Paris Opéra

or Opéra Garnier

Opera house in Paris designed by Charles Garnier (1825–98). The extraordinarily lavish building, considered one of the masterpieces of the Second Empire (Beaux-Arts style), was begun in 1861 and opened in 1875. The floor plan is as elaborate as the exterior. The interior features generous circulation space, including a grand staircase and numerous richly decorated galleries, foyers, and corridors. The designation also applies to the opera company in Paris that for more than two centuries was the chief performer of serious operas and musical dramas in the French language. One of the most venerable operatic institutions in the world, it occupied Garnier's building until 1990.

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