Spent a couple of days in Paris before heading south to Les Soeurs Anglaises. The highlights were a visit to the Opera Garnier (magnificent!) and the fabric and haberdashery shops at the foot of the Sacre Coeur.
My photos of the Grand Staircase didn't come out too well, so this is just one of the side staircases:
The Grand Foyer which runs along the front of the building:
The Loggia outside the Grand Foyer:
View from the centre of the loggia, looking straight down Rue de l'Opera (I now realise I don't have a photo of the front of the building itself):
The foyer at the top of the Grand Staircase (which was full of people posing for photos):
Marc Chagall ceiling in the auditorium and fabulous chandelier:
Horseshoe auditorium, entirely lined with boxes (apart from a few normal seats at the very top):
The stalls (note the 'proper' seats - no tilt-seats here!). Even the carpet was plush red. (The photo was taken from the other side of the auditorium, which is why the seats are facing the opposite direction.) The rear rows looked very well raked and I think must be very good seats.
Trompe-l'oeil safety curtain:
One of the Rotunde rooms. Two small circular rooms similarly decorated but one is the Sun (gold) and the other the Moon (silver with owls and bats painted on the ceiling). This set of mirrors were almost perfectly parallel, so the infinity reflections were in straight line:
One of the small stage models in the museum. The sense of distance created by the various backdrops was amazing.
There was a display of some ballet and opera costumes. This one included the King Rat headdress from The Nutcracker:
The Opera House's website has a virtual visit which has far better pictures than mine! http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/L_Opera/Palais_Garnier/visite_virtuelle.php
There was also an exhibition of costume designs:
I liked the wallpaper so much I took some close-ups. The trees look like they're been drawn with a marker pen:
Jurgen Rose - Costume des filles-fleurs pour Parsifal de Wagner, 1973:
Christian Lacroix - Costume pour une danseuse pour Les Anges ternis, ballet de Karole Armitage, 1987:
Michael Levine - Costume d'Olympia pour Les Contes d'Hoffmann d'Offenbach, 2000:
Herve Pierre - Costume de la huitieme fille pour Le Parc, ballet d'Angelin Preljocaj, 1994:
Bernard Dayde - Costume des sept filles avec Thesee pour Bacchus et Ariane, ballet de Michel Descombey, 1967:
Mauro Pagano - Costumes du choeur des furies pour Iphigenie en Tauride de Gluck, 1984 (these were scary - very suitable for Dr Who!):
Franca Squarciapino - Costume du rajah et due brahmane pour La Bayadere, ballet de Rudolph Noureev (d'apres Marius Petipa), 1992:
Jean Sardy - Costume du sorcier pour L'Apprenti sorcier, ballet de Norbert Schmucki, 1973:
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