Again, for the story, It took me a while , worse when you have family about an hour from the city. But often said, living and visiting are two different things . When in the area stay with family and this time again,however, did it in reverse order, when to see Lille and its sights, (stay tune for posts), and then went to see family. Therefore, let me tell you about the Opéra de Lille !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
In a very ornate Beaux-Arts style, the façade of the Lille opera house corresponds to the architectural canons of the belle époque in vogue since the Universal Exhibition of 1900, the renewed interest in neoclassical French architecture at that time being represented among others by the facades of the Grand and Petit Palais (Paris). The vestibule gives directly onto the main staircase framed by two other staircases which lead to the parterre and the upper floor galleries. Decorated with two statues, on the right, L’Idylle, , and on the left, La Poésie, it leads to a landing which serves the large room and two flights of steps, perpendicular to the axis central, which lead towards the level of the first galleries and the large foyer. The large foyer, which occupies the entire length of the facade, includes five bay windows, three overlooking the Place du Théâtre and one at each end. The Italian-style hall, covered with a dome, includes six front-stage boxes, an orchestra pit, a parterre and four galleries, for a total of 1,138 seats. With an area of approximately 450 m2, the stage designates the stage space. The stage, 18.40 meters long by 28 meters wide, precedes the dressing rooms, the performers’ foyers and the administration offices. Below, the opera house also has a 200-seat foyer. The former bar-smoking room of the Opera is located under the performance hall. This space takes a circular shape surrounded by columns which delimit its contours. At the entrance to the Rotonde is the Little Dancer statue, Each year it presents around fifteen shows from the lyrical, dance and music repertoire. It also welcomes artists in residence, including the choir of the Lille Opera, who participate in the programming.
The Opéra de Lille at Place du Théâtre is a neoclassical-inspired theater , built from 1907 to 1913, it was officially inaugurated in 1923. At the end of the 18C, a larger room was built, the construction began in 1785: the building (25 meters wide by 47 meters long) opens to the south with six columns on the facade and a balustrade concealing the roof. In the spring 1787, the work was completed. The new room was inaugurated on April 16, 1787. In 1903, a fire devastated the previous opera house. A theater was urgently built in Place Sevastopol Square to replace the destroyed building. The Sébastopol theater being designed as a temporary building, the city launched a competition for the construction of a new opera house. In 1914, when it was not yet completely finished, the Germans occupied it and requisitioned part of the furniture and equipment from the other Lille opera house, the Sébastopol theater. This is the reason why the seats are currently red while the initial project called for blue seats. The Germans completed the work and inscribed “German Theater” on its pediment. After the WWII, opera underwent a difficult renaissance. The official reopening took place on November 27, 1946 with Gounod’s Faust.
On the night of April 5 to 6, 1903, a fire destroyed the Grand Théâtre, inaugurated in 1787 in the heart of the city., A new performance hall was hastily built, initially planned as a temporary solution. This is the current Théâtre Sébastopol. The desire to reproduce an Italian-style room. It is one of the last rooms of this type built in France. Of neoclassical inspiration, the building adopts the composition of the Palais Garnier (Paris). However, its general morphology is different and its proportions more modest. The structural work of the site was completed in July 1914, at the start of the Great War or WWI, As the work came to an end, the Germans took over the Opera.
The Nouveau Théâtre, as it was called at the time, gave its “French premiere” on October 7, 1923. Nearly ten years separate the end of the work and the official inauguration of the Opera. The Nazis occupied the city during WWII, from May 31, 1940. The Grand Théâtre was requisitioned from January 10, 1941. Artists from across the Rhine played there for the German public, while the Théâtre Sébastopol welcomes French spectators. The building was returned to the people of Lille upon the arrival of the Allies on September 4, 1944. The Lille Opera became the first Opera in France to obtain international ISO 20121 certification. The Opera reopens to the public after much renovations on December 9, 2003.
The official Opéra de Lille : https://www.opera-lille.fr/
The Lille tourist office on the opera : https://www.lilletourism.com/opera/opera-de-lille-lille.html
The City of Lille on the opera : https://www.lille.fr/Mairie-de-Lille/Nos-equipements/Opera-de-Lille
There you go folks, a dandy city of the Nord that is North of France. I was finally back to Lille and it was great with many family memories flashing but glad I did it now. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Opéra de Lille as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 