The Musikverein

The secret behind perfect acoustics

Top Classical, December 2020
The Musikverein is the most famous center of Classicism. It is placed in an ideal city: Vienna the city of music in all its splendor. It remains the home of Vienna’s concert life, and it still has a prime spot in the pantheon of classical music auditoria.  

The auditorium is praised to be one of the most traditional and the favorite for many first-rate artists. The building on Karlsplatz, a short distance from the splendid boulevard that is the Ringstraße, is reminiscent of a temple, built in 1870 by Theophil Hansen in a historical style, with columns, pediments and reliefs. 

The Musikverein was founded in 1812 as “Society of Music Friends in Vienna”. Since 1831, the society organized concerts in a small hall with only 700 seats.  But with the growing of the social importance of music performances, the Society soon realized that it was in urgent need of a bigger venue. 

Theophil Hansen, one of the most popular Ringstraße architects, was chosen for the construction of the “Musikverein”. He created a massive building in neo-Classical style, which was officially opened in 1870. The “Goldene Saal”, was immediately famous for its excellent acoustics. Even today, it is considered to be among the best concert halls of its size in the World. 

The Great Hall of the Musikverein, also known as the Golden Hall, is famous for its sumptuous contents. Apollo and the muses are the object of all eyes, and the columns have been shaped like women in antiquity. Its design is incomparable, in addition to the acoustics of the hall.  

Acousticians have proved that this opulent ornamentation are the key Musikverein’s brilliant sound. Because the sound bounces off so many different planes and angles, it becomes warmer and richer, converting hall itself in an instrument that works as a resonating chamber. The sensation that sound transmits is unique in the whole world.  

Every year in the Great Hall of the Musikverein the New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra takes place, which is broadcasted to an audience of millions internationally. 

Since 2004, there are four new rooms in the Musikverein: the Crystal Hall, the Metal Hall, the Stone Hall and the Wood Hall. Here is where the new artists traditionally make their debuts. In this way, for example, the internationally famous soprano Anna Prohaska made her debut at the Crystal Hall. 

This January first 2021 though, because of the Coronavirus crisis, millions of people around the world enjoyed only on television or online the traditional concert:  the Golden Hall remained closed to the public and the applauses came from the speakers.

Carnegie Hall

Where every finest artist wants to be

Top Classical, November 2020
Since it opened in 1891, when composer Tchaikovsky took to the stage to conduct his work on opening night, Carnegie Hall has set the international standard for musical excellence as the aspirational destination for the world’s finest artists.

From Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Mahler, and Bartók to George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, and The Beatles, an honor roll of music-making artists representing the finest of every genre has filled Carnegie Hall throughout the years.

Gino Francesconi, the hall’s director of archives, estimates that 50,000 performances have taken place in the building, which includes two smaller venues besides the main hall. In fact, Francesconi said, “I think we’ve had more events here than any other theater on the planet.”

It was steel magnate Andrew Carnegie who was inspired to build Carnegie Hall by his new wife, Louise, singer in the Oratorio Society of New York. The hall was designed by William Burnet Tuthill, a professional architect and cellist who had never built a concert hall before. The opening ceremony was on May 5, 1891, with a spectacular concert that featured the now world famous Russian composer Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, conducting his own music in his American debut. Since then, many first line artists have proudly performed there. Not only the greatest classical, jazz, and popular musicians, but also for the foremost comedians, authors, social crusaders, world figures, and orators of our time.

There was a time tough, that Carnegie Hall, having fallen into disrepair in the late 1950s, was once slated for demotion. The building was saved only when bought in 1960 by the City of New York after a major campaign led by renowned violinist Isaac Stern.

Today, Carnegie Hall presents a wide range of exceptional musical performances together with each season on its three great stages: the renowned Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, the intimate Weill Recital Hall, and the innovative Zankel Hall. Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute creates and social impact programs vastly followed by people and around the globe, playing a central role in the Hall’s commitment to making great music accessible to as many people as possible.

For this year’s season the hall had planned to welcome featured artists such as Rhiannon Giddens, Jordi Savall, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Andrew Norman. However, in June 2020 Carnegie Hall announced that, due to COVID-19, all programming for the rest of the year will be canceled. The venerable institution plans to resume operations January 7, 2021. “This was a very difficult decision for us to make, however the safety of Carnegie Hall’s artists, audiences, and staff is paramount,“ said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. The venue intends to expand its digital offerings, including remote concerts from musicians at home, interview and feature series, and public access of archived recordings.