Opera di Monte Carlo

Speranza

Like the Opera di Parigi, the Opera di Monte Carlo is a lavishly ornamented building. The three large windows give access to a balcony from which one can survey the coast as far as Bordighera. Two pieces of sculpture stand at either end of this balcony, of interest because one, "Le Chant" is by the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt, the other, "La Danse", by the artist Gustav Doré. Above the windows, Venetian artist Facchina completed a freize of mosaic, one and a quarter metres high, in a design of lyres intertwined with antique masks. In the bright Riviera sunlight his blue, purple, red, green and gold glazes glows against the white of the wall. Above the frieze three oeils-de-boeuf stare out from under the eaves of the roof. The centre of the facciata is flanked b y two wide fenestrated pilasters rising to the two minarets, a height of thirty-eight and a half metres. Between them the domed copper roof of the theatre, once again like the Opera di Parigi, is decoratively crowned.

Architecturally, the main entrance to the opera is designed for the Prince's private box. The entrance was built on the south-west side of the building looking straight across the harbour to the palace and is approached by an ornamental terrace. Two great statues representing Sculpture and Industry guard the portico on either side. Allegorical figures bearing the shield of Monaco surmount the tall arched doorway. From the entrance a stairway rises steeply to a corridor, leading on the left to a private room, on the right to the Prince's box.

The vestibule gives access to a large high oblong salon known as the atrium or promenoir. Twenty columns support a gallery which runs along its walls. Four other columns at each end of the salon frame doorways.

Light enters by day through an ornamental stained glass roof, while by night twelve vases capped by twelve white glass globes furnish gas light.

A magnificent broze group of statuary decorate each of the four corners of the balcony, and the entire salon is lavishly decorated in what is described aas Louis Quatorze style.

From this atrium one enters the opera itself.

The visitor is dazzled as by a golden dream.

Gold and again gold on friezes, on garlands, on caryatids, in foliated scrolls.

Garnier tried to compress the decorative profusion of the Opera di Parigi into a twenty-metre cube, for twenty metres long, broad and high are the measurements of the Monte Carlo auditorium.

The auditorium accomodates an audience over six hundred with seating arranged almost entirely as a bank of stalls on a floor ramped towards the stage. All the seats are covered in red plush.

The stage is twelve metres wide by nine high. Its area is vast.

A relief composed of two reclining figures ornament the facciata over the proscenium arch.

The auditorium ceiling, its apex richly framed in garlands, is divided into four high vaulted arches.

In the four arched corners, great figures -- their arms outstretched, holding palms -- help to frame four large paintings, fifteen metres wide by six high, which decorate the ceiling's curved sides.

The paintings, each by a different artist, representing allegorical scenes.

Over the stage was Music.

To the right, Drama.

To the left, Dance.

And, at the back of the theatre, Song.

An elaborate cornice crowned by three oeils-de-boeuf on each side formed the base of the ceiling, merging it into the walls of the auditorium.

The corners of the auditorium are occupied by four curved boxes which, because of their design, have been called the 'loges bénitières' or holy-water stoup boxes.

Beneath these boxes are niches intended to hold vases filled with flowers and lights.

There wasonly three other boxes, the Prince's box which faces the stage from the centre of the rear wall and, on either side but completely separated from it, two others, one for the government, the second for the administration.

The Prince's box projects as a curved balcony, and is richly hung with silks and velvets.

Over it a canopy, festooned with garlands and foliated patterns and surmounted by the sovereign crown, is supported by four sculptured columns.

Ornamented pilasters frame the sides of the two adjoining boxes, also luxuriously furnished, which have been recessed into the wall.

The wall on the right of the auditorium, facing the stage, consist of the three enormous windows already described from the outside.

The wall opposite to it present a similar design but, instead of windows, the centre arcade frames a door, while those on either side are fitted with great mirrors.

During afternoon concerts one can therefore not only enjoy watching the Mediterranean on the right, but feel surrounded by it from its reflection in the mirrors on the left.

For evening performances the windows are curtained with heavy dark-coloured drapes.

The centre door on the left wall is the main entrance to the auditorium from the atrium.

Two caryatids in Florentine bronze, representing Literature and Music, stand on either side of it.

On the facciata above, two cherubs support the Monaco shield in a bronze sculpture coipied from a  work over a door at the Hotel Carnavalet, Parigi.

The light for evening performances comes from a splendid crystal and gilt chandelier lit by gas, which is suspended from a gilt grille encircled with garlands of leaves in the centre of the ceiling.

Smaller chandeliers are in the four corners of the ceiling.

Since the opera is used as a concert hall, Garnier decided to construct a permanent surround for the stage, made of wood and decorated in the same style as the auditorium.

This surround has five doors, one in the centre at the back and two at each side. Above the doors, on a gilt background, a vividly coloured frieze, divided into panels, is painted by different artists.

On the right, Music is depicted by a procession of Grecian figures.

On the left, a garland of male and female figures represent Dance.

At the back, three panels portray Poetry, Song, and Drama.

A few square metres of undecorated surface was still visible, so Garnier decided almost at curtain rise to have them embellished.

Where werethey? Where else but on the reveals of the architraves of the five doors of the stage.

So, room was found for even more antique figures.

While it may be fun for the audience to watch the conductor's baton and the movement of the violinists' bowing, it is much more exalting to the soul to allow one's eyes to rove about the theatre and gaze on works of art while listening to the music.

The theatre ends behind the stage.

The north-east facciata is a copy of the opposite side except that the monumental entrance to the Prince's box is here replaced by a large bay window.

A terrace outside is decorated by yet another pair of large statues representing Painting and Architecture.

Inside, a small foyer for the artists, lighted by the by window, completes the space between the back of the stage and the outer wall. Above this are two floors of dressing rooms.

How should this extraordinary edifice be described?
Is it Palladian, oriental, rococo, neo-classic?

I would call it "Second Empire" if such an architectural style existed -- "or even if it didn't", my aunt remarks.

The same question, incidentally, when the opera was built back in the day, provoked the following answer:

"All styles are in it, there is not any one in particular. The truth is, it can only be called the Garnier style."

With the passing of time, so it remains an impressive monument to Garnier and a charming theatre epitomising the origins of Monte Carlo.

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