be omitted. During the intermission Garnier stepped out onto the landing of the grand staircase to receive the approving applause of the audience.

History of the house since opening

Paris, l'Opéra, Académie nationale de musique

In 1881 electric lighting was installed. In the 1950s new personnel and freight elevators were installed at the rear of stage, to facilitate the movement of employees in the administration building and the moving of stage scenery. In 1969, the theatre was given new electrical facilities and, during 1978, part of the original Foyer de la Danse was converted into new rehearsal space for the Ballet company by the architect Jean-Loup Roubert. During 1994, restoration work began on the theatre. This consisted of modernizing the stage machinery and electrical facilities, while restoring and preserving the opulent décor, as well as strengthening the structure and foundation of the building. This restoration was completed in 2007.

Stamps

The French Post Office has issued two postage stamps on the building: The first was issued in September 1998, for the centenary of the death of Charles Garnier. It was designed by Claude Andréotto grouping elements which recall the artistic activities of the Opera Garnier: the profile of a dancer, a violin and a red curtain. The second, drawn and engraved by Martin Mörck, is issued in June 2006 and represents, in intaglio, the main facade.

Influence

The Palais Garnier inspired many other buildings over the following years. *

Teatro Massimo Bellini The Teatro Massimo Bellini is an opera house located on Piazza Vincenzo Bellini in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is ...

built from 1870 to 1890 in

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also b ...

, Sicily (Italy). *The Amazon Theatre in Manaus (Brazil) built from 1884 to 1896. The overview is very similar, though the decoration is simpler. *The

Thomas Jefferson Building The Thomas Jefferson Building is the oldest of the four United States Library of Congress buildings. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was originally known as the Library of Congress Building. It is now named for the 3rd U.S. president Thomas Jef ...

, built from 1890 to 1897, of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

in Washington, D.C. is modelled after the Palais Garnier, most notably the facade and Great Hall. *The Opéra-Comique's

Salle Favart The Salle Favart, officially the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, is a Paris opera house and theatre, the current home of the Opéra-Comique. It was built from 1893 to 1898 in a neo-Baroque style to the designs of the French architect Louis Bernie ...

, which opened in 1898, is an adaptation of Garnier's design on a smaller scale to fit a restricted site. *Several buildings in Poland were based on the design of the Palais Garnier. These include the

Juliusz Słowacki Theatre Juliusz Słowacki Theatre ( pl, Teatr im. Juliusza Słowackiego w Krakowie) is a 19th-century Eclectic theatre-opera house in the heart of Kraków, Poland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Erected in 1893, it was modeled after some of the best ...

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

, built during 1893, and also the Warsaw Philharmonic edifice in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

, built between 1900 and 1901. *The Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam was built 1901–1911 during

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

colonial period based upon Palais Garnier. It is considered a representative French colonial architectural monument in Indochina. *The

Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro The Theatro Municipal ("Municipal Theater") is an opera house in the Centro district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Built in the early twentieth century, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and important theaters in the country. The ...

(1905–1909) was also modelled after Palais Garnier, particularly the Great Hall and stairs. *The Legends Hotel Chennai in India is inspired by the Palais Garnier, especially the Facade and statues. *The Façade of the Rialto Theatre, a former movie palace built in 1923–1924 and located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was designed after Palais Garnier. File:Catania BW 2012-10-06 11-11-06.jpg, Piazza Vincenzo Bellini and the adjoining

(built from 1870 to 1890 in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

) File:Teatro amazonas.jpg, The Amazonas theatre in Manaus, Brazil (1884–1896) File:LibraryOfCongress 07130009.jpg, The

at the

(1890–1897) File:Pl warszawa filharmonia old 1918.jpg, The former Warsaw Philharmonic Hall (1900–1901) File:Kiev Opera House - 005.jpg, National Opera House of Ukraine (opened 1901) File:Teatro Municipal de São Paulo 8.jpg, Municipal Theater of São Paulo (built 1903–1911) File:Hanoi_opera_house._Made_as_a_copy_of_the_Opera_Garnier_in_Paris_(22334215449).jpg, Hanoi Opera House (1901–1911) File: Rialto_Theatre_Montreal_01.jpg, Rialto Theatre in Montreal (1923–1924)

References

Citations

Sources

* Allison, John, editor (2003). ''Great Opera Houses of the World'', supplement to ''Opera'' Magazine, London. * Ayers, Andrew (2004). ''The Architecture of Paris''. Stuttgart; London: Edition Axel Menges. . * Beauvert, Thierry (1996). ''Opera Houses of the World''. New York: The Vendome Press. . * * Fauser, Annegret, editor; Everist, Mark, editor (2009). ''Music, Theater, and Cultural Transfer. Paris, 1830–1914''. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. . * Folli, Andrea; Merello, Gisella (2004). "The Splendour of the Garnier Rooms at the Monte Carlo Casino", pp. 112–137, in Bonillo, Jean-Lucien, et al., ''Charles Garnier and Gustave Eiffel on the French and Italian Rivieras: The Dream of Reason'' (in English and French). Marseilles: Editions Imbernon. . * Fontaine, Gérard (2000). ''Charles Garnier's Opéra: Architecture and Exterior Decor'', translated by Ellie Rea and Barbara Shapiro-Comte. Paris: Éditions du Patrimoine. . * Fontaine, Gérard (2004). ''Charles Garnier's Opéra: Architecture and Interior Decor'', translated by Charles Penwarden. Paris: Éditions du Patrimoine. . * Garnier, Charles (1871). ''Le Théâtre''. Paris: Hachette
View
at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

. * Garnier, Charles (1875–81). ''Le nouvel Opéra de Paris'', two volumes text and six atlas folios (two with architectural plates and four with plates of photographs by Louis-Emile Durandelle of sculptures and paintings). Paris: Ducher
List of entries
at

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...

. ** Vol. 1, text (1878). 522 pages
View
at

. ** Vol. 1, plates (1880). ''Partie architecturale'', 40 plates. . ** Vol. 2, text (1881). 425 pages
View
at

. ** Vol. 2, plates (1880). ''Partie architecturale'', 60 plates. . ** ol. 3(1875). ''Sculpture ornamentale'', 45 plates. . ** ol. 4(1875). ''Statues décoratives'', 35 plates. . View at Wikimedia Commons. ** ol. 5(1875). ''Peintures décoratives'', 20 plates. . ** ol. 6(1875). ''Bronzes'', 15 plates. . * Hanser, David A. (2006). ''Architecture of France''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. . * Huebner, Steven (2003). "After 1850 at the Paris Opéra: institution and repertory", pp. 291–317 in '' The Cambridge Companion to Grand Opera'', edited by David Charlton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . (paperback). * Guest, Ivor Forbes (1974). ''Ballet of the Second Empire''. London: Wesleyan University Press. . * Guest, Ivor Forbes (2006). ''The Paris Opera Ballet''. London: Wesleyan University Press. . * Kirkland, Stephane (2013). ''Paris Reborn: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City''. New York: St Martin's Press. . * Kleiner, Fred S. (2006). ''Gardner's Art Through The Ages''. Belmont, California: Thomsom Wadsworth. . * Mead, Christopher Curtis (1991). ''Charles Garnier's Paris Opéra: Architectural Empathy and the Renaissance of French Classicism''. New York: The Architectural History Foundation. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. . * Mead, Christopher Curtis (1996). "Bernier, Stanislas-Louis", vol. 3, , in ''

The Dictionary of Art ''Grove Art Online'' is the online edition of ''The Dictionary of Art'', often referred to as the ''Grove Dictionary of Art'', and part of Oxford Art Online, an internet gateway to online art reference publications of Oxford University Press ...

'', edited by Jane Turner. London: Macmillan. . Also a
Oxford Art Online
(subscription required). * Nuitter, Charles (1875). ''Le nouvel Opéra'' (with 59 engravings). Paris: Hachette. Copie
12
an
3
at

. * Nuitter, Charles (1878). ''Histoire et description du nouvel Opéra''. Paris: Plon
View
at Gallica. (Title page undated; signed by Nuitter and dated 28 November 1878 o
p. 42
Gallica gives the date of publication as 1883.) * Savorra, Massimiliano (2010). "Una lezione da Parigi al mondo. Il teatro di Charles Garnier", in "Architettura dell’Eclettismo. Il teatro dell’Ottocento e del primo Novecento. Architettura, tecniche teatrali e pubblico",edited by L. Mozzoni, S. Santini. Napoli: Liguori, pp. 61–133 . * Scott, Pamela; Lee, Antoinette J. (1993). ''Buildings of the District of Columbia''. New York: Oxford University Press. . * Simeone, Nigel (2000). ''Paris: A Musical Gazetteer''. New Haven: Yale University Press. . * Sterling, Richard (2011). ''Vietnam & Angor Wat'' (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide). London: DK Publishing. . * * Watkin, David (1996). ''A History of Western Architecture'', 2nd edition. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. . * Woolf, Penelope (1988). "Symbol of the Second Empire: cultural politics and the Paris Opera House", pp. 214–235, in 'The Iconography of Landscape'', edited by Denis Cosgrove and Stephen Daniels. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . * Zeitz, Karyl Lynn (1991). ''Opera: the Guide to Western Europe's Great Houses''. Santa Fe, New Mexico: John Muir Publications. .

External links

*
L'Opéra Restaurant

Unused architectural drawings for the Opéra de Paris by Charles Rohault de Fleury360° Panoramas of the Paris Opera
by the Media Center for Art History at Columbia University
Selected images and video of the Palais Garnier
by Art Days {{authority control Music venues completed in 1875 Buildings and structures in the 9th arrondissement of Paris Opera houses in Paris Paris Opera Ballet venues Buildings and structures in Paris Terminating vistas in Paris The Phantom of the Opera Theatres completed in 1875 Historicist architecture in France Beaux-Arts architecture in France Baroque Revival architecture Second Empire architecture Music venues in France Charles Garnier buildings