Sep 23, 2009

Prendre de la hauteur


Plafond de l'opéra Garnier, peint par Marc Chagall Paris, Sept.22, 2009

4 comments:

Mary McGagh said...

Exstatic...Your photo of the Marc Chagall ceiling is very similar to the photo I took when I went to see Oneguine this past May, and I posted it to my blog on my Paris trip. I first saw the Chagall ceiling in April of 1987. Do you know when Chagall completed the painting?

Also, have you seen the film or the DVD "Callas Forever," Zeffirelli's tribute to Maria Callas? Fanny Ardant gives a superb performance lip synching to original Callas recordings.

Mary

Extatic said...

I have never seen the DVD (I'm quite allergic to Franco Zefirelli).

I also have no idea when the ceiling was completed - since I'm quite allergic to this style of painting also.

I do care a lot on the other hand about the history of the building and the little details of its birth.

Mary McGagh said...

Extatic (correct spelling this time)....
You may find this link on the history of Opéra Garnier interesting:
http://www.buffaloah.com/a/virtual/fr/opera/index.html

The following is an excerpt: "In the auditorium itself, the great chandelier illuminates the ceiling by Marc Chagall, which has, since 1964, covered the original work of Jules-Eugène Lenepveu. Echoing the colorful style dear to Charles Garnier's, Chagall has designed his painting as a living image of the festive spirit surrounding each performance: luminous, fluid figures surge forth, contrasting with the gold and red tones of the theatre.

Incidentally, I noted in May that the Garnier now seems to be referred to as the Palais Garnier, perhaps to differentiate it further from the Opéra Bastille?

Extatic said...

There's no strict rules as to how to call the opéra Charles Garnier built.

For instance, I equally use the terms "Opéra Garnier", "Palais Garnier" or simply "Garnier"...