The Palais Garnier Opera House

The Palais Garnier Opera House, designed by architect Charles Garnier, is one of the great landmarks of France. Built in the Neo-Baroque style, this 2,200 seat opera house is considered one of the great architectural masterpieces of its time. The Palais Garnier is known popularly by many other names including:
  • Grand Opera House
  • Opera de Paris
  • Opera Garnier
  • Paris Opera.
 
Opera, concerts and ballet are performed at the Palais Garnier throughout the year.
 

Art and Architecture
The Paris Opera is a massive building of 118,404 square feet, with a stage that has room for up to 450 artists. A huge decorative chandelier weighing over six tons lights the area.

The Palais Garnier is graced with beautiful columns, marble friezes and statues. Portrayed in sculpture are a variety of deities from Greek mythology and bronze busts of famous composers. The inner décor is filled with cherubs and nymphs and is rich with velvet and gold leaf embellishments.

Many Names of the Palais Garnier

The Palais Garnier was inaugurated in 1875, and at that time was named Adademie Nationale de Musique – Theatre de l'Opera. Since then it has been through a few name changes. In 1978, its name was changed to the Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris, but it was re-named again in 1989 as the Palais Garnier when the opera company chose a different theater, the Opera Bastille, as their principal home.

Choosing an Architect

The creation of the Palais Garnier was part of the Second French Empire's great Parisian reconstruction. This movement was started by Emperor Napoleon III and was under his authority. An open competition was held in 1861, and architect Charles Garnier was chosen to design the theater. That year the foundation stone was put down, and construction began in earnest in 1862.

Construction Difficulties

Many difficulties and setbacks delayed the construction of the Palais Garnier. The location itself posed a major challenge for the plan of the Palais Garnier. The ground where the theater was to be built was swampy, due to a subterranean lake. Before the foundation could be built, the lake needed to be pumped. This turned out to be a major project that took eight months of continual pumping.

War and political unrest during the period further delayed completion. Some of these influential events included the:

  • fall of the Second French Empire
  • Franco-Prussian War
  • Paris Commune.

Construction became so sporadic that rumors spread about the project being abandoned entirely. Tragically, the incentive to complete the theater came from a fire that destroyed the old Paris Opera after burning for 27 long hours.

A Tragedy Inspires a Classic
In 1896, a tragic accident occurred when one of the counter-weights for Palais Garnier's enormous chandelier fell, killing a woman and wounding other spectators. This event, coupled with the underground lake, was the inspiration for Gaston Leroux's classic novel, "The Phantom of the Opera."

Opening Performances

On Jan. 15, 1875, the Palais Garnier was finally completed and opened its doors to the public. The show that evening consisted of excerpts from a variety of works including:
  • "Grand Divertissement" ballet with the works of Leo Delibes and Joseph Mazilier, staged by Louis Merante
  • "La Juive" opera by Fromental Halevy
  • "Les Huguenots" opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer.

Resources

Briessinck, Margo (1995). Opera National de Paris – Palais Garnier. Retrieved January 14, 2008, from Margo Briessinck's Web site: http://www.fsz.bme.hu/opera/par_garnier.html.

NowPublic.com (2007). Phantoms of the Operas: Catastrophes of the Lyric Stage. Retrieved January 14, 2008, from the NowPublic.com Web site: http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/phantoms-operas-catastrophes-lyric-stage.

Paris Pages (n.d.). Opera National de Paris. Retrieved January 14, 2008, from the Paris Pages Web site: http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Opera/.