The Cincinnati Music Hall, an elegant century-old building, stands majestically at the corner of 14th and Elm - just a short walk from the city's center. Dedicated at the time of the fourth May Festival in 1878, Music Hall has endured famously over the years, a testament to those who conceived it and to those who continue to contribute to its grandeur. In January, 1975, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. In reality three separate buildings under one roof, Music Hall was designed originally for a unique and dual purpose - to house musical activities in a center area and industrial exhibitions in its side wings. It has played host to a wide number of activities. These have ranged from traditional symphony concerts and theatrical performances to the Democratic National Convention of 1880, the Cincinnati Industrial Expositions, home shows, air shows, automobile shows, basketball games, tennis matches, wrestling matches, in short, Cincinnati's "Convention Center" until the present Convention Center was begun in 1967. |
| Music Hall is best known, however, for its central portion, the elegant, spacious and acoustically acclaimed
3,630 seat Springer Auditorium where Cincinnati's Symphony Orchestra, May Festival, Opera, and Ballet
Companies and other productions hold performances. These halls are decorated in hues of burgundy
and French gray, gold and white. Across the stage hangs a red curtain and the red motif is carried out in
velvet upholstered chairs and carpeted floors. In the domed center of the ceiling of the auditorium, an oil painting by Arthur Thomas depicts an Allegory of the Arts. This was part of the original decoration. Suspended from the center of the dome is a dramatic chandelier of brass and thousands of hand-cut crystals, seemingly light and airy but actually weighing two tons. This and the five smaller chandeliers in the main foyer were part of the 1969 renovation. |
| This great Victorian pile of 3,858,000 red pressed bricks is an architectural eccentric, with its garrets, turrets, gables, insets, nooks and broken surfaces and planes. It was designed by the Cincinnati firm of Hannaford and Procter and built in the grand style of the day, often referred to as "modified modernized Gothic" or "romantic eclecticism." Some Cincinnatians affectionately describe it as "Sauerbraten Byzantine."
The present rear entrance to Music Hall is located on Central Parkway which was the Miami Canal at the time the building was completed in 1878. Patrons could approach by carriage as well as on foot or by boat. The length of the building on Elm Street is 372 feet, the depth from Elm to Central Parkway is 293 feet and the highest point is the pinnacle of the front gable 150 feet above the sidewalk. It covers an area of 2½ acres. A large "rose window" is a prominent feature of the front facade. |
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The Main Foyer, where patrons have always promenaded during intermissions of various events, also serves as a gallery honoring contributors, individuals and significant events in the life of Music Hall. Here can be seen the statues or busts of the famous conductors Theodore Thomas and Max Rudolf. Early composers and patrons are represented by Reuben Springer, Stephen Foster and Charles Aiken. J. Ralph Corbett represents the present day. |
Music Hall possesses one of the largest and best-equipped stages in the world. A 90 ton steel grid framework is used to suspend scenery and lighting. It rests on the original foundations of the 1844 Orphan Asylum, one of the early occupants of the site. The house lights, stage lights and the public address system are controlled by a computerized control-console in the lighting cage at the right of the stage. A double hydraulic lift operates the apron of the stage which may be lowered to form an orchestra pit.