L'Opéra of the Palace of Versailles

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Since the time of Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles had wanted—and needed—a permanent theater. Before the construction of l'Opéra, temporary theaters were constructed either in the gardens or in the château—grands appartements, escalier des ambassadeurs, aile de Midi—where the salle de spectacle of Louis XIV was short-lived—la grande écurie, la cour de marbre, etc. However, in 1740, Louis XV ordered Ange-Jacques Gabriel to build a permanent theater at the northern end of the aile de Nord, on the site that had been that chosen by Louis XIV.[1] The project required some thirty years to complete based on financial restraints rising from the Seven Years War and relocating residents from the northern end of the aile de nobles. Construction work on the Opéra began in earnest in 1765 and was completed in 1770; at the time, it represented the finest example in theater design—having 712 seats, it was the largest theater in Europe at the time—and today remains one of the few theaters to survive the 18th century. Lully's Persée inaugurated the Opéra on 16 May 1770 in celebration of the marriage of the dauphin—the future Louis XVI—with Marie-Antoinette.

Opéra Royale de Versailles. View from the royal box.
Opéra Royale de Versailles. View from the royal box.

Gabriel's design for the Opéra was unique for the time as it featured an oval plan. As an economy measure, the floor of the orchestra level can be raised to the level the stage, thus doubling the floor space. It was planned that the Opéra should serve not only as a theater, but as ballroom or banqueting hall as well.[2] Built entirely of wood, which is painted in faux marbre to represent stone, the Opéra has excellent acoustics and represents one of the finest examples of neo-classical decoration. The theme of the decoration is related to Apollo and the Olympian deities. The decoration of the Opéra was directed by Augustin Pajou, who executed the bas-reliefs panels that decorate the front of the loges. The ceiling features a canvas by Louis Jean Jacques Durameau in which Apollo and the Muses are depicted.

Ceiling of the Opéra Royale de Versailles. Louis-Jean-Jacques Durameau, "Apollo preparing the crowns for illustrious Men of the Arts" ca. 1770
Ceiling of the Opéra Royale de Versailles. Louis-Jean-Jacques Durameau, "Apollo preparing the crowns for illustrious Men of the Arts" ca. 1770

In spite of the excellent acoustics and the opulent setting, the Opéra was not often used during the reign of Louis XVI, largely on grounds of costs. For a single performance to be held in the Opéra, no less than 3,000 candles were required. Given that tallow candles burned quickly and emitted soot and unpleasant odor, beeswax candles were used. During Louis XVI's reign one beeswax candle represented approximately what one peasant earned in one week.

The Opéra Royale de Versailles converted for the use of the Sénat of the Third Republic, ca. 1876
The Opéra Royale de Versailles converted for the use of the Sénat of the Third Republic, ca. 1876

When the royal family left Versailles in October 1789, the château and the Opéra were closed. While the château did see some activity under Napoléon I (redecoration of the parts of the queen's apartment for the empress Marie-Louise) and Louis XVIII, the Opéra did not reopen again until 1837, when Louis-Philippe redecorated the theater and presented Molière's Le Misanthrope. In 1872, during the Commune de Paris, the Opéra was converted by Edmond de Joly for use by the Assemblée nationale, who used the Opéra until 1876; between 1876 and 1879, the Sénat convened here.[3] 1952-1957 witnessed major restoration of the Opéra when it was restored to its 1770 state. The Opéra officially reopened 9 April 1957 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, with a presentation of Act II of Rameau's Les Indes Galantes. Since its restoration, the Opéra has been pressed into service for state functions as well as a variety of operatic and musical events.

[edit] Sources

  • Nolhac, Pierre de. Histoire de Versailles. 3 vol. (Paris, 1911).
  • Marie, Alfred and Jeanne. Versailles au temps de Louis XV. (Paris, 19840.
  • Verlet, Pierre. Versailles. (Paris, 1985).

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Owing to the financial burdens that Louis XIV faced at the end of his reign, the theater alas could not be realised during his reign.
  2. ^ On 1 October 1789, the gardes du corps du roi held a banquet to welcome the Flanders Regiment, which had just arrived to strengthen protection for the royal family against the revolutionary rumblings that were being heard in Paris. At this banquet, Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and the dauphin received the pledge of loyalty from these guards when they ripped off the blue-white-red cockades they had been wearing and replaced them with white ones—the color that symbolized the Bourbon monarchy. This was the last event held in the Opéra during the Ancien Régime.
  3. ^ Today, when the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat meet in joint session, they do so at Versailles, not in Paris. On these occasions, Versailles becomes the de-facto capital of France. To accommodate the members of the Sénat, the north wing of the château, in the part that faces the city of Versailles, over 300 apartments have been arranged for the private use by members of the upper house of France's parliament.