1st
Welcome to the Palais Garnier!
Today marks the opening of the very first window in our end-of-year holiday calendar. With it begins an extraordinary journey into the heart of the Paris Opera. Throughout December, you will receive a beautiful playlist and the story that accompanies it as a gift.
The Birth of a Palace
On January 14, 1858, Paris trembled. As Napoleon III and his wife, the Empress, left the opera house on Le Peletier Street, they miraculously escaped an assassination attempt. The event triggered an imperial decision: a new "Imperial Academy of Music and Dance" must be built. It was Charles Garnier, a promising young architect, who won the competition to design it.
The playlist
On January 5, 1875, the curtain finally rose on the Palais Garnier. To immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this historic evening, discover the playlist that recreates the inauguration programme: the overture of La Muette, the grandeur of Guillaume Tell, and the delicacy of the ballet La Source.
Monarchs from across Europe and nearly two thousand guests gathered to celebrate this splendor. The height of irony: Charles Garnier, who had overseen the construction for thirteen years, had to pay 120 francs to attend the inauguration.
Did you know?
For the guests, the spectacle began the moment they stepped through the doors. Gilding, mosaics, and marbles of every colour vied for magnificence. Even the stairs had their quirks: they transitioned from concave to convex—only one of them was straight.
The architecture of the grand staircase served a purpose: each landing offered small balconies from which to admire the arrivals. It was a theatre in its own right: one ascended and became both the actor of their own entrance and the spectator of others’.
Tomorrow, come with us through the artists’ entrance as we uncover a behind-the-scenes profession. Can you guess which one it is?