Article on the rebuilding of the Academy of Music

Event Information

Venue(s):
Academy of Music

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
11 August 2016

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

05 Dec 1866

Citations

1)
Article: New-Yorker Musik-Zeitung, 05 December 1866, 280.

The re-building of the Academy of Music is moving forward satisfactorily. A big part of the roofing is done and will probably be completed this week. Gas pipes are laid so that work can be done day and night on the inside of the building. The staircases, the structures for the galleries, doors, sofas, armchairs etc. are manufactured in workshops and will be installed as soon as the roofing is done.

The foyers and lobbies will be more spacious than in the former Academy; the doors to the auditorium and the hallways are broader. The height of the auditorium has been lowered by approximately 12 feet. The second balcony has been changed completely and will hold approximately 300 more seats. The first balcony will have a number of closed boxes, which are actually positioned between the first and second balcony. Special staircases will lead to them, from which one will be able to see the entire house. The parquet will be smaller; however the balcony will be enlarged at the same measure. The stage will remain as it was; only the dressing rooms, the machinery rooms and stage set rooms will be better situated. There will be two halls in the basement measuring 108 feet long and 20 feet wide. They are meant to be used for restaurant purposes for balls. In addition to these halls, there are smaller rooms for kitchens and bars. Broad stairs lead from the lobbies of the parquet to the basement. The house will have seats for about 2400 people and 700/800 spaces for standing room. 12 iron pillars carry the galleries of the boxes. On each side of the stage are three stage-boxes. At this point, little is being done on the interior design of the house, because the stucco-work on walls and ceilings takes time to fully dry.