A Night at the Paris Opera
The Opéra Bastille
6/7/20263 min read
On our last night in Paris we had a treat in store: a night at the opera. There are two main opera houses here: The Palais Garnier, and a more modern building , The Opera Bastille. We were to visit the latter to see one of our favourite operas,' La Traviata.' Our own city of Montpellier also has two opera houses: The 'Comédie', built in Italian style and opened in 1888 was designed by J Bernard, a pupil of Charles Garnier. How would these opera houses compare?
Paris Opera Garnier
Montpellier Comédie
Less grand but still very elegant, a trip to the the Comédie opera house in Montpellier is still a special occasion.
The Opera Bastille , hailed as a great piece of modern architecture , was inaugurated in 1989. Our own modern opera house/concert hall and conference centre in Montpellier, known as The Corum was built around the same time. How do they compare?
Paris Opera Bastille
Montpellier Corum
At first sight the buildings look similar with their large rectangular granite blocks and lots of glass. But as we searched for our seat in Paris we began to notice stark differences. The inside of Paris Bastille is confusing with lots of staircases and different levels. It is stark and cold, built of blue basalt, whereas the red basalt of The Corum gives everything a warm feel. Moreover, when we reached our seats, we found that they were not plush as in Montpellier but very utilitarian. Given that top seats here cost 220€ as opposed to 70€ in Montpellier , this felt a little disappointing. That said, the view from all seats is excellent, and as we would soon find out, the acoustics are world class. Opera Bastille is the largest opera house in Europe , with a capacity of over 2700. Montpellier Opera Berlioz can welcome up to 2000 opera goers.
All in all Montpellier Corum is a more comfortable experience. But what about the music? We recently enjoyed a performance of La Traviata at Montpellier too, so how did they compare?
Wherever the setting , and whatever the production Verdi's music reigns supreme . We enjoyed both opera productions enormously. It has to be said that the music in Paris was absolutely top class . With Russian soprano Aida Garifullina as Violetta , and the most beautiful tenor and bass voices of Alfredo and his father, backed up by a magnificent choir, the opera was sublime.
What makes the Opera Bastille stand out are the facilities behind stage, which enabled exceedingly smooth scene changes . That said, we did not enjoy the modern mise en scene . It felt too slick, and the 20th Century setting did not sit well with the opera at all. So which version of la Traviata did we enjoy most? The visit to Opera Bastille was a great experience, and the music could not be beaten. But the joint operatic production of La Traviata at Montpellier was amazing too, with a fin de siecle setting and wonderful costumes that I shall never forget. What's more at 70€ for a top price ticket, it makes opera more accessible. What's not to like? Whilst Paris may be exciting, I am delighted to live close to Montpellier, and am already looking forward to its new music season.
