Carnegie Hall Towers

08/14/03

Since its 1891 opening with Tchaikovsky conducting, the self-styled "Hall Where Music Lives" has continued to make history.

by Contributor at Citysearch

Overview
After being saved from demolition in 1955 by violinist Isaac Stern, Carnegie Hall was landmarked in 1964. In 1986, the hall was closed for seven months in order to replace seats, restore plaster and redesign the lobby. Thanks to that eight-year effort, concertgoers today enjoy Old World elegance in a pristine shrine for big-time classical music. Sit back in one of the plush seats and revel at the phenomenal acoustics. Sight lines from the 2,804 seats are excellent, from the sloping parquet level to the high rear balcony.

The Appeal
Check out the wall exhibits featuring batons and correspondence from famous composers and conductors. Or examine the Rose Museum upstairs, which has featured past Carnegie Hall concert programs and exhibits chronicling the life of long-gone music luminaries. Patrons also congregate in the snazzy Travelers Cafe Carnegie on the parquet level--but even this plush cocktail bar gets overcrowded.

08/15/02

New York's Best Concert Hall

by sisko24 at Citysearch

Despite good competition from its younger sister at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall remains one of the best places to hear music in this city. It was originally opened in the late 19th century and since then has been one of the world's most beloved concert halls. Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Mahler, Goodman, Ellington, Basie, Winston Churchill, Dolly Parton, Bill Cosby, PDQ Bach and so many others have performed here and the list will continue to grow. One note: this hall badly needs a large, concert pipe organ.

• Pros: Acoustics, History, ambience
• Cons: no pipe organ, uncomfortable, many stairs