National Concert Hall
Encyclopedia
The National Concert Hall (NCH) is a concert hall located on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, Ireland
, close to St. Stephen's Green
, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland.
Originally built for the Dublin International Exhibition of 1865, the structure was converted into the central building of University College Dublin
(UCD) at the foundation of the National University of Ireland
in 1908. When UCD began to relocate to a new campus at Belfield in the 1960s, part of the building was converted, and reopened as the NCH in 1981. Since then, the structure has been shared with UCD. In 2005 it was announced that UCD is to relocate all of its faculties to Belfield in the near term, allowing the NCH to develop a major expansion plan on the entire site, bringing it in line with international peers.
Today the NCH is one of Ireland's National Cultural Institutions, under the aegis of the Irish Government's Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and, as such, is grant-aided by the Irish Government.
The NCH is a statutory corporate body, with a management team, and a Government-appointed Board.
In 2006 the Concert Hall celebrated its 25th anniversary with a number of gala concerts and events.
have been criticized . It is also unsuitable for large-scale opera
stagings, lacking full stage facilities. Consequently, calls for a purpose-built venue are made from time to time. Plans have been developed in the early 2000s which involve revamping the existing Auditorium, building a larger newer one plus another small auditorium. This comes after the UCD section was bought from the college to enlarge the Concert Hall.
. It is also in strong contrast to Dublin's other major public sector concert facility, The Helix
.
. Other regular performances are made from the rest of the RTÉ Performing Groups
. Presently, the NCH has three performance areas.
built. It features prominently in various performances at the NCH
and Madame Butterfly and La Traviata
, while Festival Productions, over the years, has staged Fiddler on the Roof
, The King and I
, My Fair Lady
, Oliver!
, The Sound of Music
, Oklahoma!
, The Pirates of Penzance
, The Wizard of Oz, Hello, Dolly!
, The Mikado
, Annie
and The Gondoliers
. Their productions of the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas all won the award for Best International Show at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, Buxton three years in a row. For Christmas 2010, Festival Productions will present Disney's Beauty and the Beast
and in August 2011, a revival of The Gondoliers. Lyric Opera is currently preparing two new productions of The Merry Widow and Don Giovanni.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, close to St. Stephen's Green
St. Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green is a city centre public park in Dublin, Ireland. The park is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named for it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies and the city terminus of one of...
, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland.
Originally built for the Dublin International Exhibition of 1865, the structure was converted into the central building of University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
(UCD) at the foundation of the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
in 1908. When UCD began to relocate to a new campus at Belfield in the 1960s, part of the building was converted, and reopened as the NCH in 1981. Since then, the structure has been shared with UCD. In 2005 it was announced that UCD is to relocate all of its faculties to Belfield in the near term, allowing the NCH to develop a major expansion plan on the entire site, bringing it in line with international peers.
Today the NCH is one of Ireland's National Cultural Institutions, under the aegis of the Irish Government's Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and, as such, is grant-aided by the Irish Government.
The NCH is a statutory corporate body, with a management team, and a Government-appointed Board.
In 2006 the Concert Hall celebrated its 25th anniversary with a number of gala concerts and events.
Development plans
Although its facade is quite impressive, the venue's acousticsArchitectural acoustics
Architectural acoustics is the science of noise control within buildings. The first application of architectural acoustics was in the design of opera houses and then concert halls. More widely, noise suppression is critical in the design of multi-unit dwellings and business premises that generate...
have been criticized . It is also unsuitable for large-scale opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
stagings, lacking full stage facilities. Consequently, calls for a purpose-built venue are made from time to time. Plans have been developed in the early 2000s which involve revamping the existing Auditorium, building a larger newer one plus another small auditorium. This comes after the UCD section was bought from the college to enlarge the Concert Hall.
Finances
The NCH generally makes a small surplus, unlike most of Ireland's National Cultural Institutions. This is despite the fact that although it has a high level of attendance, it has only a small public funding element, especially compared to the Abbey TheatreAbbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
. It is also in strong contrast to Dublin's other major public sector concert facility, The Helix
The Helix
The Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
.
Performances, repertoire and performing groups
Due to its central location, lunchtime concerts and recitals are common and attended by many workers from nearby office buildings. In summer, outdoor recitals are given in the adjacent Iveagh Gardens.Orchestras
The resident orchestra is the RTÉ National Symphony OrchestraRTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is the concert music orchestra of Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
. Other regular performances are made from the rest of the RTÉ Performing Groups
RTÉ Performing Groups
RTÉ Performing Groups is a group of five classical ensembles, part of the Irish broadcaster RTÉ. All but the Vanbrugh Quartet are based in Dublin .- RTÉ Performing Groups :...
. Presently, the NCH has three performance areas.
Organ
The organ in the NCH was installed by the organ builders Kenneth Jones and Associates in 1991, ten years after the auditorium wasbuilt. It features prominently in various performances at the NCH
Lyric Opera and Festival Productions
Lyric Opera Productions' home is the NCH and they have been in operation for over ten years. The society presents highly successful operatic and concert performances of the highest standard. Its Artistic Director is Vivian Coates, who is assisted by Tony Finnegan. Its sister company is Festival Productions, which stages musicals and operettas. Recently, Lyric Opera produced CarmenCarmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
and Madame Butterfly and La Traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
, while Festival Productions, over the years, has staged Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
, My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
, The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, The Wizard of Oz, Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! may refer to:*Hello, Dolly! , by Jerry Herman*"Hello, Dolly!" , from the musical*Hello Dolly! , based on the musical*Hello, Dolly! , 1964 album by Ella Fitzgerald...
, The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, Annie
Annie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
and The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances , closing on 30 June 1891...
. Their productions of the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas all won the award for Best International Show at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, Buxton three years in a row. For Christmas 2010, Festival Productions will present Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
and in August 2011, a revival of The Gondoliers. Lyric Opera is currently preparing two new productions of The Merry Widow and Don Giovanni.
Performance areas
- The Main Auditorium, seating 1,200, is used for large scale concerts and some operas.
- The Hall was converted from use as an examination hall when the building was the headquarters of UCD.
- There is a magnificent concert organ set as a background to the stage, which was designed to complement the surrounding :architecture of the Hall and installed in 1991 in time for the 10th anniversary of the NCH's opening.
- The stage area is considered small, making large opera performances impossible at the NCH. (Therefore, they usually have to be accommodated in one of the city's other venues like The Point Theatre or "the theatre" in The HelixThe HelixThe Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
, which by contrast has one of the largest stages in Ireland).
- The John Field Room, seating 250, is used for small scale recitalRecitalA recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
s and as an exhibition space.
- The Carolan Room, seating 100, is used for pre-event talks, receptions and corporate functions.
- Other facilities: There is a box office in the foyer, a small bistro, a bar on the first floor, and temporary cloakroom and bar facilities are operated on the ground floor in the inner lobby for performances.
See also
- The HelixThe HelixThe Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
, opened in 2002 and located on the campus of Dublin City UniversityDublin City UniversityDublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
), is a rival performance space in Dublin. The main auditorium, the Mahony Hall, is a purpose built 1,260-seater concert hall and its acoustics are said to be superior to those of the National Concert Hall. - List of concert halls