Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is one of the world’s most famous concert venues, located in the largest city in the United States, New York City, in the borough of Manhattan, at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 57th Street. Carnegie Hall’s Italian Renaissance style building is characterized by beauty and elegance, which immediately attracts attention. Finished with narrow ochre-colored bricks and decorated with numerous pilasters and arches, it blends harmoniously into the overall panorama of Manhattan.
Video: Carnegie Hall
ContentsGeneral Information
After the Civil War of 1861-1865, New York City became one of the largest metropolitan areas not only in the United States, but in the world. Choral and symphonic societies sprang up in the city, and in general, its citizens became infatuated with music in a way that resembled some kind of epidemic (in the best sense of the word, of course). However, unfortunately and to the great annoyance of music lovers, New York did not have a concert venue corresponding to the level of this city.
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The dream of such a hall also occupied the thoughts of young Walter Damrosch, a German-born American pianist and conductor. He was the son of the famous violinist Leopold Damrosch. In the spring of 1887, he went on tour to Germany. Along with him on board the steamship was the king of the local steel industry Andrew Carnegie, once a poor Scottish immigrant. Together with his young wife Louise Whitfield, they were on their way to his homeland, where they planned to honeymoon. Damrosch and the Carnegie couple became friends while traveling, and the musician told the industrialist that New York needed a large concert hall like air.
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Interior
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Carnegie Hall is a true gem of world music culture. The building has three halls, the most beautiful and luxurious of which is the main hall, named after the violinist Isaac Stern. It is designed for 2804 seats. One of its features is its height. Spectators have to climb 137 steps to get up to the balcony. The acoustics here are simply marvelous. The other two halls, they are smaller, are designed, respectively, for 600 and 268 seats.
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With concert spaces in Carnegie Hall are neighboring rooms-studios with apartments. They are designed for musicians to be as comfortable as possible during recreation and lodging.
Tourists be advised
Adjoining the building on the east side is the famous Carnegie Hall Tower skyscraper, which is 231 meters high. It is neighbored by another skyscraper, the Metropolitan Tower. In the partition between them is the Russian restaurant “Russian Tea Room.”
Before or after the concert, you can take a closer look at both attractions or relax at the aforementioned establishment, opened in 1927 by either a Jew of Polish descent or former members of the Tsar’s ballet troupe.
.How to get there
There is an anecdote about a tourist from Odessa that many people have probably heard. An Odessa tourist approached a street musician and asked: “Excuse me, please, can you tell me how I can get to Carnegie Hall?” “Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse again!” – replied the musician.”
.Our article is addressed, first of all, to tourists who would like to get to Carnegie Hall as spectators, so the recommendation of the hero of the anecdote is unlikely to help them. Especially for them we give more specific information: you can get there by subway. Get off at the station “57th Street – Seventh Avenue” (the so-called “Broadway line”). Or take buses X12, X14, M31 and M57.
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