Sound Check at Carnegie Hall They prepared us by saying that the stage is rather small at Carnegie. This picture does not do that remark justice. The choir filled up the entire stage. We were welcomed to sound check by the the joke, "Well, how does it feel to be performing on the stage at Carnegie Hall? Well, the choir is on the stage, but the strings are not. You are on the plywood they used to build out the stage." It is true! The string players were on an extension out into the audience seats. The people sitting in the main floor seats could not see the choir, only the first few stands of string players. The best seats in the house turned out to be in the balcony!
View of Multiple Balconies in Carnegie Hall This is a view from the stage of the many private boxes and levels of balconies in Carnegie Hall. Of course, the higher balconies house the lowest priced seats. Most of our friends got tickets up in those "Celestial seats." It turns out, though, that those are excellent seats. Those people could actually see all of the performers, too. One of the orchestra members went to grad school in NYC and often attended concerts at Carnegie Hall in the top balcony. It was what he could afford (tickets are rather pricey). However, he said those were his preferred seats. The sound quality from that high is just heavenly.
Carnegie is a Concert Hall, not a theater. The are no wings off to the sides of the stage and no curtains. The hard surfaces on the walls behind the performers are designed to amplify the sound perfectly. They were, in my estimation, the performances where we could hear each other best. It was truly a magnificent hall in which to perform.
Carnegie is a Concert Hall, not a theater. The are no wings off to the sides of the stage and no curtains. The hard surfaces on the walls behind the performers are designed to amplify the sound perfectly. They were, in my estimation, the performances where we could hear each other best. It was truly a magnificent hall in which to perform.
Decorations on the Walls of the Stage The Hall was decorated tastefully with delicate golden filigree. It gave a luster to the otherwise white surfaces. When lit, the Hall looked heavenly. It was a beautiful place. I looked carefully at one of the motifs on the wall near the proscenium to my right. There in the center relief, was the image of a tambourine, with a clarinet, and a soprano sax amongst the golden flowers and vines. How appropriate to decorate with symbols of music. It was very ornate yet quite beautiful. We loved singing there.
Bucket list item -- check!
Bucket list item -- check!
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