Musikverein
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Wiener Musikverein | |
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Front façade of the Musikverein | |
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General information | |
Type | Concert hall |
Architectural style | Neoclassical |
Town or city | Vienna |
Country | Austria |
Coordinates | 48°12′02″N 16°22′20″E / 48.20056°N 16.37222°ECoordinates: 48°12′02″N 16°22′20″E / 48.20056°N 16.37222°E |
Current tenants | Vienna Philharmonic |
Inaugurated | 6 January 1870 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Theophil Hansen |
Website | |
musikverein.at |
The Wiener Musikverein (German: [ˌviːnɐ muˌziːkfəʁˈaɪn]; Viennese Music Association), commonly shortened to Musikverein, is a concert hall in the Innere Stadt borough of Vienna, Austria. It is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic.
The acoustics of the "Great Hall" (Großer Saal) have earned it recognition alongside concert halls including Berlin's Konzerthaus, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Boston's Symphony Hall.[1] With the exception of Boston Symphony Hall,[2][3] none of these halls was built in the modern era with the application of architectural acoustics, and all share a long, tall, and narrow shoebox shape.
Building[]
The building is located on Hotel Imperial near the Vienna Ring Road and the Wien River, between Bösendorfer street and Charles' Square. However, since Bösendorfer street is a relatively small street, the building is better known as being between Charles' Square and Kärntner Ring (part of Vienna Ring Road). It was erected as the new concert hall run by the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, on a piece of land provided by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1863.
/ behind theThe plans were designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen in the Neoclassical style of an ancient Greek temple, including a concert hall and a smaller chamber music hall. The building was inaugurated on 6 January 1870.[4] A major donor was Nikolaus Dumba, industrialist and liberal politician of Greek descent, whose name the Austrian government gave to one of the streets surrounding the Musikverein.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Musikverein_Goldener_Saal.jpg/290px-Musikverein_Goldener_Saal.jpg)
The Great Hall (German: Großer Musikvereinssaal), also called the Golden Hall (German: Goldener Saal), is about 49 m (161 ft) long, 19 m (62 ft) wide, and 18 m (59 ft) high. It has 1,744 seats and standing room for 300. The Scandal Concert of 1913 was given there, and it is the venue for the annual Vienna New Year's Concert.
The Great Hall's lively acoustics are primarily based on Hansen's intuition, as he could not rely on any studies on architectural acoustics. The room's rectangular shape and proportions, its boxes and sculptures allow early and numerous sound reflections.
The Hall originally included a historic pipe organ built by Friedrich Ladegast. Its first organ recital was held by Anton Bruckner in 1872. The present-day instrument was originally installed in 1907 by the Austrian firm of Rieger Orgelbau, highly esteemed by musicians such as Franz Schmidt or Marcel Dupré, and rebuilt in 2011.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Musikverein%2C_Viena%2C_Austria%2C_2020-01-31%2C_DD_170-172_HDR.jpg/290px-Musikverein%2C_Viena%2C_Austria%2C_2020-01-31%2C_DD_170-172_HDR.jpg)
In 2001, a renovation program began. Several new rehearsal halls were installed in the basement.
Halls[]
Venue | Size | Height | Seats |
---|---|---|---|
Großer Musikvereinssaal (Goldener Saal) | 48.8 × 19.1 m | 17.75 m | 1744 seats and c. 300 standing |
Brahmssaal | 32.5 × 10.3 m | 11 m | 600 seats |
Gläserner Saal/Magna Auditorium | 22 × 12.5 m | 8 m | 380 seats |
Metallener Saal | 10.5 × 10.8 m | 3.2 m | 70 seats |
Steinerner Saal/Horst Haschek Auditorium | 13 × ~8.6 m | ~3.3m | 60 seats |
Hölzerner Saal (not used for concerts) | 11.5 × 7.5 m | 3.4m | 60 seats |
The names of the six halls refer to gold, Johannes Brahms, glass, metal, stone and wood respectively.
References[]
- ^ Long, Marshall, "What is So Special About Shoebox Halls? Envelopment, Envelopment, Envelopment", Acoustics Today, April 2009, pp. 21–25.
- ^ "The History of Symphony Hall". Boston Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ Gerrit Petersen; Steven Ledbetter & Kimberly Alexander Shilland (June 26, 1998). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: Symphony Hall [Boston]" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-04-12.[page needed]
- ^ "Großer Musikvereinssaal". Wiener Musikverein. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
External links[]
Media related to Musikverein at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Music venues completed in 1870
- Cultural venues in Vienna
- Concert halls in Austria
- Vienna Philharmonic
- Event venues established in 1870
- Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt
- Theophil Hansen buildings
- 1870 establishments in Austria