© Riggwelter (15/8/2006)
French opera has its own unique, rich history and so it follows that France boasts some of the most venerated opera houses in the world.
Paris is home to two of the most historic, both operating under the direction of the Opéra National de Paris, established as the Académie Royale de Musique by King Louis XIV in 1672.
The Palais Garnier is named after the architect who designed it, Charles Garnier. It opened in 1875, and the first opera to be performed there was Fromental Halévy’s La Juive .
This summer, the Palais Garnier is hosting a production of La Donna Del Lago by Gioacchino Rossini, a 19th century dramatic Italian opera in two acts, opening on the 14th June. Ticket prices begin at 7€ and are available from here.
The Palais Garnier is mainly used as the venue for performances of the ballet these days (the Royal Academy for Music, the historic name for the Opéra, was also responsible for dance in the French capital). The Opéra Bastille is the centre for Parisian opera today. The building was designed by Carlos Ott, an architect unknown at the time, who won a competition opened in 1968 by the president, François Mitterrand, for a “modern and popular” design. It was opened on the 13th July, 1989, the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.
This season, the Opéra Bastille is hosting Rossini’s Il Barbiere Di Siviglia until the 23rd of April, here, as well as Příhody lišky Bystroušky, The Cunning Little Vixen, a 20th century Czech opera with the heart of a fable, composed by Leoš Janáček. This tale of animals and people combines both the light-hearted and the profound, and runs from the 25th June to the 12th of July. Tickets are available here.
Other fascinating works such as Wagner’s Ring Cycle and classic ballets like Patrice Bart’s La Petite Danseuse de Degas comprise the season. The full listings can be seen here.
Royal patronage of the arts was integral in shaping French opera. The Opéra Royal de Versailles opened in the Palace of Versailles in 1770 with a performance of Persée by Jean-Baptiste Lully, the first real innovator of the French operatic form. The performance was a celebration of the marriage of the dauphin – the future Louis XVI – to Marie-Antoinette.
The theatre has had a chequered history since then, used for other reasons and closed during periods, but a spectacular revamp was unveiled in September 2009 and The Royal Opera has thrown open its doors to the public once again.
A selective and discerning season consists of highlights such as Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (March 28th and 30th only), Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and a tribute to Rameau by the pianist Alexandre Tharaud.
The full listings for the season can be found here.
The spectacular Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux first opened in 1780 to house the Opéra National de Bordeaux. It is predominantly a venue for ballet but is represented by an interesting and varied number of operettas and contemporary performances: this April holds host to Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. More information and tickets can be found here.
The full calendar of concerts, operas and dance performances can be seen here.
The city of Marseille has had an opera house dating back as far as 1685, but, like many original incarnations of the Paris Opéra, it has been beset by fire, and the Opéra Municipal now resides in the Opéra Municipal de Marseille, which opened in 1924.
This season features performances Attila, an Italian opera composed by Verdi, throughout April, and Ambroise Thomas’ French opera, Hamlet, a late 19th century reworking of Shakespeare’s play, showing in June. The full season, including concerts and chamber works, can be found here.
The Opéra Nouvel is the home to the Opéra National de Lyon and is a striking modern opera house finished in 1993 by Jean Nouvel, one of France’s most distinguished architects. It features an eclectic and clever line up of operas and ballets, dipping into the classics as well as showcasing more modern works. This season has already seen a version of The Tender Land by Aaron Copland, a 1950s American opera looking at a family and their personal relationships against the backdrop of the 1930s Depression. Humperdinck’s Hänsel et Gretel and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess are just some of the highlights from the summer. Full listings and ticket details can be found here.