Podcast Summary: All Of It — "The History of Carnegie Hall" (If This Hall Could Talk / WQXR)

Host: Alison Stewart
Guests: Jessica Vosk (host of If This Hall Could Talk, singer and Broadway veteran), Kathleen Sabagal (Director, Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and Museum)
Air Date: August 28, 2024
Podcast Focus: Exploring the rich cultural and historical legacy of Carnegie Hall, through archival objects and the stories they tell, as highlighted in the podcast If This Hall Could Talk.

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the legendary history of Carnegie Hall, discussing memorable performances, the evolution of the venue, and its lasting impact on music and culture in New York City and beyond. Alison Stewart hosts a roundtable with Jessica Vosk and Kathleen Sabagal to spotlight the new podcast If This Hall Could Talk, which recounts stories behind seminal objects from the Carnegie Hall archives—including Judy Garland’s iconic 1961 concert, rock’s arrival at the Hall, civil rights milestones, and more.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Power and Magic of Carnegie Hall

• [05:00] Jessica Vosk on Performing at Carnegie Hall

  • Describes performing at Carnegie as incomparable:

    “When they say the old adage of ‘How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice,’ I mean, it’s true. And then you get to Carnegie Hall and you don’t remember it because it’s so fantastic that your entire psyche blacks out.”

  • Relates the Hall as “home” after multiple performances.

• [10:51] Kathleen Sabagal on Live Recordings

  • Explains that live albums at Carnegie Hall capture “this moment and this magic that’s hard to capture,” emphasizing the energy and intimacy between artist and audience.

2. The Archive: Preserving and Telling Carnegie's Story

• [05:44] Kathleen Sabagal on Archival Objects

  • The podcast is constructed around meaningful artifacts: signed albums, instruments, tickets, and flyers.

    “These are all objects that are on display in our museum. So it’s a range of things, from actual objects to ephemera that all have some connection to an amazing event that happened at the hall.”

• [06:35] Building the Archive

  • The Carnegie Hall archive began in 1986, ahead of its centennial. Early efforts involved scouring flea markets, placing ads, reaching out to families—even using eBay to build the collection.

3. Iconic Concerts: Judy Garland’s 1961 Performance

• [07:25] Recollecting Garland’s Legacy

  • The 1961 Judy Garland concert is repeatedly revisited as “one of the greatest nights in show business history.”
  • Jessica Vosk’s personal connection:

    “I remember asking the audience... ‘Who here saw that concert?’ ... There were actually a handful of people in the room who had seen that 1961 concert and had them stand up... Everyone applauded them and almost gave them a standing ovation for being there.” (08:17)

• [09:57] The Emotion in Garland’s Voice

  • Vosk describes what makes Garland’s performance enduring:

    “What I hear as a singer is just the extreme vulnerability... There’s nothing like a storytelling type of person. And she made everybody feel like they were in the living room with her.”

  • Alison Stewart underscores the “timelessness” of the Live at Carnegie Hall album.

4. Audience Stories: The People's Carnegie

• [11:19–14:01] Caller Memories

  • Memorable audience calls recall seeing the Weavers’ final reunion (with spontaneous audience singing in the stairwells), attending Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein, and ballet rehearsals in Carnegie Hall apartments.

• [16:42] Insider Story: Working at Carnegie Hall

  • Mo from Riverdale describes listening to concerts through a trapdoor in the ceiling while working late at an eighth-floor architecture studio:

    “The music would just come through there and we would just listen to concerts. Free concerts.”

• [18:48] Carnegie Hall’s Role for Students

  • Helmut from Manhattan shares the impact of his daughter performing at the Hall in a student ensemble:

    “Seeing her and hearing her in that hall, that acoustic, was just mind-blowing.”

5. Social Change and Civil Rights at Carnegie

• [17:41] Martin Luther King and the Rat Pack
  • Jessica Vosk highlights the pivotal civil rights benefit organized by Frank Sinatra and friends, spotlighting how white entertainers used their platform to elevate Dr. King and the movement:

    “Us, a crew of white guys are going to be the ones to back him when a lot of people wouldn’t... history repeats itself often... one of the most incredible pieces of history that I’ve gotten to learn.”

6. Women, Icons & Objects: Ella Fitzgerald’s Glasses

• [20:00] Objects as Narrative Anchors
  • Archive includes personal effects (e.g., Ella Fitzgerald’s iconic glasses):

    “She had poor eyesight... The glasses are the object, but then we get to delve into Ella and listen to Ella and Samara Joy and... go deeper and talk about the music and the person.”

7. Rock and the Evolution of the Venue

• [21:27] Rock’s Arrival at the Hall
  • Vosk marvels at Carnegie Hall’s flexibility:

    “The Beatles made their United States debut at Carnegie Hall. They were the kind of rock band at the time to make their debut at Carnegie Hall.”

  • Rock objects like T-shirts—as opposed to traditional uniforms—were used to “look less imposing” at rock concerts.

    “It didn’t really work that well, and the T-shirts were short lived. But yes... Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Rolling Stones were at Carnegie Hall.” (22:49)

8. Community, Continuity, and the Future

• [24:26] Jessica Vosk on the Podcast’s Purpose
  • Hopes listeners connect to the lineage:

    “I want people to understand that Carnegie Hall—you can go and see this museum, you can go and have a tour of the archives and see these pieces that we talk about. They’re tangible pieces.”

  • Stresses the importance of learning the stories behind archival objects, illuminating connections between past legends and today’s artists.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Carnegie Hall isn’t just a place where you’re going to hear classical music or orchestral music. You hear it all.”
  — Jessica Vosk, [21:27]

• “So many albums say ‘Live at Carnegie Hall’ because it captures a magic that’s hard to capture anywhere else.”
  — Kathleen Sabagal, [10:51]

• “You talk about Samara Joy, talking about Ella Fitzgerald—you know, there are all these real big connections that aren’t just associated with Coke bottle glasses, but the minute you think of Ella, you think of the Coke bottle glasses and you think of the fact that she was very scared to sing on stage. And it’s something we all understand.”
  — Jessica Vosk, [25:30]

• “Walking down the stairwells, everybody kept singing it—three thousand, or thousands of people singing this song in I don't know how many harmonies.”
  — Caller Julie, recalling the Weavers concert, [11:26]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [05:00] — Jessica Vosk on Performing at Carnegie Hall
• [06:35] — Building the Carnegie Hall Archive
• [07:25–08:45] — On Judy Garland’s 1961 Concert
• [09:57] — On Garland’s Vocal Magic
• [11:19–14:10] — Audience Calls & Memories
• [17:41] — The Martin Luther King / Rat Pack Civil Rights Benefit
• [18:48] — Modern Student Experiences at Carnegie Hall
• [20:00] — The Story Behind Ella Fitzgerald’s Glasses
• [21:27] — The Era of Rock at Carnegie Hall
• [24:26] — Closing Reflections: What the Podcast Offers Listeners

Tone and Style

The episode is lively and music-loving, blending reverence for history with an enthusiastic embrace of New York City’s diversity and culture. Both guests and callers express awe for Carnegie Hall as both a hallowed and accessible space, where history is lived, not just remembered. There is a clear thread of community, inclusivity, and the power of shared experiences.

For Newcomers and Listeners

This episode serves as an inspiring primer on Carnegie Hall—not just its landmark performances, but also untold stories behind the scenes, the evolution of its audience, performers, and the objects that keep memory alive. It’s a celebration of music, culture, and the ever-changing, uniting force of a New York City icon.

Recommended Next Listen:
Explore the If This Hall Could Talk podcast for deeper dives into each artifact and era discussed here, each episode centering on an object that shaped—and was shaped by—the Hall's incredible history.