Opéra-Comique facts for kids
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Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique
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Interior of the Salle Favart, 2008
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| Merged into | Comedie-Italienne (1762) Théâtre Feydeau (1801) |
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| Formation | 1714 |
| Founder | Catherine Baron, Louis Gaultier de St. Edme |
| Founded at | Foire Saint-Germain |
| Type | Opera company |
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| Leader | Olivier Mantei |
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Formerly called
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The Opéra-Comique is a famous opera company in Paris, France. It started around 1714 at popular fair theatres. In 1762, it joined forces with its main competitor, the Comédie-Italienne. For a while, it even used that name.
Today, its official name is Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique. Its theatre, called the Salle Favart, can hold about 1,248 people. It's located in Paris, not far from another famous opera house, the Palais Garnier. The Opéra-Comique has played a huge part in French opera history. Its goal today is to explore its unique collection of operas and share them with everyone.
Some of the most popular operas performed by the company include Carmen (over 2,500 times!), Manon, Mignon, and Lakmé. These shows have been performed more than 1,000 times each!
Contents
How the Opéra-Comique Began
For hundreds of years, popular 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 Académie royale de Musique. This made it harder for fair troupes to use music in their performances. Later, in 1697, the Italian theatre group at the Hôtel de Bourgogne was banned from Paris. They had performed a play that made fun of the King's wife.
The fair theatres quickly started performing many of the Italian group's plays. These included funny versions of operas. But soon, the main opera and theatre companies saw the fair theatres as competition. They made rules even stricter. At one point, fair performers had to act silently. Their speeches were shown on large cue cards! Then, they tried having musicians play tunes while the audience sang along. The words were even displayed on a big banner.
Becoming the Opéra-Comique
In 1713 and 1714, the fair theatre groups made new deals. They paid a yearly fee to perform light comedies with songs and dances. They could also use proper sets and theatre machines. Most importantly, they were allowed to use the name "Opéra-Comique."
The first show officially called an 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. At first, the person who wrote the words (the librettist) was more important than the composer. Charles-Simon Favart was a very important librettist for over 40 years. He wrote his first work in 1734.
In 1743, a man named Jean Monnet took over the Opéra-Comique. He improved the theatre and brought together talented artists. These included Favart, who also directed plays, and the famous stage designer François Boucher. The company became very successful.
Monnet opened a new, bigger theatre in 1752. This was important because it meant the company could perform even when the fairs weren't happening. During this time, music became much more important in the shows. Composers like Antoine Dauvergne, Egidio Duni, François-André Danican Philidor, and Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny wrote new works.
The writer Michel-Jean Sedaine wrote his first opera for the company, Le diable à quatre, in 1756. Many composers later wrote music for this work, including Christoph Willibald Gluck.
Changes and Growth (1762-1807)
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On February 3, 1762, the Opéra-Comique joined with the Comédie-Italienne. They moved into the Hôtel de Bourgogne. This made the company more respected, but it lost some of its freedom. The king officially renamed the company Opéra-Comique in 1780.
In 1783, the company moved again to the first Salle Favart. This theatre was built where the current one stands today. Around this time, the works of André Grétry were very popular.
After 1791, many new theatres opened, creating 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 was named one of the four most important theatres.
The 19th Century and Beyond
In the 19th century, "opéra comique" didn't always mean "funny." It was a broader term for works that often included spoken dialogue between songs. Important composers like Daniel Auber, Fromental Halévy, Hector Berlioz, and Georges Bizet wrote for the Opéra-Comique.
In 1840, the company moved into the second Salle Favart. This new theatre was built after the first one was destroyed by fire in 1838. The new building opened with a show called Le Pré aux clercs.
The Opéra-Comique premiered many famous French works. These included Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust (1846), Thomas' Mignon (1866), and Bizet's Carmen (1875). Later in the century, they also premiered 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, killed 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 "opera" and "opéra comique" became less clear, the two main opera houses in Paris competed more. Still, the Salle Favart hosted the premieres of many 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 over 400 works by more than 200 different composers. Many of these were world premieres.
In 1939, financial problems led to the Opéra-Comique joining with the Paris Opéra. After World War II, many of the Opéra-Comique's best artists and shows were moved to the Opéra.
In the 1950s, the Opéra-Comique found new energy. They brought back old favorites and introduced new works 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 were staged at the theatre again starting in 1978. They performed both traditional and more adventurous works. In 1987, the theatre hosted a major baroque opera revival, Atys. The company eventually became independent again in 1990.
Today, the Opéra-Comique puts on 7 or 8 operas each season. They also have concerts and exhibitions. Like many other opera houses, they sometimes show performances in cinemas. In 2013, one critic said that the Opéra-Comique had done the best job of creating its own unique style and producing high-quality shows.
In 2015, the theatre closed for 18 months for big renovations. It reopened in 2017 with a special performance of Marais's Alcione.
Theatres Used by the Opéra-Comique
| Theatre | Dates used | Notes |
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| at fairs, seasonally | 1714 – 1762 | Performed at the St Germain and St Laurent fairs. |
| Hôtel de Bourgogne | 3 February 1762 – 4 April 1783 | Joined with the Comédie-Italienne. |
| Salle Favart (1st) | 28 April 1783 – 20 July 1801 | The first Salle Favart was destroyed by fire in 1838. |
| Salle Feydeau | 16 September 1801 – 22 July 1804 | Merged with Théâtre Feydeau, but kept the Opéra-Comique name. |
| Salle Favart (1st) | 23 July 1804 – 4 July 1805 | Except for a short time at the Salle Olympique. |
| Salle Feydeau | 2 September 1805 – 12 April 1829 | |
| Salle Ventadour | 20 April 1829 – 22 March 1832 | Built specifically for the Opéra-Comique. |
| Salle de la Bourse | 24 September 1832 – 30 April 1840 | Also known as the Théâtre des Nouveautés. |
| Salle Favart (2nd) | 16 May 1840 – 25 May 1887 | Except for a short time at Salle Ventadour. The second Salle Favart was destroyed by fire in 1887. |
| Salle du Théâtre Lyrique | 15 October 1887 – 30 June 1898 | Located at Place du Châtelet. |
| Théatre du Château-d'Eau | 26 October – 30 November 1898 | |
| Salle Favart (3rd) | 7 December 1898 – present | Declared a historic monument in 1977. |
Images for kids
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Main entrance of the theatre, 2012
In Spanish: Teatro Nacional de la Opéra-Comique para niños Frédéric Blasius
