OPERA

in full Thtre Nationale De L'opra, Paris opera house designed by Charles Garnier. The building, considered one of the masterpieces of the Second Empire style, was begun in 1861 and opened with an orchestral concert on Jan. 5, 1875. The first opera performed there was Fromental Halvy's work La Juive on Jan. 8, 1875. The Opra also houses the Acadmie Nationale de Musique, which had been founded in 166971 during the reign of Louis XIV.