Gewandhaus facts for kids
The Gewandhaus is a famous concert hall in the city of Leipzig, Germany. It is the home of the amazing Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The building you see today is actually the third one to be called the Gewandhaus. Like the second one, it is known for its excellent sound quality, which musicians call "acoustics."
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History of the Gewandhaus
The First Gewandhaus (Old Gewandhaus)
The very first concert hall was built in 1781. It was designed by an architect named Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe. This hall was inside a building called the Gewandhaus, which was originally used by cloth merchants.
Many famous musical pieces had their first performances here:
- Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, also known as "The Emperor Concerto," was first played here in 1811.
- Felix Mendelssohn was a very important person for the first Gewandhaus. He was its director starting in 1835.
- Franz Schubert's "Great Symphony" was performed here in 1839.
- Robert Schumann's "Spring Symphony" premiered in 1841.
- Mendelssohn's "Scottish Symphony" was first heard in 1842.
- The famous Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto had its first performance in 1845.
- Richard Wagner's overture to The Mastersingers of Nuremberg was played in 1862.
- Johannes Brahms' "A German Requiem" was fully performed for the first time in 1869.
- The Brahms Violin Concerto premiered on January 1, 1879.
The first Gewandhaus was used for concerts until 1884. It was expanded several times, but it eventually became too small. More and more people wanted to go to concerts, and the hall couldn't hold everyone. So, between 1893 and 1896, parts of it were taken down and it was changed to become an annex for the Städtisches Kaufhaus building.
The Second Gewandhaus
The second Gewandhaus was designed by Martin Gropius. It opened its doors on December 11, 1884. This building had a main concert hall and a smaller hall for chamber music. During this time, some of the most famous conductors led the Gewandhaus Orchestra. These included Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and Bruno Walter.
Sadly, this building was badly damaged during World War II. It was hit during two air raids on December 4, 1943, and February 20, 1944. Even though there were plans to rebuild it, the East German government decided the ruins were too unsafe. They tore the building down on March 29, 1968. For many years, the spot was used as a parking lot. Later, in 2002, a new building for the Humanities faculty of Leipzig University was built there.
The Third Gewandhaus (Current Building)
The third and current Gewandhaus is located on Augustusplatz. It opened on October 8, 1981. This was exactly 200 years after the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra first moved into the original hall. The first stone for the new building was laid by conductor Kurt Masur on November 8, 1977.
The architect for this building was Rudolf Skoda, who was also from Leipzig, just like the first architect, Dauthe. The design of the hall was carefully planned to make sure it had excellent acoustics, just like the older buildings. During its construction, the hall was even filled with soldiers from the East German army (called the Nationale Volksarmee). This was done to test how good the sound quality would be when the hall was full.
In 1989, during a time of big political changes in Eastern Europe known as the Autumn of Nations, the Gewandhaus became a place for important discussions. Conductor Kurt Masur opened the hall for public talks about the future of East Germany. These discussions were called the "Gewandhaus Talks."
Today, the Gewandhaus can seat 1,900 people. It also has a large Schuke concert organ with 6,845 pipes, which makes amazing music.
Gallery
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The First Gewandhaus (1781). This is a watercolour by Felix Mendelssohn.
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A bond for funding the second Gewandhaus, issued July 1, 1884.
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The Second Gewandhaus around 1910. It was badly damaged in World War II and torn down in 1968.
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Kurt Masur laying the foundation stone of the current Gewandhaus on November 8, 1977.
See also
In Spanish: Gewandhaus para niños
- List of concert halls
