Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin

The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.

Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin
The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in 2009
Map
Address18 Boulevard Saint-Martin
LocationParis, France
Coordinates48°52′8.5″N 2°21′24″E / 48.869028°N 2.35667°E / 48.869028; 2.35667
TypeTheatre
Construction
Opened1781 (1781)
Renovated1873
ArchitectOscar de la Chardonnière
Website
www.portestmartin.com

History

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The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin c.1790

It was first built very rapidly in 1781 under the direction of Nicolas Lenoir [fr] (1726–1810) to house the Paris Opéra, whose previous home, the second Salle du Palais-Royal, had burned down on 8 June 1781. The new theatre had a capacity of about 2,000 spectators and included a parterre with the lowest-priced tickets sold only to males who stood throughout the performances, an amphitheatre, and four rows of boxes. The Opéra used the theatre from 27 October 1781 until August 1794.[1][2]

The theatre was destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune of 1871 and replaced in 1873 with a building designed by the architect Oscar de la Chardonnière (d. 1881), who enlisted the aid of the sculptor Jacques-Hyacinthe Chevalier (1825–1895) in the design of the new facade. The new interior was designed by H. Chevalier.[2] With relatively brief interruptions, the theatre has been in continuous operation since.

Premieres

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Three of the above were the basis of opera libretti:

The theatre's other productions have included the ballet Leda, the Swiss Milkmaid (1823) and works by Dany Boon, Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson and Gaston Arman de Caillavet.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Paris" 3: 862, 867. Sadie, Stanley, ed. (1992). The new Grove dictionary of opera (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-56159-228-9.
  2. ^ a b "Atlantes et cariatides des grands boulevards - Paris.fr" (in French).
  3. ^ "Orange". Retrieved 1 September 2016.
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