Paris Travelogue] (10) Familiar with "The Phantom of the Opera"! We went to Opera Garnier in Paris - we also found the 5th box seat of Phantom!
Many people may associate Paris with "The Phantom of the Opera. I myself had an image of "Paris as the Phantom of the Opera" until I met Dostoevsky, Zola, and Hugo.
This time, we would like to introduce Opera Garnier, a sacred place for such "Phantom of the Opera" fans.
Opera Garnier is located in the Opera district, the very area of its name, in the heart of Paris. Surrounded by department stores and boutiques, it is a relatively safe area in Paris, and Japanese tourists can easily stay here.
Now, "Phantom of the Opera" is, after all, a musical.
I love this musical too.
When I was a student, my aunt, who had been a big fan of "The Phantom of the Opera" for many years, took me to see it, and I was completely hooked by its charm.
Since then, I have seen the Shiki Theatre Company's "Phantom of the Opera" many times.
I remember when I saw the movie "Phantom of the Opera," I cried so hard I could hardly breathe.
And in embarking on the journey, suchOriginal story of "The Phantom of the Opera"I also picked up the original story by Gaston Leroux just before my trip to finally read the book.
Now, the Paris Opera House is the setting of this novel.
French literature scholar Shigeru Kashima has an interesting commentary on this buildingA Literary Guide to Paris."He states in his book called
After the assassination attempt of Napoleon III in 1858, Napoleon III believed that the accident was caused by the fact that the Opéra was located in an alley that was difficult to guard, and he decided to construct a new Opéra that would be suitable for Paris, which was undergoing a major remodeling. A competition was held in 1861, and the plan of the up-and-coming Charles Garnier was adopted. Queen Eugénie, a close friend of Viollet-le-Dejuc, was not pleased with Garnier's plan and complained, "What is this? It is neither classical nor Louis XVI style. Garnier replied, "No, it is in the style of Napoleon III.
As Garnier predicted, the New Opéra became a representative building of the Second Empire, and its eclectic style came to be called the Napoleon III style or the Second Empire style, but the facade was barely completed in time for the reign of Napoleon III.
The reason for this is that it took a lot of time and money to build the foundation of this huge structure. The reason was that when digging underground, they hit the ruins of a huge Roman quarry, into which groundwater flowed, creating a kind of "lake. Inspired by this episode, Gaston Leroux wrote Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera) in 1910.
Chuokoron Shinsha, Shigeru Kashima, A Literary Guide to Paris, p. 54-55
It was surprising to learn that the basement of the Paris Opera House was actually like a lake. And it was even more romantic because it was an ancient Roman ruin.
Let us now enter the interior of the Opera House.
The entrance is like a dimly lit underground space, and the mood is already excellent. Walking through the hall lined with columns, I felt as if I had entered the world of a story. I felt as if I had entered the world of a story. I was already excited.
Finally, it begins. If I climb the stairs on both sides of this building, that "familiar grand staircase" will be waiting for me...!
The grand staircase of the Phantom of the Opera is the most famous one in the world.
Since we're at it, here's a vertical photo as well.
When I was in this space, "Masquerade" was ringing in my brain.
After ascending the stairs, I found a hallway on each floor, displaying a variety of costumes, perhaps costumes of past generations.
Another famous room in the Opéra Garnier is the opulent Grand Foyer. It is said to be a room used for intermission of the opera, but it is unbelievably luxurious. But it is not so luxurious as to make one feel uncomfortable. It was not a "rich man's" atmosphere, but something sophisticated. It is difficult to find the right balance between the two, but I was amazed at how well the project had been executed by Napoleon III. This luxurious, gorgeous, and beautiful construction is called the "Napoleon III style.
Now it's time to enter the place. Some areas are open to the general public, and from there you can lean back and look at the whole place. I waited my turn and waited for the right moment.
We finally made it to the front of the line. We are not on the ground floor, but in a larger box-like area above it. From here downstairs, you cannot enter without signing up for a guided tour.
Even from this position at the end of the hall, the stage seemed surprisingly close.
Ceiling.That chandelier.and Chagall's painting. This is irresistible.
It's a little hard to see in the picture, but the box seat with the second protrusion from the very back on the second floor is the reserved seat for the phantom. Let's go up to the box seat.
In this picture, the door in the middle is the door leading to the phantom box.
Oh! It is properly marked as box 5!
Let's drop in further.
Wow! There is even a name plate for the phantom! I was so excited about this.
I stood in front of the door for a while looking at it, impressed, but for some reason, no one came here at all. In this picture, there are a couple of parents and children who came to see the door, but hardly anyone came this far in the 10 minutes or so I was there.
The Phantom of the Opera" is supposed to be popular, but I wondered why it was so quiet here.
I think, first of all, that the Opera House is not interested in advertising these phantom box seats. There is no signage at all, so unless you are aware of the existence of these seats and come here for them, you will probably not notice them. The seats are located at the end of the corridor, so I doubt that many people come all the way down here without a second thought.
It is hard to imagine that "Phantom of the Opera" is not that popular to begin with. I thought that if they marketed this place, more people would come to enjoy the quiet box seats. But, hey, if you can monopolize this space in such a quiet atmosphere, why not? It is horrible to imagine waiting in line in front of the door. That would be a tragedy. Yes, that's fine. This is fine. This is fine.
Now let's go downstairs and leave this theater.
Just walking down these stairs makes you feel as if you were on stage.
It was a wonderful place. It is definitely a must-see for "Phantom of the Opera" fans. Of course, even if you are not familiar with "The Phantom of the Opera," the magnificent Napoleon III style is a must-see.
This is definitely a must-see point of interest in Paris. I highly recommend this spot.
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