An image of the original Gewandhaus concert hall
KUSC’s Alan Chapman has a lot to say about music, but can he say it in 60 seconds? That’s the Chapman Challenge. We ask a question and Alan has a minute to answer it.
Today’s question is from Ken in New Haven, CT, who writes, “Could you please explain the name of the Gewandhaus Orchestra?”
Hit play below to listen to this week’s Chapman Challenge on Arts Alive.
I’d be glad to and I’ll do it with the accompaniment of this famous orchestra from Leipzig.
They’re playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Mendelssohn was the conductor of the orchestra from 1835 to 1847 and he wrote the concerto for his concertmaster, Ferdinand David.
Felix Mendelssohn
But the question was about the name of the orchestra. Gewandhaus means “garment house” or “garment hall.” The original Gewandhaus was built in Leipzig in 1501 as a center for the textile trade.
When a new Gewandhaus was built in 1781, there was quite a bit of unused space. The mayor of Leipzig suggested that it be turned into a concert hall, understandable in light of Leipzig’s long musical tradition. And the orchestra that performed there soon became known as the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
By the time Mozart came there to give a concert in 1789, the Gewandhaus had become the musical center of the city.
Since then the orchestra has had two newer homes, one that opened in 1884 and was destroyed during the Second World War, and the current one, opened in 1981.
That’s today’s Chapman Challenge. Is there a question you’d like to have answered in 60 seconds? Send it to us at [email protected]
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Alan Chapman
Alan Chapman, in addition to his weekday morning program, is also the host and producer of two weekend programs: Modern Times and A Musical Offering.
After receiving his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he earned a Ph.D. in music theory from Yale University. He is currently a member of the music theory faculty of the Colburn Conservatory. He was a longtime member of the music faculty at Occidental College and has also been a visiting professor at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. His analytical work has appeared in the Journal of Music Theory and in The New Orpheus: Essays on Kurt Weill, winner of the Deems Taylor Award for excellence in writing on music.
Well known as a pre-concert lecturer, Alan has been a regular speaker on the L.A. Philharmonic's "Upbeat Live" series since its inception in 1984. He also works closely with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Pacific Symphony. His lectures have been presented by virtually every major performing organization in southern California. He has been heard globally as programmer and host of the inflight classical channel on Delta Airlines.
Alan is also active as a composer/lyricist. His songs have been performed and recorded by many artists around the world and have been honored by ASCAP, the Johnny Mercer Foundation, and the Manhattan Association of Cabarets. His children's opera Les Moose: The Operatic Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was commissioned by LA Opera for its 1997-98 season. Alan frequently appears in cabaret evenings with his wife, soprano Karen Benjamin. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 and performed at Lincoln Center in 2006. Their recent CD, Que Será, Será: The Songs of Livingston and Evans, features the late Ray Evans telling the stories behind such beloved songs as "Mona Lisa" and "Silver Bells."
