The Opéra de Marseille stands near the Old Port on the remains of the Grand-Théâtre, which opened in 1787. That theatre gave French premieres such as Verdi's Aida in 1877. In November 1919 a fire destroyed the building except for its outer walls and colonnade. Under the direction of Gaston Castel, a new Art Deco auditorium was built behind them and opened in December 1924 with Ernest Reyer's Sigurd. With three tiers of boxes, two balconies and a gallery, it seats around 1,800, and a large sculpted frieze by Antoine Bourdelle frames the stage. The building has been a listed historic monument since 1997. Plácido Domingo and Renata Scotto made their French debuts here. Since 2014 the 800-seat Théâtre de l'Odéon has been part of the house, dedicated to operetta.
The Opéra de Marseille, founded in 1786, burned down completely in 1919 and was rebuilt in Art Deco style — the current hall from 1924 is one of the most elegant examples of this stylistic era.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Marseille, France
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