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In this Issue: |
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Garnier's Opera House, the Social Cathedral |
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Charles Garnier |
Originally, and long before the competition, it was Charles Rohault de Fleury, who had been given
the commission to build this new opera house. At the request of Baron Haussmann, he studied the
project, worked out its location and even prepared a preliminary design for the general facade areas
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A Difficult Construction |
The first stone was laid on July 21, 1862, by Count Walewski, son of Napoleon I
and the Polish Princess Walewski. It took 13 years rather than the estimated 7 to complete
the work
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A Gigantic Monument |
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The total area of the building reaches 118,403 sq.ft. Under the stage, five levels with
a combined total height of 50 ft (add to this 16 ft of foundation depth) give access to
the machinery
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A Genius of an Architect and an Innovator |
Charles Garnier employed all the modern techniques. He didn’t
like iron, a material he found too cold, but he understood that using it would
open up a whole new world of possibilities
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The Theater of Life |
The genius of Charles Garnier was his determination to make this palace a
huge theater where everyone becomes an actor. At the entrance, great mirrors allow the
audience to readjust their clothing before entering
an enchanted universe
. . .
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onjour!
Bonjour, this month we are dedicating our newsletter to a prestigious, refined and elegant
Parisian monument. The architect planned and designed everything, from calculations to
materials selection, and almost drew every detail as well. “There will not be in this
building a single surface as big as a hand for which I won’t be able to claim a patent”,
he wrote in his notes. Located in the heart of Paris, it is one of those very rare structures,
like the Eiffel Tower, to carry the name of its creator: Charles Garnier. You guessed it: We
are talking about the Garnier Opera house. It was once much maligned and despised, and, over
time, close to forgotten. The demand for another building, more modern and more “revolutionary”
resulted in the Bastille Opera. Thankfully though, the Palais Garnier was not forgotten, and
after a few years of meticulous renovation at the beginning of the 21st century, it stands
more beautiful than ever and remains one of the most visited monuments of the capital city.
But before continuing, please remember that you can access and read all the newsletters already
published at http://www.francemonthly.com/
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Renaissance France
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Italian art made its first appearance in France in the 16th century and was immediately praised
and imitated. François I played an essential role in its dissemination across France. He was an
admirer of Italy and one of the first monarchs to bring in artists such as Leonardo de Vinci,
whom he invited to come live in the castle of Clos Lucé in Amboise. The influence of Italian
architecture, painting and music kept growing over the centuries in the Court of France.
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Garnier's Opera House in Paris
(Click photo to enlarge)
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It was in this welcoming environment that opera came to France. This peculiar form of art from
the other side of the Alps consisted of singing rather than acting the dramatic pieces in a
declamatory style. It charmed the kings, princes and princesses of France. Orfeo, the first
opera composed by Claudio Monteverdi in 1607, was performed 40 years later at the Palais-Royal
in the presence of a nine year old Louis XIV. The stage machinery, the set, the costumes and
the work all enchanted the young monarch. With a passion for music and a desire to provide an
official setting for this art that he was so fond of, Louis XIV created the Royal Academy of
Music in 1669. He offered Lully, a world-renown musician, the responsibility of running this
brand new institution. Success was immediate, as the musician knew exactly how to perfectly
match his melodic style to the oratory of the great French dramatic actors of the time, such
as Corneille and Racine. As the monarch and the artist also shared a common passion for dance,
it quickly found its own special place in French opera.
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The "Radiant Center" of the Capital
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When Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann carried out the great improvement projects of the
city of Paris (see http://www.francemonthly.com/n/1202/index.php), lyric art was at
its peak. Ever since the reign of Louis XIV ended, twelve opera houses had been built,
always in a hurry and on a temporary basis. Eleven of them had gone up in flames. The
twelfth still existed and was located on Rue Le Pelletier, but it was unworthy of 19th
century France. The Emperor wanted a new monument that would showcase the prosperity of
the French Empire and its international influence. The plan was to build it right in the
middle of an old, unsanitary and dangerous neighborhood that would be completely redeveloped,
and to further build an avenue to connect the Louvre and the Tuileries to the elegant
shopping and financial areas located near the new public building. The future "Avenue
Napoleon" then became the "Avenue de l’Opéra", the only avenue in the neighborhood
that wasn’t lined with trees because the architect firmly rejected the idea that his
monument might be concealed. The historical context in which this new temple of lyric
art came to life was one rocked by a wind of renewal and modernity. A competition open
to all, professional architects and others, was advertised on December 31, 1860, and
drew the response of 171 candidates. They all presented original and more or less
realistic projects, although two of them forgot an important detail, the stage! The
architect Viollet le Duc was a candidate, and had good reason to believe he would be
the winner, given his well-known experience and talent and above all the fact that he
was Empress Eugenie’s favorite. However, his entry was not among the five chosen by
Napoleon III. Whether this imperial decision to exclude him was based on jealousy or
the fear of being accused of favoritism, history does not say...
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Recipe for Dec 2007
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Grand Marnier Log
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Charles Garnier
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Originally, and long before the competition, it was Charles Rohault de Fleury, the official
architect of the Royal Academy of Music, who had been given the commission to build this
new opera house. At the request of Baron Haussmann, he studied the project, worked out its
location and even prepared a preliminary design for the general facade areas.
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The Red and Gold Auditorium
(Click photo to enlarge)
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Malicious gossip spread that it was Viollet-le-Duc who had suggested the idea of a
competition to the Empress, in the more or less concealed hope that he would oust
his rival. But the fact is that neither one of them made it past the first round.
Against all expectations, the winner was the youngest candidate, Charles Garnier,
an unknown from a relatively modest family and moreover, without much experience.
Nonetheless, this prizewinner of the 1848 "Grand Prix de Rome" (which rewarded
the talent of the best Art students) had already traveled a lot. Indeed, the young
student had already crisscrossed European roads and discovered the architecture of
ancient Greece and of the Italian Renaissance. He was an ambitious, curious and
passionate man who had visited many theaters and opera houses, taken many notes and
remembered the best of what he had seen. In reality, Charles Garnier’s entry was
selected essentially because he was the only one who had integrated into his design
the social role that this new temple of lyric art was to play in the heart of the
new business neighborhood. He had immediately understood that the opera house could
and should become the meeting place of Parisian high society, for the purpose of
striking business deals.
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A Difficult Construction
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The first stone was laid on July 21, 1862, by Count Walewski, son of Napoleon I and
the Polish Princess Walewski. It took 13 years rather than the estimated 7 to complete
the work. The first sign of trouble appeared during the foundation excavation. The
land was located over an aquifer full of water, and the steam machines set up to pump
it out didn’t make any difference.
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The Marble Great Staircase
(Click photo to enlarge)
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After eight months of effort, with the water rising back up time and time again, the architect
concluded that the only solution was to keep the water from infiltrating under the foundation
in the first place, rather than just draining it after the fact, and a water tank was built to
contain it. Funds were lacking all during construction and the architect had to constantly look
for new ways to save money. In 1870, the war with Prussia brought an immediate and brutal halt
to the work. The Opera was forgotten for a while, and converted into a food supply store and
some administrative offices. After his defeat, Napoleon III was sentenced to exile. Protests
among the public and even in the government demanded a definitive stop to this project that
was seen as too costly for a country that was absolutely ruined. Some even called for the
building to be demolished as it stood as a symbol of a fallen empire. It was at a most
auspicious time, then, that on the night of October 28, 1873, a terrible fire consumed the
temporary opera house on the Rue Le Peletier. Charles Garnier was at once given formal notice
to complete the new opera house as fast as possible, and the monument was inaugurated on
January 5, 1875.
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A Gigantic Monument
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The total area of the building reaches 118,403 sq.ft. Under the stage, five levels with
a combined total height of 50 ft (add to this 16 ft of foundation depth) give access to
the machinery. Backstage, there are about fifty available sets which can appear as shows
dictate, going up and sliding out of spectator view over a height of 148 ft, or about
15 floors.
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Opera Garnier Allegorical Painting
(Click photo to enlarge)
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The most impressive is probably the biggest sloping set in the world designed to ensure
a better perspective view. With 89 ft of depth and 157 ft of width, it can accommodate
up to 200 dancers, mimes, actors and even animals. In fact, the main stage is so big
that the entire Arch of Triumph could fit on it! It is true that the period favored
spectacular staging, with lush sets and the most extravagant special effects. It was
possible for a carriage drawn by several horses (for which stables were set up in the
basement) to enter the stage. During a performance of Verdi’s Aïda, an elephant from
the “Jardin des Plantes” (Paris zoo) was brought in. When “Les Indes Galantes” of
Rameau was performed, different perfumes were dispersed for each different short
scene. Even ostriches were once brought in to lend a more exotic air, but that idea
was quickly abandoned when they started biting the extras! True super productions
were offered to stunned and amazed spectators. On the day of its inauguration, the
Opera had a little more than 2,000 seats, making it at that time the largest opera
house in the world.
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A Genius of an Architect and an Innovator |
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Charles Garnier employed all the modern techniques. He didn’t like iron, a material he
found too cold, but he understood that using it would open up a whole new world of
possibilities. So he did choose an entirely metallic structure for the new building
but was careful to conceal it, a really novel idea at this time in the world of
architecture. He also believed in the future of electricity, but that technology
was not yet very developed. He did use this modern energy to ring the bells that
called the spectators back to their seats after the intermission, and for certain
stage effect devices. Up until then, theaters were not heated. He studied how to set
up a gas heating and ventilation system that would be as efficient as possible while
offering better comfort to the spectators. His pursuit of all available innovations
even crossed over into interior design. He wanted gold to glisten in this dazzling
and enchanting palace he was giving Paris, but his budget was limited. So he used
the brand new technique of “gilding effect” to replace exorbitantly priced gold
leaves. It was just a matter of applying bright gold paint in places where light
would reflect, and lighter ochre in the hollows to give more relief. There was an
outcry when Parisians convinced themselves that huge sums of money had been spent
to achieve this. This, however, was not the case as it was only paint with a fantastic
visual effect.
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The Theater of Life
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The genius of Charles Garnier was his determination to make this palace a huge
theater where everyone becomes an actor.
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View from the Staircase
(Click photo to enlarge)
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At the entrance, great mirrors allow the audience to readjust their clothing before entering
an enchanted universe. All the trials and tribulations of daily life and the chaos of the
exterior world are left at the door, and the show begins. Aware of the shared spotlight,
everyone takes their time climbing the grand marble staircase one step at a time, to allow
oneself to be seen. Then, one stops on the balconies to admire the interior decoration and
observe the others, before entering the magnificent auditorium wallpapered in red and gold,
rather than the traditional pink or blue. The architect chose this color scheme to flatter
the ladies’ complexions and emphasize their sumptuous outfits and sparkling jewelry. Up
until then, it had been inconvenient for them to leave their theater boxes during the
long intermissions necessary for the changing of sets. Now, large passageways allowed
them to stroll and show themselves off at great leisure. The size of the splendid foyer
was designed so that the ladies and gentlemen could cross each other without getting in
each others’ way. Charles Garnier wanted nine people to be able to walk comfortably in
any one direction, and calculated that the total width therefore had to be 33 ft, but
for added comfort he stretched that dimension to 43ft. Another personal touch upset
the musicians: Charles Garnier decided to “hide” them in a pit that was deeper than
usual. Indeed, he didn’t want their instruments even partially blocking the view of
the stage from the spectators in the orchestra seats.
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An Invitation to Travel... |
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Charles Garnier brilliantly reinvented the Italian-style Theater, combining modernity
and tradition. He dared to use the most recent techniques of the time and shook up
established conventions. He wanted color, curves and movement. The myriad of ornamental
details, sculptures and allegorical paintings offers the visitor an extraordinary
opportunity to escape the real world and enter an enchanted universe for a moment.
The monument is almost unclassifiable, part classical, part baroque. As a matter of
fact, as she was studying the project, Empress Eugenie didainfully asked the architect: “But what
exactly is the style? It isn’t Greek, or Louis XVI, not even Louis XV”. Charles Garnier
answered: “But it is Napoleon III, your Highness!” As it turned out, no emperor ever did
enter this temple of lyric art, even though an entrance was specifically designed for
Napoleon III.
The Palais Garnier is, down to its smallest details, the exceptional work
of one of the greatest architects in French history. Charles Garnier, however, almost
missed being present at the inauguration of the Opera, as he had purely and simply been
forgotten on the guest list. He wasn’t part of Parisian high society and architects at
the time were not held in any special esteem. Fortunately, he did have the presence of
mind to buy a couple of tickets for his wife and himself, since President Mac Mahon was
waiting to present him with the Legion of Honor, an award for meritorious achievement.
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