Opera Garnier

The Opéra de Paris, or Paris Opera, has had several names, including “Royal Academy of Music and Dance” at its birth and later “Imperial Academy”, and its activities have been held in at least fifteen different auditoriums. Louis XIV assigned exclusive operation to Abbey Perrin and composer Robert Cambert in 1669, in order to give “opera academies or music performances in the French language the same standing as those of Italy”. The Marquis de Sourdéac became the director and Beauchamps the ballet master. The singer Monier set off for Languedoc to recruit the finest voices. The Salle du Jeu de Paume was leased for five years starting in 1670 and outfitted as a theatre. It was inaugurated with Pomone by Perrin and Cambert. Lully then purchased the privilege in 1672 and banished from its stage any work that was not his. He remained there for fifteen years, setting the rules of French opera, inspired by Roman opera.