The Opéra national de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon () is an
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
company located in the
Place de la Comédie
The Place de la Comédie (; ) is square in Montpellier, Hérault in Southern France. It is at the southeast point of the city centre, at , where the fortifications of the city were formerly located.
History
The ''Place'' became the focal point o ...
in
Montpellier
Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
The company was established in 1755 and was granted the status of "National Opera" in 2002 by the
French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
.
The company uses two main buildings for its performances. The Opéra Comédie, built in the Italian style and opened in 1888, houses a 1,200-seat main auditorium and the 350-seat Salle Molière concert hall. The interior of the Italian-style opera house, built from 1884 to 1888 by Cassien Bernard, a pupil of
Charles Garnier, has been noted by critics. It has been listed as a historic monument since September 2020.
Since 1990, the company has also performed at the 2,000-seat Opéra Berlioz in the
Le Corum arts complex.
History pages
on company website
The new opera house was inaugurated with the same work which had opened its predecessor 102 years before, ''Les Huguenots
() is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, it premiered in Paris on 29 February 1836.
Composition history
'' ...
'', complete, with Gregory Kunde and Nelly Miricioiu
Nelly Miricioiu (born 31 March 1952) is a Romanian-born British operatic soprano singing a large repertoire ranging from bel canto to verismo.
Biography
Born in Adjud, Romania, Miricioiu started singing at 5 and was hailed as a child prodigy. At ...
conducted by Cyril Diederich.[Joel Kasow. France - Montpellier's new opera house Montpellier. '']Opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
'', February 1991, p206-207.
An opening night reviewer described the house "with pink granite walls, movable wooden ceiling and wooden orchestra-pit" as "attractive and functional", and acoustics which allowed all instruments to be heard and good projection for the voices.
References
External links
Opéra national de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon
website.
French opera companies
Organizations based in Montpellier
1755 establishments in France
Tourist attractions in Montpellier
Musical groups from Occitania (administrative region)
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