| Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men of the late 19th Century, enjoyed music. One little problem vexed him - there was no concert hall in New York City. He proposed to donate the funds necessary to build such a building and Carnegie Hall is the result. Well, was.
Like many of these old buildings there were always the necessary additions and alterations.
The roof was removed to add another floor; the building was enlarged to
7th Avenue... but, despite its up-and-down history, it still stands a century later as not only a symbol but a concert hall with few equals in the world today.
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The official opening night of 5 May 1891 featured one of the greatest composers of all
time: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This concert was followed by many hundreds through the years but, by the mid 1950s there was talk about demolishing the Hall. Everything seemed to be decaying at once and even the magnificent pipe organ had been removed. Isaac Stern, one of the greatest violinists of all time jumped to the rescue. The building was designated by Congress as an historical landmark in 1964 and, 20 years later extensive remodeling and restorations transformed it into the glittering white, gold and crimson musical palace we can enjoy today. |
