With its face towering over a rejuvenated Washington Park in the historic Over the Rhine neighborhood just north of city center, Music Hall is a Cincinnati treasure. Recognized by the US Department of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark (December 1974),
Music Hall is a grand building with a central concert hall, a large ballroom that originally served as an exhibition center for automobile shows, garden shows, and even hosting sporting events. We love ballroom dance events in this venue. I introduced Music Hall in this June 2011 post.
From the first performance on May 14, 1878 (the opera, Alceste, and Beethoven’s Eroica symphony) to serving as the current home to the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras, Cincinnati Ballet, May Festival, and more, Music Hall remains the city’s cultural heart. Besides being one of America’s grand concert halls, it also has known as place haunted with ghosts – but friendly ghosts.
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One can view its majestic nature from across Washington Park. Is there any doubt that Cincinnati Germans love for music? Nonetheless, its highest peak is quirky.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), the fifth oldest orchestra in the America, used a new summer event to welcome its new (13th) conductor, Louis Langrée – who joins the list of CSO Musical Directors as Leopold Stokowski, Max Rudolf, Thomas Shippers, Walter Suskind, Jesús López-Cobos, and Paavo Järvi.
- The event: LumenoCity 2013
- The place: Washington Park
- The background and screen: Music Hall
Enjoy the Fourth Movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 from LumenoCity 2013, an event using Music Hall’s exterior as a backdrop for a concert also delivering a visual feast that is worth 10 minutes for those who like this sort of thing. Additional information related to this post is below the video.
Additional Information
For all the LumenoCity videos
More about Music Hall
A recent article from the Huffington Post about Music Hall and LumenoCity 2013
My post about historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood
A beautiful building for beautiful music. The perfect combination.
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Elyse,
This building is a true treasure!
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I love her! I first performed on her grand stage when I was 10 yrs old. I have loved her since the moment I walked through the stage door entrance and sat in the main house. Bowing on her stage. Standing right behind the big velvet red curtain before it is raised, while it is raised and is lowered. Performing with the CSO at my feet. Standing under the stage performing the choir portion of the snow scene from the Nutcracker. I have been blessed to walk in every part of this theatre – in front and behind. The offices, ballroom, back stage…she was a subject for my term paper when I was a senior in high school and my to freshman English research paper while a student at CCM-UC. She is beyond magical and a true national treasure. xx
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Kimberly,
Yippee … you saw this post! Thanks so much for sharing how much the majestic beauty means to you. …. thus I hope others read your words.
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Absolutely stunning
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Val,
Music Hall is quite grand with a simple beauty (not gaudy).Did you see the quirk?
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Beautiful, beautiful building, Frank. And I loved the LuminoCity video. Tchaikovsky’s 4th is the perfect piece for the beautiful laser light show! I watched the whole thing with delight. Thanks for sharing a great post.
Cathy
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Cathy,
I agree … a perfect match. At the end of the post is a link to other videos from the concert (if you like).
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Quite an architectural gem, Frank! Like Cathy, I watched the entire video, too. It was a lot of fun! So, what makes the ghosts friendly?
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Lame,
I recall a past conductor describing them as friendly.Here are two links for you.
http://www.spmhcincinnati.org/Music-Hall-History/Haunted-Music-Hall.php
http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/oh/cincinatti_music_hall.htm
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PS:
Glad you enjoyed the video. The post includes a link to other videos from the 2013 event. Meanwhile, this year’s event requires a free ticket for admission … and they “sold out” 3 nights in minutes! (Well, after the subscribers got theirs.
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That is some building Frank… what beautiful architectural looks…
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Bulldog,
The building is surprisingly large … but one of Cincinnati’s crown jewels.
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I love the architecture. I’ve never been to see an orchestra play alone, I should add it to my bucket list.
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Catherine,
Grand concert halls like this one have wonderful acoustics, thus great for listening to an orchestra.
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It looks gorgeous! Putting it on my ever growing list of things to see in the US! 🙂
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Madhu,
Music Hall is a grand place … not opulent … just classy … but it does tower over the surroundings.
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Such a beautiful building, Frank, and the Rose Window is spectacular. I can just imagine what it must be like to sit in on a concert there. Great music video. I enjoyed the special lighting effects. 🙂
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Sylvia,
A beautiful building indeed … and you would love the acoustics! Interestingly, as far as concert halls go, it’s very large … some say too large.
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Gorgeous building Frank.
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Mary,
That it is! 😀
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Wow! What a grand building!! Love it 🙂
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Suzanne,
… and its grandness offers many photo ops for those who know what they are going.
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Good thing you were there to show others how it’s done! Very nice shots!
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Thanks …. OK for a point and shot guy …. Did you notice the quirky peak?
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That kind of quirkiness is the kind of thing I love on buildings. 🙂
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Old World Elegance and beauty for sure. What a neat place.
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Mouse,
“Old World Elegance” is a wonderful description … after all, those immigrant Germans loved their music! Did you notice the quirk?
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Lots of band/legion halls with weekly dances/everyone polka or waltz from young to old in central TX. Some similar architecture…there were builders from “the old country” that traveled around the nation from commission to commission during the era that many of these grand old buildings went up. They have names of the men that worked and company names – wonder if anyone has tracked their steps back and shown the connections between structures? Could be quite a story there…or many of them.
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Beautiful architecture and the light show accompanying Tchaikovsky was breathtaking [although I personally prefer listening to music with closed eyes or simply not focusing on anything my eyes project]. Happy Tuesday, my friend. 🙂
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Marina,
Besides being majestic, the hall is acoustically wonderful. Meanwhile, thanks for watching the light show.
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What a beautiful building.
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Debra,
Definitely Old World charm built by the music-loving Germans.
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Truly majestic! I love music halls–I had to smile at the difference in architecture between this old beauty and the Los Angeles Music Center, including the Disney Concert Hall. What’s important to me is the music and the acoustics, but this is a beautiful old building, I should say!
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Debra,
I recall your pics of the LA Music Center. Oh yes … very different. Acoustically, Music Hall is wonderful. The inside could you an update. There has been talk for several years of reducing the number of seats in the main hall … (it is a large place) … but, as communities do, leaders arguing about how to finance the project.
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Wonderful building Frank. They do not build them like that these days. its all steel and glass… Love the video and thank you for taking me to yet another part of the world from my living room chair 🙂
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Sue,
She’s a grand building indeed. Music Hall is in need of an update, but sadly, people argue about what to do. Glad you enjoyed the video!!!
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My oldest daughter used to live in Cincinnati, I love this town.
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Laurie,
Glad that you’ve been here. Music Hall is such a treasure, although it’s restoration has become a senseless political football.
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