Music in Paris

Opera was favored by the aristocracy and even more by the bourgeoisie. It played an important social as well as musical role in Paris.

In 1669 Louis XIV established the National Academy of Music which encompassed opera, music, and ballet. 

National Academy of Music
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Opera was once a state institution, a symbol of French culture, sovereignty and a reminder of the country’s royal heritage. 

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi led the way in politicizing opera compositions. He believed Opera should be dramatically realistic. As Italy struggled to achieve national unity, Verdi’s operas began to symbolize Italian nationalism. In order to have his operas produced in Paris Verdi was forced to make changes to satisfy the censors of nationalist references. He wanted to accommodate French taste and eventually inserted a gypsy dance.

Then came to rise Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhauser in March 1861. He declared it to be “the art of the future.” Wagner considered his work a new genre, a genre he called music drama. In music drama actions acted out on stage were visual and verbal manifestations of the drama created by instruments in the orchestra. 

Eventually Wagner demanded that the opera be withdrawn from performance because led to a divided Paris and was the cause of many lengthy fights. The French government accepted its financial losses and agreed. 

             Sayre, Henry M. Discovering the Humanities: Second Edition. 2010. Textbook.