The glamour of Paris’ Opera Garnier

I was in Paris a few months ago, and I decided to stop off to visit the Opera Garnier – a place I hadn’t visited in years (decades?).

Musical afficionados will know the Palais Garnier as the inspitration for The Phantom of The Opera. And the self-guided audiotour does speak about the tales of the supposed haunting. To be fair, I think it would be pretty creepy to be locked in here alone at night.

This opera house is also where the artist Edgar Degas painted many of his ballerinas.

The opera initiated in 1860 by the then-unknown young architect Charles Garnier. The staircase is particularly sumptuous and eclectic, but the entire operahouse is a feast for the eyes – from the reception rooms to the boxes to the theatre itself.

While grand, it truly is eclectic. According to the audioguide, this was the complaint at its opening night by none other than Empress Eugenie, wife of Emperor Napoleon III, who had commissioned the opera house.

Empress Eugenie was recorded to have said,  “How do you call this architecture? It’s not classic architecture, this is not Greek, nor Roman. How do you describe this?”

Ever the flatterer and marketer, Charles Garnier replied that the opera house was built in the Napoleon III style.

It may be over-the-top, but it’s a fabulous opera house. I’ve never been to a performance here – only to the modern Basille opera, but on one visit, I’ll manage.

The original ceiling was damaged, and so Marc Chagall was asked to create a new ceiling fresco. While I like Chagall, the fresco doesn’t really convince me. Although, to be fair, I think it could be described as yet more eclecticism.

When I visited, there were also an excellent exhibition about the jewels and costumes of the opera performances.

Don’t miss a visit to the Opera Garnier when you’re next in Paris – either a daytime tour or teickets for an opera performance in this elegant opera house.