Opéra de Paris Garnier

Sophia KiernanHour 8 Independent Study

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What is the Opéra?• 1,979-seat opera house built between 1861 and 1875 to

house the Paris Opera.• It is called many names: Opéra de Paris Garnier, Opéra de

Paris, Opéra Garnier, or just Opéra. All of these refer to the same building.

• It is one of the most recognized monuments of Paris.• It was eventually replaced by a new theatre, the Opéra

Bastille, but is still used for ballets. www.gayparis.com

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Who created the Opéra?

• The building was commissioned under the orders of Napoleon III as part of his great Paris Reconstruction Program.

• Baron Haussmann was put in charge of the Reconstruction.• The project was put out to competition for a contract, was

given to unknown architect Garnier.• Building took 15 years, but was interrupted by several

events, including the 1870 war and the fall of the Empire of Napoleon III. www.telegraph.co.uk

What is the Opéra used for?

• It was originally built to house the Paris Opéra, a the primary and largest opera company in Paris.

• The Paris Opéra produces classical operas and ballets.• However, a new modern theater called the Opéra Bastille

opened in 1989 to accommodate more elaborate sets. • The Opéra Garnier is still used for smaller operas, but

more commonly ballets.

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Where is the Opéra?• It is located at the Place de Opéra, a square in

the 9th arrondissement.• It is on the Boulevard des Capucines.• The nearest Metro stop is conveniently named “Opéra.”

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Why was the Opéra built?

• The Opéra was originally built as part of Napoleon’s plan to stimulate the French economy and give people jobs.

• It was planned to house the Paris Opéra and Paris Ballet.• Now it is a major representation of the beautiful

architecture of Paris.• It is a large tourist attraction, and also includes the

Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris, a part of the National Libraires of France.

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What is the the Opéra’s significance?

• The Opéra symbolizes the best of French architecture, and the importance of the arts to French people.

• It is perhaps the most recognized building next to Notre Dame in Paris.

• The building also became the most influential architecture for the next 30 years.

• Many buildings have been modeled after it, including the Library of Congress, National Opera House of Kiev in Ukraine, and several buildings in Poland.

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Interesting Facts• Architect Charles Garnier left his signature in the

ceiling of the building.• The Opéra has 17 floors and takes up 3 acres of land.• 7 of the 17 floors are located below ground.• Workers discovered underground lake beneath

the building during construction.

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The Phantom of the Opera

• Gaston Leroux’s famous novel “The Phantom of the Opera” is set at the Opéra de Garnier.

• This book was eventually made into a well-known musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber. • It is the longest running musical on Broadway, reaching over 10,000 showings in February 2012, and the highest grossing show of all time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwoLNtUuCVk

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The Opéra by the Numbers

• Seats: 1,900• Stage: 60 meters high with a 15 meter under stage• Grand Foyer: 18 meters high, 54 meters long,13 meters

high.• Surface Area: 11,237 m2• Weight of Chandelier: 8,000 tons• Grand Staircase: 30 meters high

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Works Cited• Hatab, Simon. "The Opera: Palais Garnier: Presentation." Opera National de

Paris. Opera National de Paris, n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/L_Opera/Palais_Garnier/PalaisGarnier.php>.

• . "Opéra de Paris Garnier." www.aviewonsities.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/operagarnier.htm>.

• . "Palais Garnier." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnier>.

• . "The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)." Wikipedia. N.p., 2012. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera_(1986_musical)>.

• Webber, Andrew Lloyd. "Paris Opera House." Phantom Of the Opera. N.p., 1986. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/background/paris-opera-house>.