The Grand Opera, or Opera Garnier, is the main theater of the French capital and one of the largest opera stages in the world. Here, art lovers can enjoy opera and ballet, see the famous library of the Palais Garnier, the Grand Foyer, the huge auditorium, and the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall. Picasso himself worked on the scenery here, and Coco Chanel worked on the costumes. The theater stage of the Paris Grand Opera is a kind of musical Olympus, which only a select few can conquer.
In 1661, by order of Ludovico XIV, the Royal Academy of Dance was founded, and in 1669, the Royal Academy of Music. They were later merged. The name of the theater has changed several times. In 1858, after Napoleon III was attacked near the old opera house, the emperor refused to go to the theater. It was decided to build a new building. The work was undertaken by the architect Charles Garnier.
The construction lasted 15 years. Stones were brought from all over Europe and Africa. The Grand Opera was opened in 1875.
The palace has impressive dimensions. Its length is 173 meters, width - 125 meters. The hall seats 2100 spectators. Between the columns are busts of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Rossini and other famous composers.
Even in Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera" it was mentioned that there was a lake in the basement of the building. In fact, there are ponds there - the idea is that in case of a fire there will be a supply of water nearby.
The inside of the building is decorated with images of ancient Greek gods and nymphs. The colors of gold and burgundy prevail in the opera.
Behind the stage, behind the curtain and the iron partition, which is sometimes used to increase the space, is the dance hall. On the walls are portraits of the best dancers, in the back there is a large mirror. Later, the dance hall turned into a salon for the rich and noble. Since 1935, outsiders have been prohibited from entering the lobby.
The ceilings of the large foyer are 18 meters high, 54 meters long and 13 meters wide. The vault is covered with mosaics. Mirrors make the already large space even larger. The main element is the lyre. They are not only on the ceiling, but also on the walls and even on the door handles. In the center of the lobby there is a copy of the bust of the architect Charles Garnier.
The auditorium is decorated in the tradition of Italian theaters - the seats are shaped like a ladle. Everything here is gold and burgundy. The huge chandelier made of crystal and bronze weighs eight tons, and has 340 light bulbs.
The Grand Opera has a unique ceiling. As we mentioned above, it was painted by Marc Chagall, divided into five sectors and depicted scenes from several classical operas and ballets. Here are characters from the operas of Beethoven, Verdi and Gluck, as well as the main attractions of Paris - the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Palais Bourbon and the Opera Garnier.
The Grand Opera Library Museum is located in the so-called imperial rotunda. The book collection belongs to the National Library of France. It houses books, paintings and photographs relating to the three-century history of the theatre, as well as miniature copies of theatrical scenery.
The exact address of the Opera Garnier is: 8, rue Scribe, 75009, Paris.
To get to the Grand Opera, use:
- metro: line 1, 7 or 8 - station Opéra;
- bus №20, 21, 22, 27, 29, 42, 52, 53, 66, 68, 81, 95 - Opéra stop.
The Opera box office is open Monday through Friday - 9.00-16.30, Saturday - 9.00-13.00, July-September - 9.00-17.30.
Entrance fees:
- Self-guided tour - for adults - 15 euros, children 12+ and students up to 26 years old - 10 euros, for children up to 12 years old admission is free.
- Guided tour - for adults - 18.50 euros, for children 4-10 years old - 10 euros, for young people 11-25 years old and pensioners over 65 years old - 13 euros, for children up to 4 years old - free.
Tickets for the performance start from 50 euros (depending on the performance and the place).
To buy tickets online or get more information, visit the official website: https://www.operadeparis.fr.
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