The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company that was started in 1714 by popular theaters from Parisian fairs. In 1762, the company joined with its main competitor, the Comédie-Italienne, and used that name for a while. It was also called the Théâtre-Italien until about 1793, when it became most commonly known as the Opéra-Comique again. The company's official name is Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique. Its theater, which holds about 1,248 seats, is sometimes called the Salle Favart and is located at Place Boïeldieu in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, near the Palais Garnier, a famous theater of the Paris Opéra. Musicians and others connected to the Opéra-Comique have contributed greatly to operatic history and tradition in France. Its goal is to reconnect with its history and share its special collection of operas to provide performances for the public. Some of the most frequently performed operas in the company's history include works that have been performed over 1,000 times, such as Cavalleria Rusticana, Le chalet, La dame blanche, Le domino noir, La fille du régiment, Lakmé, Manon, Mignon, Les noces de Jeannette, Le pré aux clercs, Tosca, La bohème, Werther, and Carmen, which has been performed over 2,500 times.
Origins
Since the Middle Ages, light theatrical performances were a common part of seasonal Parisian fairs, especially the Foire Saint-Germain and the Foire Saint-Laurent. These events included farces, tightrope acts, acrobatics, marionettes, and music such as vaudevilles and popular songs. Audiences came from all levels of society, and performances took place on temporary stages. However, in 1672, King Louis XIV created the Académie royale de Musique, also known as the Opéra, under Jean-Baptiste Lully. This led to a decrease in the use of music by fair troupes.
In 1697, Italian performers at the Hôtel de Bourgogne were banned from Paris for staging a comedy called La fausse prude ("The False Prude"), which mocked King Louis XIV’s wife, Madame de Maintenon. The fair theatres quickly took over many of the Italians’ performances, including parodies of operas and tragedies. Soon, the Opéra and the Comédie-Française saw the fair theatres as competitors and enforced stricter rules. In 1699 and 1706, the fair troupes received warnings from the police.
In 1708, fairground organizers Charles Alard and Maurice obtained permission from the Opéra’s director, Pierre Guyenet, to use singers, dancers, musicians, and sets. However, this arrangement ended when Guyenet died in 1712, leaving the Opéra with a debt of about 400,000 livres. Alard then held silent performances, with actors’ lines shown to the audience on large cue cards. Later, the troupes tried involving the audience by playing popular tunes and having spectators sing while actors remained silent. This was improved further when the lyrics were displayed on a large banner for the audience to see.
Foundation and early history
In 1713 and 1714, several theater groups signed new agreements with the creditors of Guyenet, who had become the managers of the expensive Opéra. For an annual fee, the groups were allowed to perform light comedies mixed with songs and dances, use stage sets and machines, and use the name "Opéra-Comique." The first work with this name was Télémaque, a parody of an opera by André Cardinal Destouches. It was first performed by the Théâtre de la Foire Saint-Germain in 1715. The text was written by Alain-René Lesage, the music was arranged by Jean-Claude Gillier, and the orchestra had 15 players. Lesage wrote many early opéras comiques, and composers like Gillier mostly arranged existing music. In 1716, Catherine Vanderberg, a leader of one group, bought more rights and began presenting original works by authors such as Jacques-Philippe d'Orneval, Alexis Piron, and Louis Fuzelier. At this time, the role of the librettist (the person who writes the story and lyrics) was more important than that of the composer. Charles-Simon Favart was the most prominent librettist for over forty years, making his first contribution in 1734 and achieving success with La chercheuse d'esprit in 1741.
In 1743, the impresario Jean Monnet paid 12,000 livres to the Opéra for the right to manage the Opéra-Comique. He renovated the theater and gathered talented artists, including Favart (who also directed), comedian Préville, stage designer François Boucher, ballet master Dupré, and his pupil Jean-Georges Noverre. Jean-Philippe Rameau may have led the orchestra. However, the Opéra refused to renew Monnet’s rights in 1745. After brief work in Lyon and failed productions in Dijon (1746) and London (1749), Monnet repurchased the rights in December 1751 and remained director until 1757.
During his second term as director, Monnet continued working with Favart and Noverre. Boucher designed and built a new theater for the company at the Foire Saint-Laurent in 1752. This theater was later moved to a wing of the Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs on the rue Bergère. It was used by the Opéra in 1781 and later became the first concert hall of the Paris Conservatory, founded in 1795. The new theater allowed the company to perform even when the fair was not active. Monnet’s friend Jean-Joseph Vadé wrote the libretto for Les troqueurs, first staged in July 1753 and advertised as a translation of an Italian work. The music was original, composed by Antoine Dauvergne, and marked the start of a period with more Italian-style works where music played a larger role. Composers during this time included Egidio Duni, François-André Danican Philidor, and Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny.
Michel-Jean Sedaine wrote the text for his first opera, Le diable à quatre, for the company in 1756. It premiered at the Fair Saint-Laurent on August 19, with lyrics for the ariettes (short songs) by Pierre Baurans. The music parodied works by composers such as Vincenzo Legrenzio Ciampi, Duni, Baldassare Galuppi, and Giuseppe Scarlatti, and included music attributed to French composers Jean-Louis Laurette and Philidor. Later, Christoph Willibald Gluck composed his own version of the work, which premiered in Laxenburg, Austria, on May 28, 1759. Other versions were later created by Bernardo Porta (February 14, 1790) and Jean-Pierre Solié (November 30, 1809).
1762 to 1807
On February 3, 1762, the Opéra-Comique was combined with the Comédie-Italienne and moved to the Hôtel de Bourgogne. This change gave the company more respect but reduced its independence. In 1780, the king issued an order renaming the company to Opéra-Comique. However, the names Comédie-Italienne and Théâtre Italien were still often used by the public and newspapers for many years. In 1783, the company moved again to the Salle Favart, a theater designed by architect Jean-François Heurtier and with about 1,100 seats. This location is where the theater remains today. Around this time, the works of composer Grétry were performed frequently.
After the Law of 1791, which allowed more opera houses to open, the Opéra-Comique faced competition from the Théâtre Feydeau. This competition was resolved in 1801 through a merger. By 1807, Napoleon had limited theatrical freedoms, and the Opéra-Comique was designated as one of four main theaters in Paris.
The 19th century
French opéra comique in the 19th century was not always "comic" in the traditional sense of having happy endings or being funny. The term described a wide variety of musical works. Important composers associated with the Opéra-Comique included Auber, Halévy, Berlioz, and Bizet. After the Italian composer Rossini arrived in Paris, new works at the Opéra-Comique began to use Italian vocal styles and techniques, which increased the skill level of performers. However, the overall repertory resisted the strong influence of Italian music.
In 1840, the Opéra-Comique moved to the second Salle Favart, designed by architect Louis Charpentier and seating 1,500 people. This building was constructed on the site of the first theatre, which had burned down in 1838. The new venue opened with a revival of Hérold’s Le Pré aux clercs. During the 1850s and 1860s, the Théâtre Lyrique competed with the Opéra-Comique by staging similar types of works and focusing on producing new compositions.
Performances at the Opéra-Comique occurred most evenings, except during major festivals. Tickets for private boxes could be purchased for an entire year, and many buyers were wealthy. Before 1848, about one-third of ticket holders were members of the aristocracy, but after that year, the audience became mostly middle-class. After 1848, Émile Perrin worked to bring more literary and ambitious works to the stage. Until 1864, the Opéra-Comique’s repertory was required by law to include spoken dialogue between musical numbers.
The Opéra-Comique was the first theatre to stage important French works, such as Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust (1846), Thomas’s Mignon (1866), and Bizet’s Carmen (1875). Later in the century, the theatre revived its own earlier works, restaged pieces from the Théâtre Lyrique (which had closed in 1872), and introduced new productions, including Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann (1881), Delibes’s Lakmé (1883), Massenet’s Manon (1884), Esclarmonde (1889), and Werther (French premiere in 1893), and Charpentier’s Louise (1900).
A fire at the Salle Favart on May 25, 1887, caused the deaths of 84 people due to asphyxiation. The building was destroyed, and the director, Léon Carvalho, resigned. Later, he was cleared of blame and returned to lead the company from 1891 to 1897. The third Salle Favart, designed by architect Louis Bernier, was officially opened in the presence of President Félix Faure on December 7, 1898.
The 20th century and beyond
As the differences between opéra and opéra comique became less clear, the two main opera houses in Paris began competing more strongly. However, the Salle Favart continued to host the first performances of many new and creative works, such as Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (1902), Dukas' Ariane et Barbe-bleue (1907), Ravel's L'heure espagnole (1911), and French premieres of operas by Puccini and Falla. Between 1900 and 1950, 401 works by 206 composers were performed at the Opéra-Comique, including 222 that were either world premieres or first performed in Paris.
In June 1936, a broadcast of Les Contes d'Hoffmann was interrupted when a group of workers began a strike to demand the director's removal. In 1939, financial difficulties forced the Opéra-Comique to merge with the Opéra, forming the "Réunion des Théatres Lyriques Nationaux." Notable first performances during this time included Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tiresias (1947) and La Voix humaine (1959). However, by the end of World War II, the Opéra-Comique had gradually lost many of its best artists, resources, and operas to the Opéra.
The Opéra-Comique found new energy in the 1950s by performing works such as Roméo et Juliette, Orphée et Eurydice, Le roi malgré lui, and Les noces de Jeannette, as well as introducing new operas like Bluebeard's Castle and Volo di Notte to attract audiences and maintain interest from the arts community. In the early 1960s, Stéphane Wolff claimed the theatre could regain its independence and become the leading opera stage in France if managed well. However, in 1972, the Opéra-Comique company was closed, though the theatre continued to host visiting productions. Its government funding was combined with that of the Opéra.
Although the Opéra-Comique company was closed (followed by the closure of its opera classes at the Paris Conservatoire 20 years later), the theatre began staging works again in 1978, including traditional operas like Le médecin malgré lui and Werther, as well as more modern pieces like La chatte anglaise and L'Écume des Jours. The theatre also hosted performances by international stars, such as Jessye Norman in 1984. In 1987, it played a key role in reviving baroque opera with Atys by Les Arts Florissants. The company regained its independence in 1990 and returned to the Salle Favart, though with limited funding. Despite its small budget, the first director of the independent Opéra-Comique, Thierry Fouquet, aimed to balance its programming. He was succeeded in 1994 by Pierre Médecin, who led a centenary season in 1998 with a new production of Pelléas et Mélisande. Under Jérôme Savary from 2000, the theatre focused on musical comedy and operetta due to the loss of private sponsors. A 2004 decree emphasized the theatre's role in producing a wide range of works, from baroque opera to modern creations and preserving the Opéra-Comique's heritage.
Today, the Opéra-Comique performs 7 or 8 operas or opéra comiques each season, some of which are co-productions, along with concerts, recitals, and exhibitions. It also broadcasts performances to cinemas across France and Europe, such as Carmen in 2009 and Béatrice et Bénédict in 2010. In 2013, an opera critic noted that the Opéra-Comique had successfully developed a unique identity and maintained high-quality productions over the past seven seasons.
In the summer of 2015, the theatre closed for 18 months for major renovations, including upgrades to the costume department, the salle Bizet, and the hall Boieldieu. During the closure, a webopera and a fan zone at the UEFA Cup were held, where audiences could sing popular opéra-comique songs. The theatre reopened in 2017, beginning with the first stage production since the composer's death of Alcione by Marais, performed on 25 April 2017 with Jordi Savall conducting Le Concert des Nations.
Directors
The information below is gathered from Wild, Levin, and Wolff.
1829–1830 Paul-Auguste Ducis
1830, July – 5 August, Jean-François Boursault, Alexandre Huvé de Garel
1830–1831 Alexandre Singier
1831–1832 Émile Lubbert
1832, 14 January – 1 June, Émile Laurent
1832–1834 Paul Dutreich
1834–1845 François-Louis Crosnier, Alphonse Cerfbeer (administrator)
1845–1848 Alexandre Basset
1848–1857 Émile Perrin
1857–1860 Nestor Roqueplan
1860–1862 Alfred Beaumont
1862, 1 February – 20 December, Émile Perrin
1862–1870 Adolphe de Leuven, Eugène Ritt
1870–1874 Adolphe de Leuven, Camille du Locle
1874–1876 Camille du Locle
1876–1887 Léon Carvalho
1887, May to December, Jules Barbier
1888–1891 Louis Paravey
1891–1897 Léon Carvalho
1898–1913 Albert Carré
1914–1918 Pierre-Barthélemy Gheusi, Émile and Vincent Isola
1919–1925 Albert Carré, Émile and Vincent Isola
1925–1931 Louis Masson and Georges Ricou
1931–1932 Louis Masson
1932–1936 Pierre-Barthélemy Gheusi
1936–1939 14 member committee presided by Antoine Mariotte
1939–1940 Henri Busser
1941–1944 Max d'Ollone
1944 Lucien Muratore
1944 (Liberation) 4 member committee: Roger Désormière, Pierre Jamin, Louis Musy and Émile Rousseau
1945–1946 Albert Wolff
1946–1948 Henry Malherbe
1948–1951 Emmanuel Bondeville
1952–1953 Louis Beydts
1990–1994 Thierry Fouquet
1994–1999 Pierre Médecin
2000–2007 Jérôme Savary
2007–2015 Jérôme Deschamps
2015–2021 Olivier Mantei
2021–2026 Louis Langrée
Music directors
Théophile Tilmant served from 1849 to 1868. Adolphe Deloffre served from 1868 to 1876. Charles Constantin served in 1876. Charles Lamoureux served from 1876 to 1877. Jules Danbé served from 1877 to 1898. André Messager served from 1898 to 1904. Alexandre Luigini served from 1904 to 1906. François Ruhlmann served from 1906 to 1908. Gustave Doret served in 1909. François Ruhlmann served from 1910 to 1913. Paul Vidal served from 1914 to 1919. André Messager served from 1919 to 1921. Albert Wolff served from 1921 to 1924. Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht served from 1924 to 1925. Maurice Frigara served from 1925 to 1932. Paul Bastide served from 1932 to 1936. Eugène Bigot served from 1936 to 1944. André Cluytens served from 1947 to 1953.