Operas in France. Comprehensive directory of France operas.

Operas in France

Opera is a fascinating aspect of French culture. This nation has given some of the best operas to the world. It has one the richest operatic traditions in Europe with works by renowned composers like Rameau, Debussy, Bizet and Lully. Foreign composers including Gluck, Rossini, Verdi and Meyerbeer have also contributed to the French tradition, which is a truly long-standing one. French opera first emerged in the 17th Century at the royal court of Louis XIV.

Opéra Bastille
Town: Paris Address: 120, rue de Lyon Phone: +33 1 40 01 17 89

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Opéra Bastille, the home to the Opéra National de Paris, was designed in order to replace Opéra Garnier. Today, both of them exist. The Opera Bastille is located in the place symbolising the French Revolution – The Bastille, in the 12th district of Paris. It houses the Opéra National de Paris. It was President François Mitterrand's idea that Paris needed a new, modern opera house. Construction began in 1984. And so, on July 14, 1989 (the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille the opera), designed by the Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, was completed. The very first concert held at the new opera house was conducted by Georges Prêtre and featured Plácido Domingo. The first opera performance that took there place was

Opéra Comique
Town: Paris Address: 5, rue Favart Phone: +33 1 42 44 45 40 e-mail: mtarot@free.fr	Price: 6 - 95 EUR
Website: http://www.opera-comique.com
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Established in 1714, the Opera Comique experienced many ups and down before reaching its status of the National Theatre of Opéra Comique. Located near the Parisian Stock Exchange building, just a few steps from the world-famous Opera Garnier, Opera Comique offers a wide variety of performances – starting from the traditional French comic operettas, through lyrical performances, to theatre plays without the accompaniment of music.

Opera de Nice
Town: Nice Address: 4, 6 Rue Saint-François-de-Paule Phone: +33 4 9362 2055	Price: 10 - 85 EUR
Website: http://www.opera-nice.org/
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Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 14:30 -20:30
This opera is the principal cultural venue in Nice, with tickets sold out months before the actual performances, and despite the exorbitant prices. The site strives to maintain a serious, academic approach to musical performances, with a particular emphasis on classic operas. Verdi appears regularly in the repertoire of Opera de Nice. The building has excellent acoustics, and the stage design, sets and costumes are superb. A possible drawback could be the poor lightning of the interior, as well as the somewhat ancient décor of the building itself. Following efforts to retain its authenticity, the city council of Nice has been postponing a substantial renovation. However, the Opera maintains a programme of seven operas and 15 concertos annually. The building, while remaining one of the city's most photograp

Opéra Garnier
Town: Paris Address: 1, Place de l'Opéra Phone: +33 1 40 01 80 52	Price: 7 - 100 EUR
Website: http://www.operadeparis.fr/
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Located in the heart of Paris, The Opera Garnier boats one of the most prestigious ballet scenes in Europe, offering top-notch dancing, musical and lyrical performances by artists from all over the world. Designed to host 2,200 spectators, this celebrated venue was initially referred to as the Opera de Paris, a name taken over by the neighboring the Opera Bastille in the 1980s. Today, Opera Garnier, also referred to as Palais Garnier or simply the Paris Opera, forms together with the Opera Bastille a united establishment named the Opera National de Paris.

Pépinière-Opéra
Town: Paris Address: 7, rue Louis-le-Grand Phone: +33 1 42 61 44 16	Price: 16 - 46 EUR

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The origins of Théâtre la Pépinière-Opéra date back to 1919, when it was founded by the popular singer Saint-Granier and his friend, the composer Gaston Gabaroche. In the 1920s la Pépinière-Opéra was one of the most popular venues in Paris, attracting crowds with its live revue shows, stand up comedies and operettas.

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