Opera
The Paris Opera built between 1862 and 1875 by Charles Garnier, the
Paris opera is a baroque example of neoclassicism: It has an ornamented
facade, monumental stairs and Italian type hall with Chagall paintings
on the ceiling. Maria Callas and Rudolf Noureev are among the many artists
who wrote its history as one of the world foremost scenic stages for
opera and ballet alike. Since the opening of the OpÈra Bastille in 1989,
the OpÈra Garnier is devoted to ballets...
Construction started in 1861 and lasted for 14 years. The massive works
were slowed down by the discovery of a water table that had to be drained
before building an enormous concrete well designed to carry the gigantic
stage and fly tower. The well was filled with water in order to counter
the water pressure (hence the legend of the underground lake popularized
by Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera). The 1870 Franco-Prussian war
and the Commune interrupted the construction works, but the fire at
the old opera in Rue Le Peletier in 1873 hastened the completion of
the monument. It was officially inaugurated during the 3rd Republic
by Field Marshall de Mac-Mahon on 5 January 1875.
The building, which is a perfect example of 19th century stage architecture, hides its iron frame under flamboyant decoration. The overall impression is harmonious in spite of the diversity of its inspiration and the temes taken up by Charles Garnier.
From 1881 down to the present day, several restoration and modernization programmes have made the theatre increasingly functional without lessening its appeal as a monument: technical progress and the evolution of sets under the influence of "verism". The next step was the building of a modern and popular opera house: Opera Bastille.
Hotel near the Opera de Paris
Hotel
Saint Petersbourg Paris Opera
Hotel ATN Paris Opera
Hotel Louvre Marsollier Paris Opera
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