Question: What if these walls could sing? The Opéra Garnier stands before us a testament to Parisian grandeur. It whispers tales of music, revolution and a phantom.
This is not just a building. It is a living stage. Let’s step back in time and explore the history of the Opéra Garnier.
The Paris Opéra’s story starts long before this building. It began in 1669. Louis XIV founded it as the Académie d’Opéra. Soon after, Jean-Baptiste Lully took the lead. It was renamed Académie Royale de Musique. People still called it simply the Opéra.
Classical ballet as we know it arose within the Paris Opéra. The Paris Opera Ballet became an integral part of the company. Today, it is called Opéra National de Paris. It mainly produces operas at the Opéra Bastille. Ballets and classical operas are performed here at the Palais Garnier.
The company has a large annual budget. About 200 million euros are spent each year. 100 million comes from the French state. 70 million comes from ticket sales. With this money, the company supports a large permanent staff. This includes an orchestra of 170. There is also a chorus of 110. The corps de ballet has 150 members.
Each year, the Paris Opéra presents about 380 performances. These include opera, ballet and other concerts. They attract a total audience of about 800,000 people. Around 17% come from abroad. The average seat occupancy is high at 94%.
The Opéra Garnier that stands before us was designed by Charles Garnier. Construction began in 1861. It finally opened in 1875. This opera house is known for its lavish design. It is considered a masterpiece of the Second Empire style.
Napoleon III commissioned this opera house. But he never attended a performance here. A tragic event inspired its construction. There was an assassination attempt on Napoleon III. This made security a top priority. The new opera house had a private entrance. It also featured a special box for the emperor.
The famous chandelier weighs seven tons. Garnier himself designed it. Jules Corboz prepared it. It cost 30,000 gold francs. In the 1890s, the chandelier fell. Sadly, it killed a member of the audience.
Thirty different kinds of marble decorate the grand staircase. These marbles came from eight different countries. About 2.5 kilograms of gold decorate the entire building.
The Franco-Prussian War interrupted construction. The unfinished building became a military camp. They stored food and straws here.
The Opéra Garnier also has a lake underneath it. This is not a real lake. It is a concrete reservoir. Architects built it to deal with plumbing issues. It helps evacuate water infiltration.
The Phantom of the Opera is a famous tale linked to this building. Gaston Leroux wrote the story in 1910. It is believed that a ballerina’s skeleton was discovered here.
The banks surrounding the Opéra Garnier served a purpose. Wealthy patrons stored their jewelry there. They only wore it for the opera. The banks stayed open late.
Today, the Paris Opéra has two main venues. The Opéra Bastille is the primary one. It opened in 1989. The Palais Garnier still hosts ballets and classical operas. The Opéra National de Paris continues to thrive. It enriches the cultural landscape of Paris.
So, as we stand before this magnificent building, remember its rich history. The Opéra Garnier remains a symbol of artistic excellence. It is a place where dreams come to life on stage.