The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102.

opera house An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...

at the

Place de l'Opéra The Place de l'Opéra () is a square in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, 9th arrondissement of Paris, at the junction of the Boulevard des Italiens, Boulevard des Capucines, Avenue de l'Opéra, , , Rue de la Paix and . It was built at the same tim ...

in the

9th arrondissement of Paris The 9th arrondissement of Paris (''IXe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as (; "ninth"). The arrondissement, called Opéra, is located on the right bank of th ...

, France. It was built for the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

. Initially referred to as ''le nouvel Opéra de Paris'' (the new Paris Opera), it soon became known as the Palais Garnier, "in acknowledgment of its extraordinary opulence" and the architect Charles Garnier's plans and designs, which are representative of the

Napoleon III style Second Empire style, also known as the Napoleon III style, is a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts originating in the Second French Empire. It was characterized by elements of many different historical styles, and al ...

. It was the primary theatre of the Paris Opera and its associated

Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...

until 1989, when a new opera house, the

Opéra Bastille The Opéra Bastille (, "Bastille Opera House") is a modern opera house in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. Inaugurated in 1989 as part of President François Mitterrand's '' Grands Travaux'', it became the main facility of the Paris N ...

, opened at the

Place de la Bastille The Place de la Bastille () is a square in Paris where the Bastille prison once stood, until the storming of the Bastille and its subsequent physical destruction between 14 July 1789 and 14 July 1790 during the French Revolution. No vestige of ...

. The company now uses the Palais Garnier mainly for

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

. The theatre has been a of France since 1923. The Palais Garnier has been called "probably the most famous opera house in the world, a symbol of Paris like

Notre Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It ...

, the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

, or the Sacré Coeur Basilica".Hanser 2006, pp. 172–179. This is at least partly due to its use as the setting for

Gaston Leroux Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (; 6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (, 1909), which has been made int ...

's 1910

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' and, especially, the novel's subsequent adaptations in films and the popular 1986 musical. Another contributing factor is that among the buildings constructed in Paris during the Second Empire, besides being the most expensive,Simeone 2000, p. 177. it has been described as the only one that is "unquestionably a masterpiece of the first rank".Watkin 1996, pp. 391–392. The Palais Garnier also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum), which is managed by the and is included in unaccompanied tours of the Palais Garnier.

Dimensions and technical details

The Palais Garnier is from ground level to the apex of the stage flytower; to the top of the façade. The building is long; wide at the lateral galleries; wide at the east and west pavilions; from ground level to bottom of the cistern under the stage. The structural system is made of masonry walls; concealed iron floors, vaults, and roofs.

Architecture and style

The opera was constructed in what Charles Garnier (1825–1898) is said to have told the

Empress Eugenie The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother ( empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rul ...

was "Napoleon III" style The

was highly eclectic, and borrowed from many historical sources; the opera house included elements from the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

, the classicism of

Palladio Andrea Palladio ( , ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one ...

, and

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

blended together. These were combined with axial symmetry and modern techniques and materials, including the use of an iron framework, which had been pioneered in other Napoleon III buildings, including the

Bibliothèque Nationale A library is a collection of books, and possibly other materials and media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or digital (soft copies) materials, and may be a p ...

and the markets of

Les Halles Les Halles (; 'The Halls') was Paris' central fresh food market. It last operated on 12 January 1973 and was replaced by an underground shopping centre and a park. The unpopular modernist development was demolished yet again in 2010, and replac ...

.Texier, Simon, ''Paris – Panorama de l'archirecture'' (2012) p. 95 File:Palais Garnier plan at ground floor - Mead 1991 p101.jpg, Plan of the ground floor File:Palais Garnier plan d'ensemble - Nuitter 1875 p196 - Google Books.jpg, Plan of the main floor File:Palais Garnier plan at the highest floor level - Steinhauser 1969 plate5.jpg, Plan at the auditorium ceiling level File:Palais Garnier plan of the roof - Mead 1991 p104.jpg, Plan of the roof The façade and the interior followed the Napoleon III style principle of leaving no space without decoration. Garnier used polychromy, or a variety of colors, for theatrical effect, achieved different varieties of marble and stone, porphyry, and gilded bronze. The façade of the Opera used seventeen different kinds of material, arranged in very elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray deities of

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

Exterior

Main façade

The principal façade is on the south side of the building, overlooking the

and terminates the perspective along the

Avenue de l'Opéra The Avenue de l'Opéra () was created from 1864 to 1879 as part of Haussmann's renovation of Paris. It is situated in the center of the city, running northwest from the Louvre to the Palais Garnier, the primary opera house of Paris (until the ope ...

. Fourteen painters, mosaicists and seventy-three sculptors participated in the creation of its ornamentation. The two gilded figural groups,

Charles Gumery Charles-Alphonse-Achille Guméry (14 June 1827 – 19 January 1871) was a French sculptor working in an academic realist manner in Paris. Several of his figures ornament the Opéra Garnier most notoriously the group ''La Danse'', which was com ...

's ''L'Harmonie'' (Harmony) and ''La Poésie'' (Poetry), crown the apexes of the principal façade's left and right

avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( or , plural , , ), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than other parts of the building.Curl, James Stev ...

. They are both made of gilt copper electrotype. Below Gumery's ''L'Harmonie'', in the left (west)

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

, is a sculpted

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

of two women sitting down representing Architecture and Industry by Jean Claude Petit. The women surround an escutcheon with the words "ARCHITECTURE" and "INDUSTRIE" in gold. The woman who represents architecture holds a

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with No ...

and a plan of the Opéra Nouvel, at her feet is a winged genius holding a torch. The woman representing industry holds a lead pig and a hammer, while a winged genius stands at her feet, carrying a cup full of jewels.Fontaine 2000, p. 86. In the right (east) pediment a sculpture of two women sitting down representing Painting and Sculpture by Théodore Gruyère. The women surround an escutcheon with the words "PEINTURE" (painting) and "SCULPTURE" in gold. The woman who represents painting holds a brush and a palette, at her feet is a putto holding a pencil. The woman representing sculpture holds a hammer and a chisel, at her feet is a putto sculpturing a bust with a mallet and a gouge. The bases of the two avant-corps are decorated (from left to right) with four major multi-figure groups sculpted by

François Jouffroy François Jouffroy (; 1 February 1806 – 25 June 1882) was a French sculptor. Biography Jouffroy was born in Dijon, France, the son of a baker, and attended the local drawing school before being admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in ...

(''Poetry'', also known as ''Harmony''),

Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume (4 July 1822, Montbard – 1 March 1905, Rome) was a French sculptor. Biography He was born at Montbard on the Côte-d'Or. He studied under Cavelier, Millet, and Barrias, at the École des Beaux-Arts, wh ...

(''Instrumental Music''),

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (; 11 May 1827 – 12 October 1875) was a French sculptor and painter during the Second Empire under Napoleon III. Life Born in Valenciennes, Nord, son of a mason, his early studies were under François Rude. Carpe ...

('' The Dance'', criticised for indecency), and Jean-Joseph Perraud (''Lyrical Drama''). The façade also incorporates other work by Gumery,

Alexandre Falguière Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière (; also given as Jean-Joseph-Alexandre Falguière, or in short Alexandre Falguière) (7 September 183120 April 1900) was a French sculptor and painter. Biography Falguière was born in Toulouse. A pupil of the ...

and others. Gilded

galvanoplastic Electrotyping (also galvanoplasty) is a chemical method for forming metal parts that exactly reproduce a model. The method was invented by a Prussian engineer Moritz von Jacobi in Russia in 1838, and was immediately adopted for applications in p ...

bronze busts of many of the great composers are located between the columns of the theatre's front façade and depict, from left to right,

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano p ...

, Auber,

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, Spontini,

Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Ro ...

, and Halévy. On the left and right lateral returns of the front façade are busts of the librettists

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of man ...

and

Philippe Quinault Philippe Quinault (; 3 June 1635 – 26 November 1688) was a French dramatist and librettist. Biography Quinault was born in Paris. He was educated by the liberality of François Tristan l'Hermite, the author of ''Marianne''. Quinault's fi ...

, respectively. The attic storey façade is decorated with low and high reliefs with the letters "N" and "E", the imperial monogram (Napoléon Empereur). The low reliefs are by Louis Villeminot, and the high reliefs are by Jacques-Léonard Maillet. The high reliefs consist of four sets of ornamental figures. Each group has two winged women on either side of a

putto A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University ...

holding up a medallion bearing the letter ("E") and the imperial crown. One woman has a trumpet and a palm, the other, a torch and a palm. There were four repetitions of these themes. Two groups have a globe and a lyre on the ground, and the two other groups have two scrolls, a mask, and a laurel wreath. There are seven low reliefs with medallions surrounded by scrolls with two children on either side holding up a garland of flowers and fruits. Five are in the central part of the attic storey having the letter ("N") in the medallion and alternate the high reliefs, and the other two are on the east and west returns of the avant-corps. A frieze running along the top of the attic storey has fifty-three comic and tragic antique masks in gilt cast iron by . Image:Palais Garnier Statue.JPG, Gumery's ''L'Harmonie'' (1869), atop the left

of the façade, is 7.5 metres (25 ft) of gilt copper electrotype Image:PhotoB 062.jpg, ''Apollo, Poetry and Music'' roof sculpture by Aimé Millet Image:Apollon opera Garnier.jpg, ''Apollo, Poetry and Music; Apollo's lyre'' detail Image:Right roof sculptures Paris Opera.jpg, ''Poetry'' roof sculpture by

Image:Harmony-Poetry-Music-statue-Garnier.jpg, ''Harmony'' façade sculpture by Francois Jouffroy (depicts Harmony-Poetry-Music) Image:Lyrical drama Perraud.jpg, ''Lyrical Drama'' façade sculpture by Jean-Joseph Perraud Image:Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux La Danse.jpg, '' The Dance'' by

Image:PhotoB 064.jpg, Bronze busts of Beethoven and Mozart on the front façade Image:Exterior-light-garnier.jpg, Light outside the building

Stage flytower

The sculptural group ''Apollo, Poetry, and Music'', located at the apex of the south gable of the stage flytower, is the work of Aimé Millet, and the two smaller bronze

Pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...

figures at either end of the south gable are by Eugène-Louis Lequesne.

Pavillon de l'Empereur

Also known as the Rotonde de l'Empereur, this group of rooms is located on the left (west) side of the building and was designed to allow secure and direct access by the Emperor via a double ramp to the building. When the Empire fell, work stopped, leaving unfinished dressed stonework. It now houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum) which is home to nearly 600,000 documents including 100,000 books, 1,680 periodicals, 10,000 programs, letters, 100,000 photographs, sketches of costumes and sets, posters and historical administrative records.

Pavillon des Abonnés

Located on the right (east) side of the building as a counterpart to the Pavillon de l'Empereur, this pavilion was designed to allow subscribers (''abonnés'') direct access from their carriages to the interior of the building. It is covered by a 13.5-metre (44-ft) diameter dome. Paired obelisks mark the entrances to the rotunda on the north and the south. File:Palais Garnier (Eastern Elevation), 2014-07-05.jpg, East façade and the Pavillon des Abonnés File:Façade Ouest de l'Opéra Garnier (2014).jpg, West façade and the Pavillon de l'Empereur

Interior

The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings, allowing the movement of large numbers of people and space for socialising during intermission. Rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness.

Grand staircase

The building features a large ceremonial staircase of white marble with a balustrade of red and green marble, which divides into two divergent flights of stairs that lead to the Grand Foyer. Its design was inspired by Victor Louis's grand staircase for the Théâtre de Bordeaux. The pedestals of the staircase are decorated with female torchères, created by

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (; born Albert-Ernest Carrier de Belleuse; 12 June 1824 – 4 June 1887) was a French sculptor. He was one of the founding members of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and was made an officer of the Legion o ...

. The ceiling above the staircase was painted by

Isidore Pils Isidore-Alexandre-Augustin Pils (1815–1875) was a French academic painter of religious and military subjects. Biography Pils was born in Paris as the son of a soldier François Pils. At the age of twelve, he studied with Guillaume Guillon-Le ...

to depict ''The Triumph of Apollo'', ''The Enchantment of Music Deploying its Charms'', ''Minerva Fighting Brutality Watched by the Gods of Olympus'', and ''The City of Paris Receiving the Plan of the New Opéra''. When the paintings were first fixed in place two months before the opening of the building, it was obvious to Garnier that they were too dark for the space. With the help of two of his students, Pils had to rework the canvases while they were in place overhead on the ceiling and, at the age of 61, he fell ill. His students had to finish the work, which was completed the day before the opening and the scaffolding was removed. File:GarnierOperaParis.jpg,

Louis Béroud Louis Béroud (17 January 1852, Lyon – 9 October 1930, Paris) was a French painter of the late 19th and early 20th century. Some of his paintings are visible at the Musée Carnavalet and The Louvre in Paris. On 22 August 1911, Béroud came to T ...

: ''L'escalier de l'opéra Garnier'', 1877 (

Musée Carnavalet The Musée Carnavalet () in Paris is dedicated to the History of Paris, history of the city. The museum occupies two neighboring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau. On the advice of Baron Haussmann, ...

) File:Palais Garnier Grand Escalier d'Honneur - Garnier 1880 vol2 plate8.jpg, Engraving from Garnier's ''Nouvel Opéra'', 1880 File:Opera Garnier Grand Escalier.jpg, The grand staircase of the Palais Garnier File:Monumental stairway of the palais Garnier opera in Paris.jpg, The grand staircase File:Amphitheater-Entrance-Palais-Garnier.jpg, The Amphitheater Entrance. The two caryatids by Jules Thomas. Tragedy with her sword (left) and Comedy with her harp (right).

Cave of Pythia

At the foot of the Grand staircase, Garnier wanted to place a white marble statue of

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

, but there weren't enough funds for this. Then there were talks about moving the La Danse (Carpeaux) from the main façade, but instead Garnier chose the ''Pythia'' by

Adèle d'Affry Adelaide Nathalie Marie Hedwig Philippine d'Affry, Duchess of Castiglione Colonna, also went under the pseudonym Marcello, (6 July 1836 – 14 July 1879). She was a painter and sculptor, particularly known for her busts, which she exhibited at th ...

(the artist also known by the pseudonym Marcello). There are two bronze lamps on each side of Pythia, made by Jules Corboz. The intrados of the staircase have plant motifs and musical instruments, masks and shells, the artist imagine it as a

Nymphaeum A ''nymphaeum'' (Latin : ''nymphaea'') or ''nymphaion'' (), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs. These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habit ...

. According to the Greek mythology,

Pythia Pythia (; ) was the title of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as th ...

was the priestess of Apollo, the god of arts, and she delivered the oracles of the god. Marcello wanted her Pythia to look different from Pythias of other artists. She wrote: "will be an Indian Pythia, the one whose tongue

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

set wagging. A kind of gypsy." "A poor woman of a rather strange and bestial type, illuminated by the spirit." She would be like the fortune tellers of India "with tamed snakes curled around their forehand." File:Opéra Garnier - Bassin de la Pythie 03.JPG File:Paris, France, Opera Garnier (interior 1).jpg File:Opéra Garnier - Bassin de la Pythie 02.JPG File:Pythia.jpg

Avant foyer or "Foyer of Mosaics"

The Avant foyer is twenty meters long with doors leading to an open salon at each end, in the east to the "Sun" and at the west side to the "Moon" salons. At its north it open to the Grand Escalier, while at its south is connected by three monumental doors to the Grand Foyer.

=Chandeliers

= The Avant Foyer is lit by five big chandeliers designed by Charles Garnier in

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

style.

=Greek mosaic inscriptions

= There are two Greek mosaic inscription, written in the 8th century Byzantine style letters ( Greek uncial), which read: "Decorative mosaic was applied for the first time in France to the ornamentation of this vault and the popularisation of this art." (Greek inscription 1) "The figures painted by Curzon, were executed by Salviati, the ornaments by Facchina. The architecture is by Charles Garnier." (Greek inscription 2) File:Palais Garnier Avant Foyer Greek inscription 1.jpg, Greek inscription 1 File:Palais Garnier Avant Foyer Greek inscription 2.jpg, Greek inscription 2

=The four pair mosaic panels

= The mosaic represent four couples from the

(

Hermes Hermes (; ) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology considered the herald of the gods. He is also widely considered the protector of human heralds, travelers, thieves, merchants, and orators. He is able to move quic ...

and Psyche,

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

and Endymion,

and

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice', classical pronunciation: ) was a character in Greek mythology and the wife of Orpheus, whom Orpheus tried to bring back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several ...

Eos In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Eos (; Ionic Greek, Ionic and Homeric Greek ''Ēṓs'', Attic Greek, Attic ''Héōs'', "dawn", or ; Aeolic Greek, Aeolic ''Aúōs'', Doric Greek, Doric ''Āṓs'') is the go ...

and

Cephalus Cephalus or Kephalos (; ) is the son of Hermes, husband of Eos and a hero-figure in Greek mythology. Cephalus carried as a theophoric name by historical persons. The root of this name is , meaning "head". Mythological * Cephalus, son of Hermes ...

). In two of the panels the scenes are more erotic (Artemis - Endymion, Eos - Cephalus), while the other two depict the couples leaving the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

and are more about death than love (Hermes - Psyche, Orpheus - Eurydice). The theme of death and love alternate. File:Artemis-Endymion-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and Endymion. Their names are in Greek, ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ (Artemis) and ΕΝΔΥΜΙΩΝ (Endymion). File:Orpheus-Eurydice-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and

. Their names are in Greek, ΟΡΦΕΥΣ (Orheus) and ΕΥΡΥΔΙΚΗ (Eurydice). File:Eos-Cephalus-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and

. Their names are in Greek, ΗΩΣ (Eos) and ΚΕΦΑΛΟΣ (Cephalus). File:Hermes-Psyche-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

and Psyche. Their names are in Greek, ΨΥΧΗ (Psyche) and ΕΡΜΗΣ (Hermes). Above Psyche's head there is a butterfly. The decoration framing the mosaic panels with the mythological couples include theatre masks, musical instruments, birds, all surrounded by flowers, fruits and gold. File:Mosaic mask 1 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 2 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 3 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 4 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 5 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 6 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 7 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 8 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 9 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 10 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 11 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 12 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier 2.jpg File:Mosaic mask 13 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg File:Mosaic mask 14 from the Avant Foyer at the Palais Garnier.jpg

=The four medallions

= There are four bronze gilt medallions representing musical instruments (

sistrum A sistrum (plural: sistra or (in Latin) sīstra; from the Greek ''seistron'' of the same meaning; literally "that which is being shaken", from ''seiein'', "to shake") is a musical instrument of the percussion family, a form of rattle, used mo ...

for Egypt,

lyre The lyre () (from Greek λύρα and Latin ''lyra)'' is a string instrument, stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the History of lute-family instruments, lute family of instruments. In organology, a ...

for Greece,

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...

and

pan flute A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...

for Italy, ivory

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

for France), encircled by leaf-work characteristic of each country and have the name of the countries in Greek (Egypt=ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΣ, Greece=ΕΛΛΑΣ, Italy=ΙΤΑΛΙΑ and France=ΓΑΛΛΙΑ). File:Egypt-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Egypt medallion File:Greece-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Greece medallion File:Italy-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Italy medallion File:France-Palais-Garnier.jpg, France medallion

The Salons of the Sun and Moon

At the east and west end of the Avant foyer there are the ''Salon du Soleil'' (Salon of the Sun) and the ''Salon de la Lune'' (Salon of the Moon). They were designed as the entrance vestibules for the smoking room and the Galerie du Glacier. Their themes were heat for the smoking room and cold for the Glacier, but because they completed in haste in order to be ready for the inauguration of 1875, in the rush there was a mistake and the themes were reversed.

Grand foyer

This hall, high, long and wide, was designed to act as a drawing room for Paris society. It was restored in 2004. Its ceiling was painted by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry and represents various moments in the history of music. The foyer opens onto an outside loggia and is flanked by two octagonal salons with ceilings painted by

Jules-Élie Delaunay Jules-Élie Delaunay (; June 13, 1828 – September 5, 1891) was a French academic art, academic Painting, painter. Biography He was born at Nantes in the Loire-Atlantique ''département'' of France. Delaunay studied under Jean-Hippolyte Fl ...

in the eastern salon and

Félix-Joseph Barrias Félix-Joseph Barrias (13 September 1822 – 24 January 1907) was a French painter. He was well known in his day for his paintings of religious, historical or mythical subjects, but has now been largely forgotten. Artists who trained in his s ...

in the western salon. The octagonal salons open to the north into the Salon de la Lune at the western end of the Avant-Foyer and the Salon du Soleil at its eastern end.Fontaine 2004, p. 152. File:Opéra Garnier - le Grand Foyer.jpg, View of the Grand Foyer looking west File:Ceilings of the palais Garnier in Paris, 04.jpg, View of the Grand Foyer looking east File:Opera Garnier-DSC 2523w.jpg, Part of the ceiling of the Grand Foyer with paintings by

Paul Baudry Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

: the central rectangular panel is ''Music'', while the oval panel at the western end is ''Comedy''.Fontaine 2004, p. 152. File:Ceilings of the palais Garnier in Paris, 03.jpg, Ceiling of the octagonal salon at the eastern end with

's central oval panel, ''The Zodiac'', and over-door panel, ''Apollo Receiving the Lyre''

=Muses and personifications

= There are eight canvases representing the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

from the Greek mythology. In mythology, the Muses were nine, but because of lack of room,

Polyhymnia Polyhymnia (; ), alternatively Polymnia (Πολύμνια), is, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime. Etymology Polyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly" ...

was "sacrificed".

Victorin de Joncières Félix-Ludger Rossignol (12 April 1839 – 26 October 1903), known as Victorin de Joncières (), was a French composer and music critic.Wright LA. "Victorin de Joncières". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London & New York, 1 ...

protested against this and wrote that it would be better if

Urania Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass. T ...

was "sacrificed", since she was the Muse of Astronomy. Nuitter responded that Polyhymnia has a statue in the Grand Foyer among the Qualities. Polyhymnia is also depicted in the big Parnassus panel on the far right corner. File:Thalia-Epithymia-Pistis-Palais-Garnier.jpg, Thalia (top, Muse of comedy), Epithumia (bottom left, meaning desire) and

Pistis In Greek mythology, ''Pistis'' (; Ancient Greek: Πίστις) was the personification of good faith, trust and reliability. In Christianity and in the New Testament, ''pistis'' is typically translated as "faith". The word is mentioned together ...

(bottom right, meaning good faith, trust and reliability), their names are in Greek. Thalia = ΘΑΛΕΙΑ, Epithumia = Η ΕΠΙΘΥΜΙΑ and Pistis = Η ΠΙΣΤΙΣ File:Melpomene-Sophrosyne-Elpis-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

Melpomene Melpomene (; ) is the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology. She is described as the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne (and therefore of power and memory) along with the other Muses, and she is often portrayed with a tragic theatrical mask. Etymolog ...

(top, Muse of tragedy),

Sophrosyne Sophrosyne () is an ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, purity, decorum, ...

(bottom left, meaning excellence of character and soundness of mind) and Elpis (bottom right, meaning hope), their names are in Greek. Melpomene = ΜΕΛΠΟΜΕΝΗ, Elpis = Η ΕΛΠΙΣ and Sophrosyne = Η ΣΩΦΡΟΣΥΝΗ File:Terpsichore-Autonomia-Phantasia-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

Terpsichore In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; , "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word " terpsichorean", which means "of or relating to dance". Appearance Terpsichore is usually d ...

(top, Muse of dance), Autonomia (bottom left, meaning autonomy) and Phantasia (bottom right, meaning imagination), their names are in Greek. Terpsichore = ΤΕΡΨΙΧΟΡΗ, Autonomia = Η ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΙΑ and Phantasia = H ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑ File:Erato-Rhome-Sophia-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

Erato In Greek mythology, Erato (; ) is one of the Greek Muses, the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius of Rhodes playfully sugge ...

(top, the Muse of lyric poetry), Rhome (bottom left, meaning strength) and Sophia (bottom right, meaning wisdom), their names are in Greek. Erato = ΕΡΑΤΩ, Rhome = Η ΡΩΜΗ and Sophia = Η ΣΟΦΙΑ File:Calliope-Dianoia-Euprepia-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

Calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses". Mythology Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...

(top, Muse of eloquence and epic poetry),

Dianoia In Platonism, ''dianoia'' (Greek: διάνοια) is the human cognitive faculty associated with the BC portion of the analogy of the divided line and related to '' discursive'' thinking about mathematical and technical subjects. It stands in con ...

(bottom left, meaning thinking) and Euprepia (bottom right, meaning preeminent beauty), their names are in Greek. Calliope = ΚΑΛΛΙΟΠΗ, Dianoia = Η ΔΙΑΝΟΙΑ and Euprepia = Η ΕΥΠΡΕΠΕΙΑ File:Urania-Episteme-Diadochi-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

(top, Muse of astronomy), Diadochi (bottom left, meaning succession) and

Episteme In philosophy, (; ) is knowledge or understanding. The term ''epistemology'' (the branch of philosophy concerning knowledge) is derived from . History Plato Plato, following Xenophanes, contrasts with : common belief or opinion. The ter ...

(bottom right, meaning to know, to understand, to be acquainted with), their names are in Greek. Urania = ΟΥΡΑΝΙΑ, Diadochi = Η ΔΙΑΔΟΧΗ and Episteme = Η ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΗ File:Euterpe-Kallosyni-Charis-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

Euterpe Euterpe (; , from + ) was one of the Muses in Greek mythology, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse of lyric poetry. She has been called "Giver of delight" by ancient poets. Mythology Euterpe was born as one of t ...

(top, Muse of music), Kallosyni (bottom left, meaning kindness, charity) and Charis (bottom right, meaning grace), their names are in Greek. Euterpe = ΕΥΤΕΡΠΗ, Kallosyni = Η ΚΑΛΛΟΣΥΝΗ and Charis = Η ΧΑΡΙΣ File:Clio-Boulesis-Phronesis-Palais-Garnier.jpg,

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; ), also spelled Kleio, Сleio, or Cleo, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre-playing. Etymology Clio's name is derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning ...

(top, Muse of history), Boulesis (bottom left, meaning will) and

Phronesis In ancient Greek philosophy, () refers to the type of wisdom or intelligence concerned with practical action. It implies good judgment and excellence of character and habits. In Aristotelian ethics, the concept is distinguished from other words ...

(bottom right, meaning prudence, practical virtue and practical wisdom), their names are in Greek. Clio = ΚΛΕΙΩ, Boulesis = Η ΒΟΥΛΗΣΙΣ and Phronesis = Η ΦΡΟΝΗΣΙΣ

Auditorium

The auditorium has a traditional Italian horseshoe shape and can seat 1,979. The stage is the largest in Europe and can accommodate as many as 450 artists. The canvas house curtain was painted to represent a draped curtain, complete with tassels and braid. File:Palais Garnier auditorium and stage.jpg, Auditorium File:Palais Garnier transverse section at the auditorium and pavilions - Beauvert 1996 p106.jpg, Transverse section at the auditorium and pavilions File:Paris. Palais Garnier. Interior. Postcard from 1909.jpg, Auditorium. Postcard from 1909 The ceiling area which surrounds the chandelier was originally painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu. In 1964 a new ceiling painted by

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

was installed on a removable frame over the original. It depicts scenes from operas by 14 composers –

Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (; ; ; – ) was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five (composers), The Five." He was an innovator of Music of Russia, Russian music in the Romantic music, Romantic period and strove to achieve a ...

, Mozart,

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; ; – ) was a French composer and music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera a ...

Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of ...

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, '' Carmen'', which has become ...

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...

, and

Gluck Christoph Willibald ( Ritter von) Gluck (; ; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire at ...

. Although praised by some, others feel Chagall's work creates "a false note in Garnier's carefully orchestrated interior".

Chandelier

The seven-ton bronze and crystal chandelier was designed by Garnier. Jules Corboz prepared the model, and it was cast and chased by Lacarière, Delatour & Cie. The total cost came to 30,000 gold

francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...

. The use of a central chandelier aroused controversy, and it was criticised for obstructing views of the stage by patrons in the fourth level boxes and views of the ceiling painted by Lenepveu.Fontaine 2004, pp. 94–95. Garnier had anticipated these disadvantages but provided a lively defence in his 1871 book ''Le Théâtre'': "What else could fill the theatre with such joyous life? What else could offer the variety of forms that we have in the pattern of the flames, in these groups and tiers of points of light, these wild hues of gold flecked with bright spots, and these crystalline highlights?" File:Palais Garnier, Lenepveu ceiling model 1872 – Fontaine 2004 p. 83 (adjusted).jpg, Final model for the ceiling painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu File:Palais Garnier auditorium chandelier - Nuitter 1875 p147.jpg, Auditorium chandelier On 20 May 1896, one of the chandelier's

counterweight A counterweight is a weight (object), weight that, by applying an opposite force, provides balance and stability of a machine, mechanical system. The purpose of a counterweight is to make lifting the load faster and more efficient, which saves e ...

s broke free and burst through the ceiling into the auditorium, killing a concierge. This incident inspired one of the more famous scenes in

's classic 1910

gothic novel Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean ...

''. Originally the chandelier was raised up through the ceiling into the cupola over the auditorium for cleaning, but now it is lowered. The space in the cupola was used in the 1960s for opera rehearsals, and in the 1980s was remodelled into two floors of dance rehearsal space. The lower floor consists of the Salle Nureïev ( Nureyev) and the Salle

Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th-century. Sty ...

, and the upper floor, the Salle Petipa.

=Organ

= The grand organ was built by

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (; 4 February 1811 – 13 October 1899) was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ build ...

for use during lyrical works. It has been out of service for several decades.

Restaurant

Garnier had originally planned to install a restaurant in the opera house; however, for budgetary reasons, it was not completed in the original design. On the third attempt to introduce it since 1875, a restaurant was opened on the eastern side of the building in 2011. L'Opéra Restaurant was designed by French architect

Odile Decq Odile Decq (born 1955) is a French architect, urban planner and academic. She is the founder of the Paris firm, Studio Odile Decq and the architecture school, Confluence Institute. Decq is known for her self-described goth appearance and style. ...

. The chef was Christophe Aribert; in October 2015, Guillame Tison-Malthé became the new head chef. The restaurant, which has three different spaces and a large outside terrace, is accessible to the general public. Image:Terrasse Est Opéra Garnier - L'Opéra Restaurant.jpg, Palais Garnier east side with L'Opéra Restaurant Image:MezzanineOpera2.jpg, L'Opéra Restaurant opened in 2011

History

Selection of a site

Two projected site sites for the new Paris Opera by Barnout - Gallica 2014

In 1821 the Opéra de Paris had moved into the temporary building known as the

Salle Le Peletier The Salle Le Peletier or Lepeletier (sometimes referred to as the Salle de la rue Le Peletier or the Opéra Le Peletier) was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and con ...

on the . Since then a new permanent building had been desired.

Charles Rohault de Fleury Charles Rohault de Fleury (or Rohaut de Fleury; 22 September 1801 – 11 August 1875) was a French architect who designed many buildings in Paris, France, in the 19th century. In his later life he wrote a number of books on archaeological and rel ...

, who was appointed the opera's official architect in 1846, undertook various studies in suitable sites and designs. By 1847, the

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

, Claude-Philibert de Rambuteau, had selected a site on the east side of the Place du Palais-Royal as part of an extension of the

Rue de Rivoli The Rue de Rivoli (; English: "Rivoli Street") is a street in central Paris, France. It is a commercial street whose shops include leading fashionable brands. It bears the name of Napoleon's early victory against the Austrian army, at the Battle o ...

. However, with the

Revolution of 1848 The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...

, Rambuteau was dismissed, and interest in the construction of a new opera house waned. The site was later used for the

Grand Hôtel du Louvre Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation) ...

(designed in part by Charles Rohault de Fleury). With the establishment of the Second Empire in 1852 and

Georges-Eugène Haussmann Georges-Eugène Haussmann (; 27 March 180911 January 1891), commonly known as Baron Haussmann, was a French official who served as prefect of Seine (1853–1870), chosen by Emperor Napoleon III to carry out a massive urban renewal programme of n ...

's appointment as Prefect of the Seine in June 1853, interest in a new opera house revived. There was an attempted assassination of

Emperor Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

at the entrance to the Salle Le Peletier on 14 January 1858. The Salle Le Peletier's constricted street access highlighted the need for a separate, more secure entrance for the head of state. This concern and the inadequate facilities and temporary nature of the theatre gave added urgency to the building of a new state-funded opera house. By March, Haussmann settled on Rohault de Fleury's proposed site off the Boulevard des Capucines, although this decision was not announced publicly until 1860. A new building would help resolve the awkward convergence of streets at this location, and the site was economical in terms of the cost of land. On 29 September 1860 an Imperial Decree officially designated the site for the new Opéra, which would eventually occupy . By November 1860 Rohault de Fleury had completed the design for what he thought would be the crowning work of his career and was also working on a commission from the city to design the façades of the other buildings lining the new square to ensure they were in harmony. However, that same month

Achille Fould Achille Marcus Fould (17 November 18005 October 1867) was a French financier and politician who was four times minister of finance between 1849 and 1867. A major figure of the Second French Empire, his politics have been described as "conservativ ...

was replaced as Minister of State by Count

Alexandre Colonna-Walewski Alexandre Florian Joseph, Count Colonna-Walewski (; ; 4 May 181027 September 1868), also Count of the Empire, was a Polish and French politician and diplomat, the unacknowledged son of French emperor Napoleon I. He is best known for his position ...

. His wife Marie Anne de Ricci Poniatowska had used her position as mistress of Napoleon III to obtain her husband's appointment. Aware of competing designs and under pressure to give the commission to Viollet-le-Duc, who had the support of

Empress Eugénie The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, Walewski escaped the need to make a decision by proposing to mount an

architectural design competition An architectural competition is a type of design competition, in which an entity that intends to build new work, or is just seeking ideas, invites architects to submit design proposals. The winning scheme is usually chosen by an independent panel ...

to select the architect. File:Entrance elevation of a project for the Théâtre Impériale de l'Opéra by Rohault de Fleury, November 1860 - Mead 1991 p59.jpg, Entrance elevation of a project for the Théâtre Impériale de l'Opéra by Rohault de Fleury, November 1860 File:Plan of a project for the Théâtre Impériale de l'Opéra by Rohault de Fleury, November 1860 - Mead 1991 p59.jpg, Plan

Design competition

On 30 December 1860 the Second Empire of Emperor

officially announced an architectural design competition for the design of the new opera house. Applicants were given a month to submit entries. There were two phases to the competition. Charles Garnier's project was one of about 170 submitted in the first phase. Each of the entrants was required to submit a motto that summarised their design. Garnier's was the quote "Bramo assai, poco spero" ("Hope for much, expect little") from the Italian poet

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

. Garnier's project was awarded the fifth-place prize, and he became one of seven finalists selected for the second phase. In addition to Garnier, among the others were his friend Leon Ginain, and

Joseph-Louis Duc Joseph-Louis Duc (; 25 October 1802 – 22 January 1879) was a French architect. Duc came to prominence early, with his very well received work at the July Column in Paris, and spent much of the rest of his career on a single building complex, ...

(who subsequently withdrew due to other commitments). To the surprise of many, both Viollet-le-Duc and Charles Rohault de Fleury missed out. File:Perspective view of Viollet-de-Duc's Opera Competition project, 1861 - Mead 1991 p66.jpg, Perspective view File:Plan of Viollet-de-Duc's Opera Competition project, 1861 - Mead 1991 p74.jpg, Plan File:Long section of Viollet-de-Duc's Opera Competition project, 1861 - Mead 1991 p75.jpg, Long section The second phase required the contestants to revise their original projects and was more rigorous, with a 58-page program, written by the director of the Opéra,

Alphonse Royer Alphonse Royer, (10 September 1803 – 11 April 1875) was a French author, dramatist and theatre director, theatre manager, most remembered today for having written (with his regular collaborator, Gustave Vaëz) the librettos for Gaetano Donizet ...

, which the contestants received on 18 April. The new submissions were sent to the jury in the middle of May, and on 29 May 1861 Garnier's project was selected for its "rare and superior qualities in the beautiful distribution of the plans, the monumental and characteristic aspect of the façades and sections".Quoted and translated in Mead 1991, pp. 76, 290. Garnier's wife Louise later wrote that the French architect

Alphonse de Gisors Alphonse-Henri Guy de Gisors (3 September 1796 – 18 August 1866) was a 19th-century French architect, a member of the Gisors family of architects and prominent government administrators responsible for the construction and preservation of many ...

, who was on the jury, had commented to them that Garnier's project was "remarkable in its simplicity, clarity, logic, grandeur, and because of the exterior dispositions which distinguish the plan in three distinct parts—the public spaces, auditorium, and stage ... 'you have greatly improved your project since the first competition; whereas Ginain he first-place winner in the first phasehas ruined his.'" Legend has it that the Emperor's wife, the

, who was likely irritated that her own favoured candidate, Viollet-le-Duc, had not been selected, asked the relatively unknown Garnier: "What is this? It's not a style; it's neither Louis Quatorze, nor Louis Quinze, nor Louis Seize!" "Why Ma'am, it's Napoléon Trois" replied Garnier "and you're complaining!" Andrew Ayers has written that Garnier's definition "remains undisputed, so much does the Palais Garnier seem emblematic of its time and of the Second Empire that created it. A giddy mixture of up-to-the-minute technology, rather prescriptive rationalism, exuberant eclecticism and astonishing opulence, Garnier's opera encapsulated the divergent tendencies and political and social ambitions of its era."Ayers 2004, pp. 172–174. Ayers goes on to say that the judges of the competition in particular admired Garnier's design for "the clarity of his plan, which was a brilliant example of the ''beaux-arts'' design methods in which both he and they were thoroughly versed".

Opéra Agence

After the initial funds to begin construction were voted on 2 July 1861, Garnier established the Opéra ''Agence'', his office on the construction site, and hired a team of architects and draftsmen. He selected as his second-in-command, Louis-Victor Louvet, followed by Jean Jourdain and Edmond Le Deschault.

Laying of the foundation

The site was excavated between 27 August and 31 December 1861. On 13 January 1862 the first concrete foundations were poured, starting at the front and progressing sequentially toward the back, with the laying of the substructure masonry beginning as soon as each section of concrete was cast. The opera house needed a much deeper basement in the substage area than other building types, but the level of the groundwater was unexpectedly high. Wells were sunk in February 1862 and eight steam pumps installed in March, but despite operating continuously 24 hours a day, the site would not dry up. To deal with this problem Garnier designed a double foundation to protect the superstructure from moisture. It incorporated a water course and an enormous concrete cistern (''cuve'') which would both relieve the pressure of the external groundwater on the basement walls and serve as a reservoir in case of fire. A contract for its construction was signed on 20 June. Soon a persistent legend arose that the opera house was built over a subterranean lake, inspiring Gaston Leroux to incorporate the idea into his novel ''

''. On 21 July the cornerstone was laid at the southeast angle of the building's façade. In October the pumps were removed, the brick vault of the ''cuve'' was finished by 8 November, and the substructure was essentially complete by the end of the year.

Model

The emperor expressed an interest in seeing a model of the building, and a plaster scale model (2 cm per meter) was constructed by Louis Villeminot between April 1862 and April 1863 at a cost of more than 8,000 francs. After previewing it, the emperor requested several changes to the design of the building, the most important of which was the suppression of a balustraded terrace with corner groups at the top of the façade and its replacement with a massive attic story fronted by a continuous frieze surmounted by imperial ''

quadriga A quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast and favoured for chariot racing in classical antiquity and the Roman Empire. The word derives from the Latin , a contraction of , from ': four, and ': yoke. In Latin the word is almos ...

e'' over the end bays.Mead 1991, pp. 149–151. With the incorporated changes, the model was transported over specially installed rails to the

Palais de l'Industrie The Palais de l'Industrie (; Palace of Industry) was an exhibition hall located in Paris between the Seine River and the Champs-Élysées, which was erected for the Paris World Fair in 1855. This was the last of several buildings with the sam ...

for public display at the 1863 exhibition.

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

wrote of the model (''Le Moniteur Universel'', 13 May 1863) that "the general arrangement becomes intelligible to all eyes and already acquires a sort of reality that better permits one to prejudge the final effect ... it attracts the crowd's curiosity; it is, in effect, the new Opéra seen through reversed opera glasses." The model is now lost, but it was photographed by J. B. Donas in 1863. The emperor's quadrigae were never added, although they can be seen in the model. Instead Charles-Alphonse Guméry's gilded bronze sculptural groups ''Harmony'' and ''Poetry'' were installed in 1869. The linear frieze seen in the model was also redesigned with alternating low- and high-relief decorative medallions bearing the gilded letters from the imperial monogram ("N" for Napoléon, "E" for Empereur). The custom-designed letters were not ready in time for the unveiling and were replaced with commercially available substitutes. After the fall of the empire in 1870, Garnier was relieved to be able to remove them from the medallions. Letters in Garnier's original design were finally installed during the restoration of the building in 2000.

Change in name

The scaffolding concealing the façade was removed on 15 August 1867 in time for the Paris Exposition of 1867. The official title of the Paris Opera was prominently displayed on the

entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...

of the giant

Corinthian order The Corinthian order (, ''Korinthiakós rythmós''; ) is the last developed and most ornate of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Ancient Roman architecture, Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric or ...

of coupled columns fronting the main-floor

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...

: "ACADEMIE IMPERIALE DE MUSIQUE". When the emperor was deposed on 4 September 1870 as a result of the disastrous

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, the government was replaced by the Third Republic, and almost immediately, on 17 September 1870, the Opera was renamed Théâtre National de l'Opéra, a name it kept until 1939.Levin, Alicia. "A documentary overview of musical theaters in Paris, 1830–1900" in Fauser (2009), p. 382. In spite of this, when it came time to change the name on the new opera house, only the first six letters of the word IMPERIALE were replaced, giving the now famous "ACADEMIE NATIONALE DE MUSIQUE", an official title which had actually only been used during the approximately two-year period of the Second Republic which had preceded the Second Empire.

1870–1871

All work on the building came to a halt during the Franco-Prussian War due to the siege of Paris (September 1870 – January 1871). Construction had so advanced that parts of the building could be used as a food warehouse and a hospital. After France's defeat Garnier became seriously ill from the deprivations of the siege and left Paris from March to June to recover on the

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

n coast of Italy, while his assistant Louis Louvet remained behind during the turmoil of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

which followed. Louvet wrote several letters to Garnier, which document events relating to the building. Because of the theatre's proximity to the fighting at the

Place Vendôme The Place Vendôme (), earlier known as the Place Louis-le-Grand, and also as the Place Internationale, is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madelein ...

, troops of the

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

bivouacked there and were in charge of its defence and distributing food to soldiers and civilians. The Commune authorities planned to replace Garnier with another architect, but this unnamed man had not yet appeared when Republican troops ousted the National Guard and gained control over the building on 23 May. By the end of the month the Commune had been severely defeated. The Third Republic had become sufficiently well established by the fall, that on 30 September construction work recommenced, and by late October a small amount of funds were voted by the new legislature for further construction.

1872–1873

The political leaders of the new government maintained an intense dislike of all things associated with the Second Empire, and many of them regarded the essentially apolitical Garnier as a holdover from that regime. This was especially true during the presidency of

Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic. Thi ...

who remained in office until May 1873, but also persisted under his successor

Marshal MacMahon Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta (; 13 June 1808 – 17 October 1893), was a French general and politician who served as President of France from 1873 to 1879. He was elevated to the dignity of Marshal ...

. Economies were demanded, and Garnier was forced to suppress the completion of sections of the building, in particular the Pavillon de l'Empereur (which later became the home of the Opera Library Museum). However, on 28–29 October an overwhelming incentive to complete the new theatre came when the Salle Le Peletier was destroyed by a fire which raged the entire night. Garnier was immediately instructed to complete the building as soon as possible.

Completion

The cost of completion of the new house during 1874 was more than 7.5 million francs, a sum that greatly exceeded the amounts spent in any of the previous thirteen years. The cash-strapped government of the Third Republic resorted to borrowing 4.9 million gold francs at an interest rate of six percent from

François Blanc François Blanc (; 12 December 1806 – 27 July 1877), nicknamed "The Magician of Homburg" and "The Magician of Monte Carlo", was a French entrepreneur and operator of casinos, including the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. His daughter, Marie-F� ...

, the wealthy financier who managed the

Monte Carlo Casino The Monte Carlo Casino, officially named Casino de Monte-Carlo, is a gambling and entertainment complex located in Monaco. It includes a casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the office of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. The Casino de Monte-Carlo ...

. Subsequently (from 1876 to 1879) Garnier would oversee the design and construction of the Monte Carlo Casino concert hall, the Salle Garnier, which later became the home of the Opéra de Monte Carlo. During 1874 Garnier and his construction team worked feverishly to complete the new Paris opera house, and by 17 October the orchestra was able to conduct an acoustical test of the new auditorium, followed by another on 2 December which was attended by officials, guests, and members of the press. The Paris Opera Ballet danced on the stage on 12 December, and six days later the famous chandelier was lit for the first time.Simeone 2000, pp. 177–180. The theatre was formally inaugurated on 5 January 1875 with a lavish gala performance attended by Marshal MacMahon, the Lord Mayor of London and King

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...

of Spain. The program included the overtures to Auber's ''

La muette de Portici ''La muette de Portici'' (''The Mute Girl of Portici'', or ''The Dumb Girl of Portici''), also called ''Masaniello'' () in some versions, is an opera in five acts by Daniel Auber, with a libretto by Germain Delavigne, revised by Eugène Scri ...

'' and Rossini's ''

William Tell William Tell (, ; ; ; ) is a legendary folk hero of Switzerland. He is known for shooting an apple off his son's head. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albrecht Gessler, ...

'', the first two acts of Halévy's 1835 opera ''

La Juive ''La Juive'' (, ) is a grand opera in five acts by Fromental Halévy to an original French libretto by Eugène Scribe; it was first performed at the Opéra National de Paris, Opéra de Paris, on 23 February 1835. Composition history ''La Juive'' ...

'' (with

Gabrielle Krauss Marie-Gabrielle Krauss (24 March 18426 January 1906) was an important 19th century Austrian-born French operatic soprano. She created major roles in operas by Anton Rubinstein, Charles Gounod, Camille Saint-Saëns, Auguste Mermet, Clémence de Gr ...

in the title role), along with "The Consecration of the Swords" from

's 1836 opera ''

Les Huguenots () is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, it premiered in Paris on 29 February 1836. Composition history '' ...

'' and the 1866 ballet '' La source'' with music by Delibes and

Minkus Minkus may refer to: People * Christian Minkus (1770–1849), German politician; * Ludwig Minkus, Ludwig (Leon) Minkus (1826-1917), Austrian ballet composer and violinist, best known for his work in Russia; * Jacques Minkus (1901-1996), philate ...

. As a soprano had fallen ill one act from

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

's ''Faust'' and one from

Ambroise Thomas Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas (; 5 August 1811 – 12 February 1896) was a French composer and teacher, best known for his operas ''Mignon'' (1866) and ''Hamlet (opera), Hamlet'' (1868). Born into a musical family, Thomas was a student at the C ...

's ''Hamlet'' had to be omitted. During the intermission Garnier stepped out onto the landing of the grand staircase to receive the approving applause of the audience.

History of the house since opening

In 1881 electric lighting was installed. In the 1950s new personnel and freight elevators were installed at the rear of stage, to facilitate the movement of employees in the administration building and the moving of stage scenery. In 1969, the theatre was given new electrical facilities and, during 1978, part of the original Foyer de la Danse was converted into new rehearsal space for the Ballet company by the architect Jean-Loup Roubert. During 1994, restoration work began on the theatre. This consisted of modernizing the stage machinery and electrical facilities, while restoring and preserving the opulent décor, as well as strengthening the structure and foundation of the building. This restoration was completed in 2007.

Influence

The Palais Garnier inspired many other buildings over the following years. *

Teatro Massimo Bellini The Teatro Massimo Bellini is an opera house located on Piazza Vincenzo Bellini in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. Named after the local-born composer Vincenzo Bellini, it was inaugurated on 31 May 1890 with a performance of the composer's mas ...

built from 1870 to 1890 in

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

, Sicily (Italy). *The

Amazon Theatre The Amazon Theatre () is an opera house located in Manaus, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. It is the location of the annual '' Festival Amazonas de Ópera'' (Amazonas Opera Festival) and the home of the Amazonas Philharmonic Orc ...

in Manaus (Brazil) built from 1884 to 1896. The overview is very similar, though the decoration is simpler. *The

Thomas Jefferson Building The Thomas Jefferson Building, also known as the Main Library, is the oldest of the Library of Congress buildings in Washington, D.C. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was initially known as the Library of Congress Building. In 1980, the building ...

, built from 1890 to 1897, of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

in Washington, D.C. is modelled after the Palais Garnier, most notably the façade and Great Hall. *The Opéra-Comique's

Salle Favart The Salle Favart (), officially the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique (), is a Paris opera house and theatre, the current home of the Opéra-Comique. It was built from 1893 to 1898 in a neo-Baroque style to the designs of the French architect Louis ...

, which opened in 1898, is an adaptation of Garnier's design on a smaller scale to fit a restricted site. *Several buildings in Poland were based on the design of the Palais Garnier. These include the

Juliusz Słowacki Theatre Juliusz Słowacki Theatre () is a 19th-century Eclectic-style theatre and opera house located in the Old Town of Kraków, Poland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Erected in 1893, it was modeled after some of the best European Baroque and Ecle ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, built during 1893, and also the

Warsaw Philharmonic The Warsaw Philharmonic (full Polish name: ''Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie'', "National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw"), as it is legally set up, is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, its home is the Warsaw ...

edifice in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, built between 1900 and 1901. *The

Hanoi Opera House The Hanoi Opera House (), or the Grand Opera House (, ) is an opera house in central Hanoi, Vietnam. It was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911. Hanoi Opera House is one of three opera houses that the French built ...

in Vietnam was built 1901–1911 during

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...

colonial period based upon Palais Garnier. It is considered a representative

French colonial French colonial architecture includes several styles of architecture used by the French during colonization. French colonial architecture has a long history, beginning in North America in 1604 and being most active in the Western Hemisphere (Car ...

architectural monument in Indochina. *The Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (1905–1909) was also modelled after Palais Garnier, particularly the Great Hall and stairs. *The Legends Hotel Chennai in India is inspired by the Palais Garnier, especially the façade and statues. *The Façade of the Rialto Theatre, a former movie palace built in 1923–1924 and located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was designed after Palais Garnier. File:Catania BW 2012-10-06 11-11-06.jpg, Piazza Vincenzo Bellini and the adjoining

(built from 1870 to 1890 in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

) File:Krakow-Teatr Slowackiego.jpg,

, Poland (opened 1893) File:Teatro amazonas.jpg, The Amazonas theatre in Manaus, Brazil (1884–1896) File:LibraryOfCongress 07130009.jpg, The

at the

(1890–1897) File:Pl warszawa filharmonia old 1918.jpg, The former

Hall (1900–1901) File:Kiev Opera House - 005.jpg, National Opera House of Ukraine (opened 1901) File:Teatro Municipal de São Paulo 8.jpg, Municipal Theater of São Paulo (built 1903–1911) File:Hanoi_opera_house._Made_as_a_copy_of_the_Opera_Garnier_in_Paris_(22334215449).jpg,

(1901–1911) File: Rialto_Theatre_Montreal_01.jpg, Rialto Theatre in Montreal (1923–1924)

References

Citations

Sources

* Allison, John, editor (2003). ''Great Opera Houses of the World'', supplement to ''Opera'' Magazine, London. * Ayers, Andrew (2004). ''The Architecture of Paris''. Stuttgart; London: Edition Axel Menges. . * Beauvert, Thierry (1996). ''Opera Houses of the World''. New York: The Vendome Press. . * * Fauser, Annegret, editor; Everist, Mark, editor (2009). ''Music, Theater, and Cultural Transfer. Paris, 1830–1914''. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. . * Folli, Andrea; Merello, Gisella (2004). "The Splendour of the Garnier Rooms at the Monte Carlo Casino", pp. 112–137, in Bonillo, Jean-Lucien, et al., ''Charles Garnier and Gustave Eiffel on the French and Italian Rivieras: The Dream of Reason'' (in English and French). Marseilles: Editions Imbernon. . * Fontaine, Gérard (2000). ''Charles Garnier's Opéra: Architecture and Exterior Decor'', translated by Ellie Rea and Barbara Shapiro-Comte. Paris: Éditions du Patrimoine. . * Fontaine, Gérard (2004). ''Charles Garnier's Opéra: Architecture and Interior Decor'', translated by Charles Penwarden. Paris: Éditions du Patrimoine. . * Garnier, Charles (1871). ''Le Théâtre''. Paris: Hachette
View
at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...

. * Garnier, Charles (1875–81). ''Le nouvel Opéra de Paris'', two volumes text and six atlas folios (two with architectural plates and four with plates of photographs by Louis-Emile Durandelle of sculptures and paintings). Paris: Ducher
List of entries
at

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...

. ** Vol. 1, text (1878). 522 pages
View
at

. ** Vol. 1, plates (1880). ''Partie architecturale'', 40 plates. . ** Vol. 2, text (1881). 425 pages
View
at

. ** Vol. 2, plates (1880). ''Partie architecturale'', 60 plates. . ** ol. 3(1875). ''Sculpture ornamentale'', 45 plates. . ** ol. 4(1875). ''Statues décoratives'', 35 plates. . View at Wikimedia Commons. ** ol. 5(1875). ''Peintures décoratives'', 20 plates. . ** ol. 6(1875). ''Bronzes'', 15 plates. . * Hanser, David A. (2006). ''Architecture of France''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. . * Huebner, Steven (2003). "After 1850 at the Paris Opéra: institution and repertory", pp. 291–317 in '' The Cambridge Companion to Grand Opera'', edited by David Charlton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . (paperback). * Guest, Ivor Forbes (1974). ''Ballet of the Second Empire''. London: Wesleyan University Press. . * Guest, Ivor Forbes (2006). ''The Paris Opera Ballet''. London: Wesleyan University Press. . * Kirkland, Stephane (2013). ''Paris Reborn: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City''. New York: St Martin's Press. . * Kleiner, Fred S. (2006). ''Gardner's Art Through The Ages''. Belmont, California: Thomsom Wadsworth. . * Mead, Christopher Curtis (1991). ''Charles Garnier's Paris Opéra: Architectural Empathy and the Renaissance of French Classicism''. New York: The Architectural History Foundation. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. . * Mead, Christopher Curtis (1996). "Bernier, Stanislas-Louis", vol. 3, , in ''

The Dictionary of Art ''Grove Art Online'' is the online edition of ''The Dictionary of Art'', often referred to as the ''Grove Dictionary of Art'', and part of Oxford Art Online, an internet gateway to online art reference publications of Oxford University Press, ...

'', edited by Jane Turner. London: Macmillan. . Also a
Oxford Art Online
(subscription required). * Nuitter, Charles (1875). ''Le nouvel Opéra'' (with 59 engravings). Paris: Hachette. Copie
12
an
3
at

. * Nuitter, Charles (1878). ''Histoire et description du nouvel Opéra''. Paris: Plon
View
at Gallica. (Title page undated; signed by Nuitter and dated 28 November 1878 o
p. 42
Gallica gives the date of publication as 1883.) * Savorra, Massimiliano (2010). "Una lezione da Parigi al mondo. Il teatro di Charles Garnier", in "Architettura dell’Eclettismo. Il teatro dell’Ottocento e del primo Novecento. Architettura, tecniche teatrali e pubblico", edited by L. Mozzoni, S. Santini. Napoli: Liguori, pp. 61–133 . * Scott, Pamela; Lee, Antoinette J. (1993). ''Buildings of the District of Columbia''. New York: Oxford University Press. . * Simeone, Nigel (2000). ''Paris: A Musical Gazetteer''. New Haven: Yale University Press. . * Sterling, Richard (2011). ''Vietnam & Angor Wat'' (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide). London: DK Publishing. . * * Watkin, David (1996). ''A History of Western Architecture'', 2nd edition. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. . * Woolf, Penelope (1988). "Symbol of the Second Empire: cultural politics and the Paris Opera House", pp. 214–235, in ''The Iconography of Landscape'', edited by Denis Cosgrove and Stephen Daniels. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . * Zeitz, Karyl Lynn (1991). ''Opera: the Guide to Western Europe's Great Houses''. Santa Fe, New Mexico: John Muir Publications. .

External links

*
L'Opéra Restaurant

Unused architectural drawings for the Opéra de Paris by Charles Rohault de Fleury360° Panoramas of the Paris Opera
by the Media Center for Art History at Columbia University
Selected images and video of the Palais Garnier
by Art Days {{authority control Music venues completed in 1875 Buildings and structures in the 9th arrondissement of Paris Opera houses in Paris Paris Opera Ballet venues Buildings and structures in Paris Terminating vistas in Paris The Phantom of the Opera Theatres completed in 1875 Historicist architecture in France Beaux-Arts architecture in France Baroque Revival architecture Second Empire architecture Music venues in France Charles Garnier buildings 19th-century architecture in France

Dimensions and technical details

Architecture and style

Exterior

Main façade

Stage flytower

Pavillon de l'Empereur

Pavillon des Abonnés

Interior

Grand staircase

Cave of Pythia

Avant foyer or "Foyer of Mosaics"

=Chandeliers

=Greek mosaic inscriptions

=The four pair mosaic panels

=The four medallions

The Salons of the Sun and Moon

Grand foyer

=Muses and personifications

Auditorium

Chandelier

=Organ

Restaurant

History

Selection of a site

Design competition

Opéra Agence

Laying of the foundation

Model

Change in name

1870–1871

1872–1873

Completion

History of the house since opening

Influence

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links