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NEWSLETTER No. 17 - FEBRUARY 7th 2006 Theme of the fortnight is the Montpellier opera house, a grand construction overlooking the central square, the Place de la Comédie. The theatre we see today is the city's third, the two previous ones having burned down, set ablaze by naked flames used for lighting. In celebration of the 250 years of existence of a real theatre, the city of Montpellier is currently holding an exhibition in the central library, highlighting the role in public life and history of the theatre. Montpellier opera house has a rich cultural calendar with classical and contemporary pieces, symphonies and operas. Top property is an outstanding and unusual property built 1982, and forerunner in the region in the use of renewable energy sources. The warmth of its interior contrasts with the clean architectural lines of the exterior designed to maximise the benefit of the sunlight of southern France. This is an exemplary house in terms of construction methods and forethought on renewable energy. Should you wish to be removed from this mailing list, please use the link provided at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, kindly read on. Theme Of The Fortnight: Montpellier Opera House The Montpelliérains long held a real appreciation of the theatre which reflected their relative wealth, and interest in culture. Until the construction of the first theatre in 1755, actors were obliged to perform in bourgeois town houses or public squares. The Duc de Richelieu, governor of the Languedoc province from 1752 was instrumental in getting the project of a real public theatre off the ground. He assigned the work to an architect of King Louis XV. The first theatre in Montpellier was inaugurated, while still unfinished, in 1755. It was modeled on Italian theatres devised for the "Comedia dell'Arte", essentially a high ceiling rectangular building divided in two, on one side, the stage and actors boxes, and on the other, the main hall and spaces for spectators. The Italian theatre also brought the innovations of machinery to lower curtains and decors and means for the actors to enter the stage from backstages. The theatre in Montpellier had an entrance foyer with stairways to the galeries, a stage, an orchestra pit, a flat main hall and actors boxes. It was built alongside a jeu de paume and billiards rooms. Sadly, on December 17th, 1785, the theatre burnt down. The construction of the second theatre was the opportunity to open up a square before it - what was eventually to become the Place de la Comédie. Despite it being unfinished, the first plays were performed in the second theatre in 1787. Improvements were made to the theatre throughout the 19th century, but on April 6th, 1881, the theatre burnt down. Once again the city voted to rebuild the theatre. This time, presiding the jury choosing the design was Charles Garnier, architect of the flamboyant Opéra Garnier in Paris. The chosen project was that of an understudy to Garnier, hence the architectural similarities.   The third theatre was inaugurated, again unfinished, in 1888. It was built rapidly on the orders of the Mayor of the day, Jules Pagézy, who went about the considerable task of modernisation of the city. Pagézy commissioned a full electrical installation - lighting and machinery - for the new theatre, which also saw a more permanent set of actors and the founding of a city orchestra. The mayors considered particularly important the role of the theatre for the local bourgeoisie, and its educational role for the working classes. As was the case during the French revolution nearly 100 years previously, the rulers of the country considered that access to culture and education was instrumental in bringing the poor away from the grip of the Church. The architect's rendering from 1884 shows the theatre very much as it is today, with three rectangular doorways above each of which there is a balcony and vast arched windows beside which run decorative colonnades.  A Colourful Past In the eighteenth century, the chief policeman addressed a report to the Mayor of the previous nights performance. These relate the unfolding of the performance, their popularity, and any incidents, with sometimes a comical report of the poor performance of singers who were booed off stage. In 1786 a certain number of theatre goers signed a petition requesting that women spactators take off their particularly "monumental" hats - decorated with flowers and ribbons - during performances, such that they no longer hindered the view of many spectators. The mayor of the day had to take the difficult decision of obliging the fairer sex to withdraw their hats, thus showing their hair and necks. Performances - Past and Present The inauguration of the first theatre was with the opera Pyrame and Thisbé by Rebel and Francoeur - spectacles of various sorts were held at the time - operas, comedies and tragedies. Seasons opened in the autumn and come to a close in the summer. A permanent set of actors, singers and musicians was established from 1783. The inauguration of the second theatre was with a play with ariettas, L'ami de la maison de Marmontel and Grétry. Lighter lyrical pieces hence made their way into the program, with comic, Vaudeville plays and farces. The third theatre was inaugurated with Les Huguenots de Scribe by Deschamps and Meyerbeer, a play repeatedly performed in Montpellier with great success. Legendary performers such as Sara Bernhardt were also to perform. The second world war brought a halt to proceedings and the post war period was one of uncertainty in which the theatre was rented out to amateur groups. The Montpellier orchestra was founded in 1979 bringing about a renaissance of the theatre, and soon afterwards, operas were performed again. In 2006, performances between February and June include Così fan tutte, Cyrano de Bergerac and Le nozze di Figaro. A full program can be found at the orchestra and opera web sites: www.orchestre-montpellier.com and www.opera-montpellier.com.  Top Property Of The Fortnight: Top property is situated in a village with all necessities and small supermarket 7 miles from the beautiful town of Pezenas and 6 miles from Clermont l'Hérault. Nearest beaches are a 20 mile drive. The lac du salagou, St. Guilhem le Désert, Gignac and the larger cities of Montpellier and Béziers are all within easy reach. Its roof has a single face, sloped upward practically from the ground on the north side to its crest at the top of the southern side of the house. The house hence turns its back to the north and is oriented to take full advantage of the sunshine. The southern face of the house is a combination of glass windows and doors and heat absorbing surfaces within which air and water flow. The latter are heated by the sun-rays and circulated within the house thus supplying the occupants with ample heating and hot water (see below for further explanation). The interior of the house measures approximately 190m². The living and dining areas and kitchen are essentially open-plan, but each function is served in a separate space, the living room with fireplace is a few steps down from the main dining area and lit by vast windows. Above this area is a mezzanine area that serves as an office space. Each of three bedrooms has a spatious mezzanine and access to the garden by way of French windows. Each therefore benefits from the unobstructed countryside view and sunshine. A bathroom with bath and shower and double sink unit, utility and storage room, scullery and wood storage bay and car shelter all make this a very comprehensive proposition. The plentiful use of wood and traditional ceramic "par-feuille" floor tiles, traditional ceramics in kitchen and bathroom, white walls, wooden door and window frames - of which two semi-circular at either end of the house - and irregular nature of the layout all give the interior the warmth and character of an old house. The house is unique and is very much a forerunner in environmentally friendly houses in France. The three systems used that make this an environmentally friendly house with very minimal energy needs are as follows: - Within the surfaces exposed to the sunshine, air is warmed and then circulated by means of ventilators over a layer of pebbles beneath the floor of the house. This gives the house a very high heat inertia and the added comfort of warm floors. - "Puits Canadiens", which draw in air from the outside and circulate it in pipes in the ground in front of the house to absorb energy. This works in a similar way to ground source heat pump devices to bring warmed air from the outside in the winter and cool air in the summer. - A log fireplace in the living room and a complimentary Godin stove in the hallway leading from the main living room to the bedrooms. The grounds extend around the house and measure 2420m². There are number of trees, a large Eucalyptus and vines grow over a terrace. An Empylopsis grows on the walls on the western side of the house. A further 900m² can be purchased at extra cost. All in all a very serious proposition for those seeking a spatious, comfortable and warm house with the added curiosity and environmental benefits of being highly energy efficient. It has been built to a very high "no expense spared" specification. The asking price is 398,000€.         http://www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/viewpropNP.php?id=310 Also, coming soon, a pretty stone farmhouse, newly restored, in the Cevennes 20 minutes from Alès and 15 minutes from St. Jean du Gard. It has a surface area of 100m² with living room, kitchen, three bedrooms, bathroom and laundry room and stands on grounds of 1100m² with stunning views. There are two stone outbuildings, one of which has been converted into a small gite, and the other, a workshop. The asking price is 299,600€.   +33 626 581 415 Enquiries can be made through the following page: http://www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/contact.php About James Properties France: Based in Montpellier in the south of France, bringing to you a carefully picked selection of properties within a 70 mile radius - with the occasional more distant exception - that are chosen for their combinations of attributes, most notably: - Setting of outstanding natural beauty - Distinct character or unusual features - Quality of renovation or authenticity - Value for money James Properties France serves primarily an English speaking, though often highly Francophile clientele looking to move or own a second home in the south of France around such places as Uzes, Nîmes, Montpellier, Anduze, St. Hippolyte du Fort, the Southern Cevennes, Gignac and Clermont l'Herault and the Hauts Cantons. Besides being a rich source of housing options, James Properties France represents a useful accompaniment during the process of viewing and purchasing a house. If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click on the following link: www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/unsubscribe.php |