Inaugurated on 7 April 1780, the Grand-Théâtre de Bordeaux writes its history to the rhythm of the events that punctuate its existence. Victor Louis was the architect of the building, which is still considered today as one of the most beautiful theatres in the world. On its façade, 12 Corinthian columns. At their summit, 9 muses and 3 goddesses of ancient mythology, imagined by Pierre Berruer, fix the horizon. Almost a century later, the grand staircase inspired Charles Garnier to design the staircase for the Paris Opera.
The task of decorating the dome of the theatre was entrusted to Jean-Baptiste Robin. The theme chosen by the artist, “Apollo and the Muses enjoy the dedication of a temple erected by the city of Bordeaux”, is a triple homage, both allegorical and realistic, to the arts, to the craftsmen who built the theatre and to the city of Bordeaux. The present chandelier was installed in 1917. Weighing 1.2 tons, it is made of Bohemian crystals and has 400 lamps.
The exceptional acoustics due to the wooden carcass that envelops the hall add to the aesthetic value of the work. The most famous artists come to play in this architectural masterpiece: Liszt, Cinti-Damoreau, Falcon, Viardot, Talma, Nourrit, Duprez, Rubini, Petipa, Chaliapine, Schipa or, more recently, Placido Domingo, Gustav Lehonardt, Natalie Dessay, Cecilia Bartoli, Carolyn Carslon…
The Bordeaux National Opera at the Grand Théâtre
Today, under the direction of Marc Minkowski, the Opéra National de Bordeaux manages this stage and offers a large part of its programming there.
Within its walls, the Grand-Théâtre houses the artistic direction, the technical direction, the administrative and financial direction, the development and communication direction, the technical direction, the workshops and the guest artists.
