125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF CARNEGIE HALL – TIMH

On May 5, 1891, a standing room only crowd of swells and toffs filed in for the official opening of Carnegie Hall, the pile built by Andrew Carnegie at the corner of W. 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, NYC. The New York Philharmonic, conducted by the most famous musician on the planet, Pyotr IlyichTchaikovsky, played the opener. Located today in mid-town Manhattan, the hall was then situated in a residential area 3 miles north of where mid-town was back then. Excavation began in 1889, and the cornerstone was laid May 13, 1890. The hall cost $1 million to build.

Architect William Burnet Tuthill was the designer. It was his first and only music hall design. Tuthill was an amateur cellist, however, and he studied the great concert halls in Europe, consulted with experts in the fledgling science of acoustics, and relied on his own intuition, as well. The world-class acoustics of the hall are ascribed to his use of open space uncluttered by chandeliers, structural surfaces unadorned by draperies and sound absorbing materials, the protruding stage and high, domed ceiling.

After extensive renovations in 1986, critics claims the acoustics of the hall had been degraded. After years of debate about the matter, it was determined that addition of a concrete base beneath the stage had affected the sound of the hall. It was removed, and everyone is happy again.

1891

Over 46,000 performances have been held on the three stages at Carnegie Hall. Classical music has been the mainstay. The hall was home to the NY Philharmonic until it moved to Lincoln Center in 1962. Jazz has been heard at Carnegie since the early 1900s. Historically famous performances have featured Bennie Goodman, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Dave Brubeck.

Today

But, what about rock and roll, you ask? Bill Haley and his Comets played a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall on May 6, 1955. Rock acts were not regularly booked there until February 12, 1964, when the Beatles played two shows during their US debut. The Rolling Stones and their fans took over the hall 4 months later for the last 2 shows of their first US tour. It was 5 years before another hard rock act, Led Zeppelin, would be booked. Since then, numerous rock, pop, blues, jazz, and country performers have been booked every season.

Live recordings from Carnegie Hall have been released by Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, The Beach Boys, Chicago, the James Gang, Frank Zappa, Neil Young and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Many other rock and pop performances have been held at the hall.

Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Melle Mel were the first hip hop performers, at a benefit concert on October 31, 1985, for the political documentary film, A Matter of Struggle. Recently, on March 31, 2016, Carnegie Hall hosted an all-star tribute to the life and music of David Bowie.