Musical Theatre of Besançon [Besançon, FR]
Teatro di Besançon
Theatre building in Besançon, France
theater in Besançon, Frankrijk
Musical Theatre of Besançon
Built 1778-1784 as Théâtre by Claude Joseph Alexandre Bertrand, after 1775 designs by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, one of the most influential innovators of French Neoclassical architecture. The semicircular auditorium consisted of three semicircular tiers of seats and a curving colonnade of Doric columns. Like in the Bayreuth Festspielhaus (built nearly a hundred years later), a covered orchestra pit made the orchestra invisible from the auditorium. Opened 9 Aug 1784 with Piron's La Métromanie and Grétry's Le tableau parlant. 1836 restorations. 1857 restorations and interior alterations by Delacroix. Destroyed by a fire on 29 Apr 1958, leaving only the façade with its characteristic portico. Subsequently rebuilt to modern designs. Re-opened 1958. 1994 major interior rebuilding, renamed Opéra-Théâtre. Re-opened 11 Jan 1995 with a concert. Used for opera performances. Originally 2000 seats, after 1958: 1100 seats. Later renamed Théâtre Ledoux. One of the homes to the Scène nationale de Besançon.