Paris - Opéra Bastille - 4me

Plate XL - Opera Bastille…

My favourite performance of music by the often sombre German composer Wagner is conducted by a Frenchman. Listen to ‘Boulez Conducts Wagner’ and you’ll understand why.

France’s Théâtre National Populaire owes its continued existence mainly to one man - actor and director Jean Vilar.

Anyone who knows or cares about dance is familiar with the name Maurice Béjart and with his unique convergence of classical, jazz and modern choreography.

As you’ll shortly see there is a link between these three men of the arts.

On 14th July 1789 (commemorated in modern times as France’s national day), the notorious mediaeval Parisian fortress prison and symbol of repression known as the Bastille was stormed by a mob in the opening days of the Révolution. Famously, only a scant few prisoners were found to be incarcerated within its walls. For over a century the site of the destroyed Bastille was later occupied by a train station, built in 1859 and closed at the end of 1969.

On July 13th 1989 a new building was inaugurated on the site with a concert conducted by Georges Prêtre, and featuring Placido Domingo and Theresa Berganza. It was the Opéra Bastille, first proposed in a report submitted to French President Francois Mitterand in 1968 and promoted by Boulez, Béjart, and Vilar.

Finally built to a design by architect Carlos Ott, Opéra Bastille has since 1990 been home to the Théâtre Nationale de l'Opéra, formerly based in the better known Opéra Garnier (home to the legendary Phantom).  

During opera seasons the cultural juxtaposition found at this modern French centre for the performing arts, facing onto a nearby fast food outlet serving the 'take-away' feeding tourist hordes that frequent the city and crowd the opera steps to eat, creates an interesting mix of customers as patrons of the Opéra in evening finery sidestep the casually attired visitors.

Pommes frites, anyone?