Carnegie Hall

Today in Music History: May 5, 1891

From then...

Carnegie Hall as the building looked in 1891. Carnegie Hall Archives

Slideshow: Opening Week 1891

1891 . . .The Music Hall (later Carnegie Hall) in New York City had its grand opening with its first public performance. The first performer was Pyotr Llyich Tchaikovsky, who was perhaps at the time the most famous musician in the world. The Music Hall opened with a five-day festival of six concerts. Tickets were sold by subscription ranging from $5 for balcony seats to $10 for parquet. Single tickets went on sale after people wrote in to newspapers complaining they couldn't afford subscriptions.

"Mr. Romeike sends me daily piles of newspaper clippings about myself," Tchaikovsky wrote in his diary. "All of them without exception are laudatory in the highest degree. Is it possible that I really conduct so well? Or do the Americans exaggerate?!!!" ~Tchaikovsky

'Til now...

Carnegie Hall is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music. It has its own artistic programming, development, and marketing departments, and presents about 250 performances each season. It is also rented out to performing groups. Carnegie Hall has 3,671 seats, divided among its three auditoriums. The venue was slated for demolition in the 1950s but was saved by a public outcry!

Performances at Carnegie Hall are not limited to classical music. To perform at the prestigious hall is an honor to say the least. Tickets today certainly cost in excess of the $5 - $10 when initially opened.

 And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...