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 Opera Garnier: An Introduction
The Garnier Opera House in Paris
Opera Garnier — An Introduction
by Zoie Clift
Even though there are two opera houses now in Paris, the Opera Garnier is usually the one referred to as "the" Opera.
Home to the infamous Phantom of the Opera,
the Opera Garnier was built in the neo-classical style and is an
eclectic mix of Classical, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture. Those
passing by the structure, which is made of stone, stucco and timber and
covers three acres, can enjoy the beauty of the building from any angle
as there is much to be appreciated.
Starting from the roof, one will notice
three cupolas jutting towards the sky and decorative side sculptures
looking out over the city. A series of paired columns, whose designs
are copied from the Louvre building, line the middle of the structure,
and a group of statues called La Danse (by French sculptor Carpeaux) greet the gaze as one enters the opera house.
Though the outside of the building is huge,
it encompasses 118,404 square feet, the Opera's inside auditorium seats
only 2,200 patrons in five tiers. The inside is not to be
underestimated though as in the foyer and main hall you will come in
contact with such findings as a 6-ton chandelier, a marble circular
grand staircase, numerous intricate gilded decorations, and a painted
ceiling created by Marc Chagall in 1964.
The Opera house, which is located on Place de l'Opéra, in the 9th
district of Paris, also hosts a museum that includes temporary
exhibitions as well as paintings depicting the history of ballet and
opera.
Besides its architectural highlights, Opera
Garnier has some interesting history to note as well. The site was laid
out in 1858 but it would be a few more years before a set design for
the structure would be agreed upon. At the result of a design
competition, the task fell to the experienced hands of 35 year old
architect Jean-Louis Charles Garnier — one of among 171
contestants listed in the competition and the buildings eventual
namesake.
Garnier would spend the next 14 years working on the project.
As with most complex undertakings, a series
of obstacles faced the opera house from the get-go. To begin with, site
excavations revealed a tributary of the Seine River ran beneath the
ground of the building so structural work had to be done to alleviate
the problem. Toss in a few more roadblocks such as standard
bureaucratic processes, a fire, and constant pressure to contain costs,
and it quickly became clear construction was going to be a slow arduous
process.
Nine years into the affair the project hit
another stalling point when the Prussians attacked Paris. An uprising
in response to the city's new government pitched the opera house in the
midst of the action as revolutionaries overtook the unfinished
building, using it for barracks until the end of the revolt. After
this, Garnier had to hurdle another political wall and persuade the new
government to give him the green light to continue on with the
construction. He succeeded and the project was brought back to life
after an almost two year hiatus. It was completed in time to bring in
the year 1875.
Today, the Opera Garnier is still considered
one of the great opera houses of the world and if you find yourself
wandering the streets of Paris, a stop by is well worth the effort.
The Garnier Opera House in Paris
by Zoie Clift
A little side history about the Opera
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The Garnier Opera is one of the
largest older opera venues in the world and is the thirteenth building
to house the Paris Opera since the Operas foundation in 1669. It is a
monument of the second empire and displays a solid example of Baron
Haussmann's urbanism — a vision which completely reshaped Paris
during the second half of the 19th century by opening large boulevards through the city.
Napoleon III financed the construction
project wholeheartedly. He had recently undergone a narrow escape from
an assassination attempt as he left the Salle Le Peletier in
1858. The dreadful experience prompted him to want to build a new
opera house in a safer location. Key to the project was better escape
routes.
The building now crowns the Avenue de
l'Opéra, a route deliberately kept free of trees to give those
passing by an uninterrupted view of the building.
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Garnier Opera House - Corner Facade |
The luxuriousness of its design was not only
pleasing for the eye, but also held a political purpose in reflecting
the prosperity of the times and showing the power and wealth of the
Second Empire.
A quick look at the architect
Paris native Jean-Louis-Charles Garnier
holds a solid foundation in the world of architecture as the creator
behind the Garnier Opera house.
His route to this role took an interesting course and can first be traced back to rue de Médecine, the street where the Petite Ecole de Dessin (the Lower School of Design) is located and where the intent student first started practicing mathematics and drawing.
In 1842 —at the ripe age of seventeen— Garnier enrolled at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts.
While here, Garnier complemented his
studies, which he pursued at night, with working at various architects
offices — including that of M. Viollet-le-Duc (who renovated the
Notre Dame Cathedral at the end of the 19th century). Garnier's dedication paid off and six years later, he became the recipient of the Grand Prix de Rome.
While in Italy, Garnier studied at the
Academy of Rome and kept himself fairly busy — working on
detailed measured drawings of buildings such as the Temple of Vesta and
the Forum of Trajan. He was there for 5 years, and at the end of his
studies, decided to explore the countries of Greece and Turkey as well.
While in the city of Athens, he worked out a complete restoration plan
for the temple at Aegina. This elaborate plan as well as much of
Garnier's earlier drawing can now be admired at the library of the
Ecole des Beaux Arts.
When Garnier returned to Paris in 1853, he
was a promising but still undiscovered architect. He worked as a
surveyor to a few government buildings including that of the fifth and
sixth Paris districts, and accepted a few private paying jobs —
including one that entailed creating a watercolor drawing of the Hotel
de Ville as a gift for Queen Victoria when she passed through the city.
He also designed the Casino of Monte Carlo and the Hotel du Cercle de
la Librairie.
His career hit full force when he entered a
competition held by Baron G. E. Haussmann six years later which
called for creating a new opera house for the city. For the next 14
years he would work on this project.
He conceived the opera as a total work of
art — a space where architecture, painting, music, sculpture, and
dance could intertwine. He designed the building to be 17 stories high
and his vision for the outside ornamentation of the venue included
busts that honored musicians such as Mozart, Rossini and Beethoven, and
sculptures that paid tribute to dance, drama, music, and harmony. Over
90 prominent artists contributed their talents to his decoration
program.
Though the opera house was to be Garnier's
last project, he stayed active teaching, taking on government jobs, and
pouring energy into writing about his established theory of opera
design for various publications. He died in 1898. A monument to the
architect can now be seen along one exterior facade of the opera house
and his creation is now considered a landmark — its design copied
on a reduced scale by many opera houses around the world.
"Although described by a contemporary critic
as ‘looking like an overloaded sideboard', it [the Garnier Opera]
is now regarded as one of the masterpieces of the period. Here Garnier
triumphed over a cramped and difficult site, handling the
carriage-ramps and approach steps, the foyers and staircases, both in
section and plan, with confidence and skill. The style is monumental,
classically based and opulently expressed, as the times demanded, in an
elaborate language of multicolored marbles and lavish statuary.
Throughout his life, Garnier was criticized for his excessive use of
ornament, as Napoleon and Haussmann are still accused of being inspired
by an out-of-date and imperialist showmanship. Such critics forget that
every city needs its occasional monuments and occasions of grandeur,
and that thanks largely to these three men, Paris remains one of the
most beautiful cities in the world."
From John Julius Norwich, Great Architectures of the World
Garnier Opera House - Full Front View
Opera Garnier: the latest restoration of a masterpiece
The Garnier Opera is a monument dedicated to
the glory of the Second Empire and Charles Garnier, its chief
architect, used great care when picking out the materials needed for
the creation. Garnier combed Europe and North Africa for the task and
over 10 kinds of marble, limestone from six different quarries, and
around 36 different types of stone were used for the outside of the
venue.
Such a variety of materials is a genuine
challenge when time comes to restoring the luster of the building from
the time-old effects of age and pollution. Finding the materials needed
for repairs is a journey in itself.
However, from the building completion in
1875 until the present day, several restoration programs have not been
intimidated by the task, and these efforts have enabled the
130-year old theater to remain functional without lessening its appeal
as a monument.
A huge undertaking took place only a few
years ago in 1999, when France 's chief architect for historical
monuments, Alain-Charles Perrot, decided to take the matter under his
wing. Perrot's role was to supervise 25 companies specifically
contracted for the task — from cleaners, to exterior painters, to
sculpting masters.
First on the list was cleaning the main
facade, and repairing eroded and missing stone from the outside of the
building. As often as possible, stones were used from the same quarry
that the architect used, but in instances that these were shut down,
stones with very similar appearance were used. The gilded mosaics,
which line the background of some of the panels, were also touched
upon, with faithful copies made in Italy replacing the originals.
Lasers were used to pulverize the dirt off
sculptures, and new patina was placed on the copper, iron, and bronze
statues in front of the building — including the famous Dance sculpture by Carpeaux.
One of the more challenging sub-projects
included removing two groups of 23-foot high bronze statues from the
top of the Opera house and replacing their original iron frameworks,
which had corroded over time, with stainless steel structures.
The sides of the building were also seen too
— the Chauvire dome on the east side of the Opera house and
the gutters of the Lifar dome were repaired, as well as the main loggia
and the Grand Foyer in 2001. Many other factions of the building were
touched up as well, including doorways, streetlights, column, etc. The
$45 million project is set to continue until around 2007.
Opera Garnier: Getting tickets
When the Opera Bastille opened in Paris in
1989, the Garnier Opera became intended solely for ballet shows. The
majority of opera performance are still held at the newer venue but due
to demand, several performances a year are also now held in the older
venue as well. Demands are high for tickets to these performances but
there are many ways to go about getting a pair.
If you are already in Paris, you can go
directly to the box office on the right side of the Garnier Opera
house: the office operates from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. except on
Sundays and on January 1st and May 1st. You can get there by taking the metro and getting off at the Opera station.
If you can't make it to the box office,
tickets can also be ordered by phone. From overseas the number is +33
(1) 44 73 13 99. Another route is to order tickets online at the
theater website (http://www.opera-de-paris.fr).
If the order is placed more than two weeks before the performance, the
tickets will automatically be mailed to you. Be sure however to keep
your order number as well, because if you happen to not receive your
tickets before your departure, you will need this number when
contacting the box office.
Lastly, tickets can be ordered by mail, and
forms are accepted four months prior to each performance. The mailing
address to the Opera house is: Opéra National de Paris,
Relations avec le Public, 120, Rue de Lyon, 75567 Paris, Cedex 12,
France.
For updates on scheduled performances passing through the Garnier Opera, check out the theater's official website: http://www.opera-de-paris.fr which is published in both French and English.
Zoie Clift is a talented contributor to
Copyright (c) 2007 - www.paris-hotel-by-district.com CH. All rights reserved.
Opera Garnier: An Introduction
The Garnier Opera House in Paris
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