Académie Royale de Musique
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Le Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique (Theatre of the Royal Academy of Music) (which has also been known as the Théâtre Imperial de l´Opéra , Le Rue Petelier, or simply, Le Petelier, but more familiarly, as the Paris Opera) was the name of the theatre which housed the Paris Opera and the ballet company known today as the Paris Opera Ballet from 1821 to 1873. The theatre was designed by the architect Debret, and its construction was completed in only one year, and replaced its the previous theatre which occupied its space.
The theatre was opened in Paris in 1669, its first director of note being the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. He obtained for the Académie a virtual monopoly on opera and performances in Paris, and therefore in effect established the opera of the theatre as the French State Opera Company with generous government subsidies.
Thus, it became generally known as the Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera), as the opera made the theatre its principle venue in 1822, and played host to a great many masterworks of opera and ballet, including the entire romantic period of the latter, with the premieres of such works as Giselle and the original La Sylphide. The theatre was quite advanced for its time; on February 6, 1822 gas was used for the first time in order to light stage effects in Aladin ou La Lampe merveilleuse (Aladdin).
From 1816 the theatre was part of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. In 1822 the Opéra settled in the Rue Peletier. Under the management of Veron, it became renowned for the series of grand operas he produced, commencing with Robert le Diable (1831). The gas lighting that was so celebrated was also the theatre's undoing; it caught fire in 1873 and was completely destroyed. The ruins were demolished and the ground was sold off in 14 lots.
The opera and ballet companies were re-established in 1875 in the magnificent Palais Garnier, with the Académie being known today as the Opéra National de Paris. Today the opera's principle venue is the Opéra Bastille, although performances are still held at the Palais Garnier. The principle venue of the ballet remains the Palais Garnier.
