Opéra-Comique facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Opéra-Comique

Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique
Interior of the Salle Favart, 2008
Merged into	Comedie-Italienne (1762) Théâtre Feydeau (1801)
Formation	1714
Founder	Catherine Baron, Louis Gaultier de St. Edme
Founded at	Foire Saint-Germain
Type	Opera company
Location	Place Boïeldieu, Paris
Leader	Olivier Mantei
Formerly called	Nouvel Opéra-Comique de Dominique Nouvel Opéra-Comique de Baxter et Sorin Théâtre de la Foire Saint-Germain Théâtre de la Foire Saint-Laurent Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique de la Foire Saint-Germain Comédie-Italienne Théâtre-Italien

The Opéra-Comique is a famous opera company in Paris, France. It started around 1714 at popular street fairs. In 1762, it joined with its main competitor, the Comédie-Italienne. For a while, it even used that name.

Today, its official name is the Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique. Its theatre, called the Salle Favart, can hold about 1,248 people. It is located in Paris, not far from another famous opera house, the Palais Garnier.

The Opéra-Comique has played a big part in the history of French opera. Its goal today is to explore its unique collection of works. It wants to share these operas with many people. Some of the most popular operas performed here include Carmen (over 2,500 times!), Manon, Lakmé, and Mignon.

How It Started

The Muse of Comedy bringing together Poetry, Music, and Dance to create Opéra Comique (1722).

For hundreds of years, fun shows were part of the seasonal fairs in Paris. These shows included funny plays, acrobatics, and puppet shows. They also had music, like popular songs called vaudevilles. People from all walks of life enjoyed these shows on simple stages.

However, in 1672, King Louis XIV created the Royal Academy of Music, also known as the Opéra. This made it harder for fair troupes to use music in their shows.

In 1697, the Italian actors at the Hôtel de Bourgogne were banned from Paris. This happened because they made fun of the King's wife in a play. The fair theatres quickly started performing many of the Italian plays, including funny versions of operas.

Soon, the Opéra and the Comédie-Française saw the fair theatres as competition. They made rules even stricter. Fairground performers tried clever ways to get around the rules. They would show the actors' lines on big cards. Then, musicians would play a popular tune, and the audience would sing along while the actors stayed silent. Sometimes, the words were even shown on a large banner.

First Steps and Early Years

Charles-Simon Favart

In 1713 and 1714, several fair troupes made new deals with the Opéra's managers. For a yearly fee, they could perform light comedies with songs and dances. They could also use sets and stage machines. They were even allowed to use the name "Opéra-Comique."

The first show officially called "Opéra-Comique" was Télémaque in 1715. It was a funny version of an opera. The words were by Alain-René Lesage, and the music was put together by Jean-Claude Gillier. In these early days, the person who wrote the words (the librettist) was more important than the composer. Charles-Simon Favart was a very important librettist for over forty years.

In 1743, a man named Jean Monnet took over the Opéra-Comique. He improved the theatre and brought together many talented artists. These included Favart, who also directed plays, and the famous stage designer François Boucher. However, the company became too successful, and the Opéra did not renew Monnet's contract in 1745.

Monnet returned in 1751 and remained director until 1757. During this time, Boucher designed a new theatre for the company in 1752. This new theatre was important because it allowed the company to perform even when the fair was not open. New works started to appear that had more music, like Italian operas. Composers like Antoine Dauvergne, Egidio Duni, François-André Danican Philidor, and Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny wrote music for the company.

From 1762 to 1807

The first Salle Favart, used from 1783 to 1801.

On February 3, 1762, the Opéra-Comique joined with the Comédie-Italienne. It moved into the Hôtel de Bourgogne. The king officially renamed the company Opéra-Comique in 1780.

In 1783, the company moved again to the Salle Favart, which could seat about 1,100 people. This is where the current theatre stands today. Around this time, operas by André Grétry were very popular.

After 1791, many new theatres opened, leading to more competition. The Opéra-Comique merged with the Théâtre Feydeau in 1801. By 1807, Napoleon limited the number of theatres in Paris. The Opéra-Comique became one of the four main theatres.

The 19th Century

Fire at the second Salle Favart on May 25, 1887.

In the 19th century, "opéra comique" didn't always mean "funny." It was a broader term for operas that often included spoken dialogue between the songs. Important composers like Daniel Auber, Fromental Halévy, Hector Berlioz, and Georges Bizet wrote for the Opéra-Comique.

In 1840, the Opéra-Comique moved into the second Salle Favart. This new building was built on the site of the first theatre, which had burned down in 1838. The new house opened with a show called Le Pré aux clercs.

The Opéra-Comique premiered many important French works. These included Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust (1846), Thomas' Mignon (1866), and Bizet's Carmen (1875). Later in the century, the theatre also showed new pieces like Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann (1881), Delibes' Lakmé (1883), and Massenet's Manon (1884).

Sadly, a fire at the Salle Favart on May 25, 1887, caused the death of 84 people. The building was destroyed. The third Salle Favart was officially opened on December 7, 1898.

The 20th Century and Today

As the differences between "opéra" and "opéra comique" became less clear, the two main opera houses in Paris competed more. However, the Salle Favart continued to premiere new and exciting works. These included Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (1902) and Ravel's L'heure espagnole (1911). Between 1900 and 1950, the Opéra-Comique performed 401 works by 206 different composers.

In 1939, financial problems led to the Opéra-Comique joining with the Opéra. They became the 'Réunion des Théatres Lyriques Nationaux'. After World War II, many of the Opéra-Comique's best artists and works were moved to the Opéra.

In the 1950s, the Opéra-Comique found new energy. It brought back older shows and introduced new ones to attract audiences. However, in 1972, the Opéra-Comique company was closed. Its government funding was given to the Opéra.

Even though the company was disbanded, shows started to be staged at the theatre again in 1978. It performed both traditional and more adventurous works. In 1987, it hosted a major revival of the baroque opera Atys. The company regained its independence in 1990.

Today, the Opéra-Comique puts on 7 or 8 operas each season. It also offers concerts and exhibitions. Like many other opera houses, it broadcasts performances to cinemas across France and Europe. In 2015, the theatre closed for 18 months for major renovations. It reopened in 2017 with a performance of Marais's Alcione.

Theatres Used by the Opéra-Comique

Famous Premieres

Directors of the Opéra-Comique

Music Directors

Images for kids

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  Theatres of the Opéra-Comique (1883): 1. Salle de la Foire St Laurent; 2. Hôtel de Bourgogne; 3. Salle Favart (1st); 4. Salle Feydeau; 5. Salle Ventadour; 6. Salle de la Bourse; 7. Salle Favart (2nd).

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  Main front of the theatre, 2012.

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  A scene from Le diable à quatre with text by Michel-Jean Sedaine.

See also

In Spanish: Teatro Nacional de la Opéra-Comique para niños