Opera
Opéra Palais Garnier
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History and Fun Facts about the Opéra Palais Garnier
One of the most prestigious stages in all of France, the Palais Garnier was constructed between 1860 and 1875, designed by legendary architect Charles Garnier, who was selected among a handful of talented architects in a fierce design competition. The building itself is considered an artful masterpiece, and was one of the most expensive construction projects to come from the Second French Empire under the reign of Napoléon III. The elaborate use of different materials to lend a lavish multicolored facade was typical of many of the works under the rule of Napoléon III, and features sculptures of various figures of Greek mythology. The official inauguration in 1875 was attended by the Mayor of London and Amsterdam, the King Alphonso XII of Spain, and hundreds of members from European high society.
The interior was meticulously designed with intertwining corridors, alcoves and landings to allow for easy movement of large numbers of people; complete with a grand marble staircase and the grand foyer, acting as the drawing room for all of Paris high society and covered in gilded paintings. The auditorium itself is in a traditional Italian horseshoe shape, seating 1900. The stage is the largest in Europe and can accommodate 450 artists, revealed by the opening of the legendary painted curtain. Garnier himself designed the 7-tonne chandelier sparkling above the audience. In 1896, one of the many chandelier counterweights broke free and killed a concierge, the incident that inspired the scenes in the 1910 novel-turned-musical The Phantom of the Opera. The space above the auditorium in the copula dome was once used strictly for cleaning the chandelier, but has since been transformed into a space for opera and dance rehearsals.
The legendary building was initially deemed the Academie Impériale de Musique, yet with the fall of the Second Empire and the start of the Third Republic, this was aptly changed for the Academie Nationale de Musique, which we see written across the exterior facade to this day. Garnier envisioned his design and the transformation of the surrounding area, and to this day the opulence of the Second Empire lives on in this living monument. The avenue de l'Opéra remains the only large Parisian corridor without trees, as Garnier explicitly prevented Haussmann from adorning the street with trees, arguing that his Palais Garnier was to be the main focus. Palais Garnier became the official name in 1989 with the construction of the Opéra Bastille, and the venue now houses primarily ballets.
Fast facts
Capacity: 1,979
Handicap Accessible: Yes – in order to guarantee access to specific locations, we ask that you make your reservation at least 15 days before the performance.
Air conditioning: Yes
Heating: Yes
Coat Check: Yes (free service)
LOCATION
Place de l’Opéra 75009 Paris
Opéra
Past shows at this venue
Ballet & Dance
Paris Opera's International Dance Schools Gala
Opera
Ballet & Dance
Tchaïkovski's Iolanta & The Nutcracker
Ballet & Dance
Leon, Lightfoot & Van Manen
Ballet & Dance
Hiroshi Sugimoto & William Forsythe
Ballet & Dance
Crystal Pite
Ballet & Dance
Preljocaj's Le Parc
Ballet & Dance
Giselle
Ballet & Dance
Alan Lucien Øyen
Ballet & Dance
Mayerling at Opera Palais Garnier
New
Ballet & Dance
Nederlands Dans Theater
Ballet & Dance
Paris Opera School Demonstrations
Opera
Lear
Opera
Il Pirata (Concert Version)
Opera
Yvonne, Princesse de Bourgogne
Opera
Così fan tutte at the Opéra Garnier
Ballet & Dance
George Balanchine
Tours & Visits
The Opera Garnier Guided Tour
Concert
Paris Opera Concert Series
Ballet & Dance
Rudolf Nureyev
Ballet & Dance
Paris Opera 'Etoiles' Dancers
Ballet & Dance
Contemporary Choreographers
Ballet & Dance
Peeping Tom
Opera
Capriccio
Ballet & Dance
Ballet & Dance
Paris Opera Young Dancers
Ballet & Dance
Tribute to Roland Petit
Opera
The Satin Slipper
Concert
Christmas Great Mass
Opera
Mozart's The Clemency of Titus
Opera
Iphigénie en Tauride
Ballet & Dance
Le Rouge et le Noir
Opera
Alcina (Palais Garnier)
Ballet & Dance
Ashton / Eyal / Nijinski
Drama
Opera
7 Deaths of Maria Callas
Opera
Le Nozze di Figaro (Palais Garnier)
Ballet & Dance
Body and Soul
Opera
A Quiet Place
Opera
Fin de partie
Comedy
Opera
Platée (Palais Garnier)
Opera
La Cenerentola
Ballet & Dance
Kontakthof by Pina Bausch
Ballet & Dance
Bobbi Jene Smith
Ballet & Dance
The Dante Project
Ballet & Dance
L'Histoire de Manon
Opera
Ariodante
Opera
Peter Grimes
Ballet & Dance
Béjart Ballet Lausanne
Ballet & Dance
William Forsythe / Johan Inger at Opera Palais Garnier
Ballet & Dance
Jirí Kylián
Ballet & Dance
Bluebeard by Pina Bausch
Opera
Concert
Benjamin Bernheim Recital at Opera Palais Garnier
Concert
Rolex Ambassadors Concert at Palais Garnier
New