PARIS - France 2014 - page 212

Sainte-Chapelle: Enjoy the pleasure of hearing Mozart, Bach, or Vivaldi, surroun-
ded by 800 years of stained glass (unheated—bring a sweater). The acoustical quality is
surprisingly good. There are usually two concerts per evening, at 19:00 and 20:30; specify
which one you want when you buy or reserve your ticket. VIP tickets get you a seat in
the first nine rows (€40), Prestige tickets cover the next 15 rows (€30), and Normal tickets
are the last five rows (€25). Seats are unassigned within each section, so arrive at least 30
minutes early to get through the security line and snare a good view.
Youcanbookattheboxoffice,byphone,oronline.Twodifferentcompaniespresent
concerts, buttheschedule will tell youwhomtocontact fortickets toaparticular perform-
ance. The small box office (with schedules and tickets) is to the left of the chapel entrance
gate(8BoulevardduPalais,Mo:Cité),orcall0142776565or0667306565forsched-
ulesandreservations.YoucanleaveyourmessageinEnglish—justspeakclearlyandspell
yourname.Youcancheckschedulesandbuyyourticketat www.euromusicproductions.fr .
Flavien from Euromusic offers last-minute discounts with this topic when seats are
available (limit 2 tickets per book). VIP tickets are discounted to €30, Prestige tickets to
€25, and Normal tickets to €16. The offer applies only to Euromusic concerts and must be
purchased with cash only at the Sainte-Chapelle ticket booth close to concert time.
Salle Pleyel: This concert hall on the Right Bank hosts world-class artists, from
string quartets and visiting orchestras to international opera stars. Tickets range from €10
to €150, depending on the artist and seats you choose, and are usually hard to come by, so
it's best to order online in advance (252 Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré, Mo: Ternes, tel. 01
42 56 13 13, www.sallepleyel.fr ) .
Other Venues: Look also for daytime concerts in parks, such as the Luxembourg
Garden. Even the Galeries Lafayette department store offers concerts. Many of these con-
certs are free (entrée libre), such as the Sunday atelier concert sponsored by the American
Church(generallySept-Juneat17:00butnoteveryweekandnotinDec,65Quaid'Orsay,
Mo: Invalides, RER: Pont de l'Alma, tel. [phone], www.acparis.org ) .
Opera
Parisishometotwowell-respectedoperavenues.The Opéra Bastille isthemassivemod-
ern opera house that dominates Place de la Bastille. Come here for state-of-the-art spe-
cial effects and modern interpretations of classic ballets and operas. In the spirit of this
everyman's opera, unsold seats are available at a big discount to seniors and students 15
minutes before the show. Standing-room-only tickets for €15 are also sold for some per-
formances (Mo: Bastille). The Opéra Garnier, Paris' first opera house, hosts opera and
ballet performances. Come here for less expensive tickets and grand belle époque decor
(Mo: Opéra; no performances mid-July-mid-Sept). To get tickets for either opera house,
it's easiest to reserve online at www.operadeparis.fr , or call 01 71 25 24 23 outside France