Wigmore Hall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall specialising in classical music, on Wigmore Street, London, UK.
Originally named the Bechstein Hall, it was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt, who also designed the Savoy Hotel on The Strand, for Bechstein, the German piano manufacturer whose showroom was next door. Similar halls were also built by Bechstein in Saint Petersburg and Paris.
The building follows the Renaissance style, using alabaster and marble walls to furnish a flat, rectangular hall with a small raised stage area complete with a cupola depicting the Soul of Music above. The hall is considered to have excellent acoustics.
The hall opened on 31 May 1901 with a concert featuring the virtuoso pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni and violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. During its early period, the hall attracted great artists like Artur Schnabel, Pablo Sarasate, Percy Grainger, Myra Hess, Arthur Rubinstein and Camille Saint-Saëns.
Because of its German ownership the hall was seized as enemy property during World War I but re-opened as the Wigmore Hall in 1917. Since re-opening great artists including Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Sergey Prokofiev, Paul Hindemith, Andrés Segovia, Benjamin Britten and Francis Poulenc have held performances here.
Located near the BBC's Broadcasting House in Portland Place, its concerts are frequently relayed by Radio 3. The Wigmore hall hosts mainly chamber music and solo recitals, with around 400 concerts each year.
On May 5, 2005 the hall announced that it is to set up its own record label later in the year.
