The “Ghost of the Opera” It appeared for the first time in 1910 as a story in episodes in the magazine The Gaulissigned by French journalist Specialized in judicial news Gaston Leroux (1868-1927). The story tells the events of Erik, a horribly disfigured man who wears a mask and lives hidden in the basement and in the tunnels of theOpéra GarnierThe Theater of the Opéra Of Paris. Analyzing rumors and popular stories of the second half of the 19th century linked to facts that really happened in Paris, it is plausible that Leroux was inspired by mysterious events and real characters, including a pianist named Ernest burned and disfigured, a skeleton of a detailed dancer in mysterious conditions used as a stage object and the lake that is really present in the underground of the Opera. But where does reality end and fiction begins?
Gaston Leroux and the novel “The ghost of the work”: plot and characters
Passionate about police and adventure fictionLeroux approaches the writing inspired by Jules Verne, and immediately proposes works with intricate plots, well -orchestrated twists, unexpected events and more than original characters: among these the most famous is undoubtedly “Le Fantôme de l’OPéra“which features Erik, a man with his face so terribly deformed as to resemble a skull.
Erik, back from different vicissitudes, lives hidden in the basement of theOpéra of Paris Where there is a mysterious lake, and wears a mask falling on the face to conceal its deformities. Skilled and shrewd character, Erik moves the stealthy of the palace by building pitfalls and secret passages and exploiting thePalais Garnier architecture – theater seat – which knows well because it has collaborated in its construction.
Erik causes Mysterious accidents, dead And disappearanceand creates a link with Christinesweet and young soprano who cultivates dreams of glory: thus begins an exciting dramatic and exciting history, which has inspired theatrical performances, musicals and films during the last century.
The “real” ghost of the work between real events and legends
Occupied to the judicial news, Leroux has put in place his skills as a journalist also to document himself on the events that inspired the history of the “Ghost of the Opera”: Yes, in this story there is a fund of truth. For example, among the rumors in vogue in the theatrical environment of the time, there was the story of a dancer of the work body of the work died in mysterious circumstances: It seems that his skeleton was then used as a stage object. Truth, legend? Leroux may have taken inspiration from presence of a true skull To give life to Erik’s face.
The story of the pianist Ernesta boy who died in the fire that broke out in the previous headquarters of the Teatro dell’Opera, which was in Rue le peletier. The Peletier opera was on fire in 1873, perhaps due to an accident due to the recently introduced gas lights, and it is said that the pianist Ernest was horrendally disfigured due to the burns. The popular narrative wants that the poor pianist then took refuge in the basement of the new palace of the Opera, Palais Garnier, in fact. That this is the figure to whom Gaston Leroux was inspired to create Erik?
From that moment on, in fact, a series of inexplicable events and dramatic facts took place inside the Palais Garnier: sadly famous is the tragedy of 20 May 1896 when, during a representation of Gounod’s Faust, The huge crystal chandelier fallskilling a spectator sitting in place number 13. In the plot of the Leroux novel there are many similar elements, difficult to think that there is not an effective connection.
And again, in the basement of the Palais Garnier There is really a lake! But it is not a natural lake, but a basin artificially built during the construction of the building to allow the outflow of the waters of the Seine and a possible water reserve to be used in the event of a fire, which can be visited virtually thanks to Google Arts and Culture. Leroux may have come into possession of architectural projects of the work From which you can see the area dedicated to the water basin, and having drawn inspiration for the house of the lake in which Erik lives. And so, still today, 150 years after the construction of the Magnificent Palais Garnier The seat of the Teatro dell’Opera di Paris, the legend of the ghost of the work is intertwined between reality and fantasy.
