Romanian Athenaeum, Concert Hall
Royal concert of Romania
Romanian Athenaeum gold hit concert hall in Bucharest, Romania. The master building is also recognized as ‘George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra Institution’ or home of ‘George Enescu’ philharmonic. George Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist and teacher of 20th century. The landmark structure represents as the capital city of Romanian. Alexander Odobescu marks the official opening on February 14, 1888 with a conference. After a year on March 5, 1889, the first philharmonic orchestra was conducted by Eduard Wachman in the concert hall.
Tale of Romanian Athenaeum
In 1865, Romanian Athenaeum was founded by a bunch of art and cultural gems of Roman. Constantine Esarcu, V A Urechia and Nicolae Cretulescu are the legendary creators of the huge concert hall, Romanian Atheneum Cultural Society. To meet the purpose of the society the building was dedicated to art and science sectors located in Bucharest, Romania. The legends eagerly wanted to build a huge fascinated building to set artistic structure for the future of Romania. “The building exclusively devoted to art and science, so the architecture must match the destination”. The main purpose is to change and decide the arena to arise Romanian Athenaeum; the land belonged to Romanian Equestrian Society.
The palace of Romanian Athenaeum was built from public subscription money. Esarcu, the founder of the Athenaeum Society Roman called a slogan ‘Give a penny for the Athenaeum’. It was a shocking surprise idea turned into a lesson of unity, revival of national conscious.
Pioneer behind Romanian Athenaeum
Romanian Athenaeum is built by Albert Galleron, a French architect. Albert Galleron built the artistic hall under the assistance of a technical committee which included very interesting architects and engineers of Romanian. Grigore Cherch, Al Orascu Baicoianu Constantin lon and lon Mincu Socolescu are the recognized members of the committee. The committee referred architectural studies at Paris and also had artistic and technical concepts. The circular building was due to revaluation existing foundations of which were to serve the Diocese Garden lifting a circus too. Albert is popularly known for his Palace Bucharest National Bank (1880-1885) building in Roman.
The construction began in October 26, 1886. The cornerstone was laid on the old foundations, resulting in a circular central body of the building. There was two phases of construction: The first between1886-1889 and the second phase was between1893-1897, the main body and dome and annex behind the athenaeum developed respectively. As construction system of Athenaeum rests on brick masonry, the dome has a metal structure, made of firm Beuchtel specializes in this type of construction.
Ar. Albert Galleron recommended using the circular metal structures over brick drum as most appropriate in this situation because "this truss is an overall very solid and pointed in particular country subject to earthquakes." Thus, he is first among the designers to take into account the specific seismic risk zone of the country. The first phase of construction was completed in November 1887, followed the interior and exterior to be completed along the way. In the following years other works by architect Leonida Negrescu: its two two-storey wings on the left and right of the main entrance were completed.
Fresca provided since the inauguration inside the Concert Hall by Alexander Odobescu to be his vision and Constantine Esarcu, ‘a picture of the specificity of the Romanian soul’. Painted surface is 75 meters long and 3 meters high. In 1901, Stephen Smith and Costin Petrescu painters present their projects accepted the latter project. These frescos consider the present 25 episodes of Romanian history. In 1933, the mural was inaugurated on 26 May 1938 is noted is that both fresco and mosaic medallions of the four lords and King Charles I covered under communism: fresco with a curtain on entire length of 75 meters and caps round wooden mosaics. It is been a admirable building even today.
Inspired by ancient Greek temples, the building captures at first glance, the historic colonnade supporting a triangular pediment. Downstairs, the impressive marble lobby includes 12 Doric columns supporting the concert hall. Four monumental spiral staircase of Carrara marble Baroque, performed with balconies at the intermediate level, connecting with the audience and annexes [Offices, rehearsal rooms, cabins for soloists and conductor].
Frontage
West facade is an essential element portico with eight Ionic columns. Triangular pediment supported on these reminds of the old temples of antiquity. At the base of the gable is the inscription "Romanian Athenaeum." Dome, behind the gable, is dominant in its size and its baroque architecture requires a central element of the building. Total height of the building is 41 meters and a diameter of 29.16 meters. The height of the dome is 13m. The drum is provided with twenty round windows, each with a stylized lyre as a decorative element. The top of the dome is the highest point provided with a circular skylight windows mate. Both dome and skylight are made of sheet zinc, as well as decorative elements on them.
Style architecture is neoclassical Romanian Athenaeum, ornaments and specific styles reflects end of the nineteenth century, France. The style meets the most representative buildings of Bucharest. The period is strongly influenced by French architecture, Westernization, and the flourishing social and economic life of the Kingdom of Romania.
Fresca, evoking the history of the Roman people in 25 episodes, made for five years by the painter Costin Petrescu, many technical improvements produced by earthquakes and the 1944 bombing of the end of World War II, and especially changes in 1966-1967 (introduction of air conditioning, ceiling restoration, changing chairs, redistribution lodges, enlarging avanscenelor etc.) Athenaeum turned into a singular architectural complex downtown. For over half a century became the Philharmonic "George Enescu" and the 1958 "headquarters" of the International Festival "George Enescu".
Lavish elements
The interior structure form of the building is very impressive that includes both the proportion of the concert hall and the plastic decorative elements. Diameter hall is 28.5m and the headroom of 16 feet. The vault is richly decorated with elements and anthropomorphic polychrome stucco made as desired by Alexander Odobescu. All decorative elements that create a special atmosphere were made of stucco and finished with great artistic sense. Harmonize with the whole to which they belong, the central and most impressive concert hall is undoubtedly frescoes by Costin Petrescu. It begins and ends on both sides of the stage giving the impression that embraces the entire room. The one hundred twenty-four light bulbs at its upper part and put more value by soft lighting. The high hall is dominated by a majestic chandelier with its two hundred bulbs.
Arranged in the form of old Greco- Roman amphitheater nearly 1000 seats, three areas downstairs and two circular rows of 52 boxes in the middle with a central box. It provides a perfect view of every corner and a perfect audition. Perfection sound is due to the huge domes, rich ones ‘absorbs’ background instrumental and vocal podium to distribute the reverberation by auditors with the entire range of harmonics up to the finest timbral colors and shades. It seems that the acoustic cavity exceptional sound their Romanian Athenaeum hall the most successful construction of this kind was seen not only in Europe but worldwide in those days.
Romanian ethics
Temple of Romanian art and culture remains Athenaeum at 120 years, not just a building of heritage, architecture representative for Romania and the Balkans (with reference to ancient Greek) but also a symbol of the spiritual tradition of the people. The initial circular foundation has never been dreamt of by the founders, architects and builders as ideal as an architectural monument, there were times that were critical voices in unusual technical solution during the cultural descendants of ancient Dacia destined to become a revolving stage not only of history but of art in the context of Europe. "Caught" three centuries (equestrian foundation proved basalt) Athenaeum opened the gates of universal enlightened spirits that have met in Bucharest to fraternize with the native lands at the mouth of the Danube. Although founders dreamed all arts and sisters to find place under the dome this for cultural. It seems that few have realized exceptional natural acoustics of the room only offer music in a climate of affirmation plenary, single, becoming his parent’s home great personalities and talents of the world. A concert on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest today equates poetry with art appearance on the Scala Theatre.
Music soul mates
Bucharest Athenaeum offered music lovers unforgettable encounters with Pietro Mascagni, Vincent Indy, Richard Strauss, Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Maurice Ravel, Felix Weingartner, Hermann Scherchen, Erich Kleiber, Pierre Monteux, Clemens Krauss, Hermann Abendroth, Vaclav Talich, Herbert von Karajan, Bahmut Carl Wilhelm Bakhaus, Claudio Arrau, Marguerite Long, Wilhelm Kempff, Henryk Szeryng, Alfred Cortot, Arthur Rubinstein, Pierre Fournier, Zino Francescatti, Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, Walter Gieking, David Oistrakh, Yehudi Menuhin Monique from Bruchollerie, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonid Kogan, Ruggiero Ricci, Daniil Shafran, Dmitri Bashkirov, Christian Ferras, Nikita Magaloff, Sviatoslav Richter etc.
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