In 1875 Bizet’s Carmen had its world premiere here at the Opéra-Comique. Also Debussy’s Pelleas et Mélisande and Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann had their world premieres here, so this is a hall that is full of great opera history.
Opéra-Comique 2006
The performance I saw here in 2006 was of The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), sung in Italian with French titles. It was a light-hearted, enthusiastic performance with fine singers and even some acrobats who did funny and appropriate things without getting in the way of the music.
(As a paid-up member of the German Rossini Society I tend to feel a proprietary interest in Rossini’s operas, LOL, and am always glad to see them performed well.)
People in the lobby during the intermission
Opéra Comique, 5, rue Favart (Place Boieldieu), 75002 Paris
Location, aerial view and photo on monumentum.fr.
See also Auber at the Opéra-Comique
and Gounod at the Opéra-Comique.
Looks like a beautiful Opera house!
Hi Simone. Yes, it is. And now it’s even better since a recent renovation which preserved its character while making it accessible to all and bringing it up to modern safety standards.
I haven’t sung much Rossini I must speak to my professor about correcting that.
Good idea.