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at the Paris Opera
[Video Still from this report]
Most of Chagall's response to the interviewer on his works on the ceiling of the Paris Opera center around the enormity of the task, and his long wait before accepting the commission. He describes the various musicians he pays homage to, including Debussy, Berlioz, Ravel, Mussorgsky, and of course Mozart, who he listens to during his creative process, which he calls "a weakness." About Mozart, he says:
"You know, everyone loves Mozart, and so do I. I love Mozart, because it is angelic, he has a perfect technique, and it is angelic at the same time."
Georges Pompidou, France's president at the time, says this about Chagall's ceiling at the Opera:
...Chagall's name was enough to make us wait for something magnificent. I have to say that the reality surpassed my expectations. This ceiling brings color and light into the Opera. It blends in wonderfully with the original hall, and introduces something new, which at the same time will give this hall a more lively appearance. To tell you the truth, there are times when I ask myself, since I saw this ceiling: "Was there a ceiling at the Opera before this? Who knows."The TV commentator adds that yes, there was (indeed) a ceiling before Chagall's work, which was painted by Jules Eugène Lenepveu in 1875.
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