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Sage Hall is home to the Smith College Music
Department. It houses abundant resources for music students and faculty, including
a recently renovated concert hall, an intimate recital hall, a digital classroom
with electronic pianos, a well-equipped electroacoustic studio, an early-music room,
and numerous practice rooms with grand pianos.
 Sweeney
Concert Hall
Sweeney Concert Hall is one of the most sought-after performance spaces on campus.
The comfortable, spacious hall seats more than 600, and its broad stage can readily
accommodate the needs of a diverse range of performances, from solo recitals to large
choral and orchestral ensembles. Sweeney's excellent acoustics are suitable for both
vocal and instrumental performances.
Earle Recital Hall
Earle Recital Hall, located on the first floor of Sage Hall, is ideally suited for
smaller recitals where the performer prefers a closer interaction with the audience.
The hall seats up to 120, and its stage can accommodate two grand pianos or small
to medium ensembles.
One of four libraries at Smith, the Werner
Josten Library is housed in the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, and is
situated directly across a small courtyard from Sage Hall. The library contains an
exceptional collection of over 82,000 volumes, 52,000 sound recordings, and more
than 260 current periodical titles. Access to the Internet and the World Wide Web
is supplemented by a variety of local databases. In addition, the Einstein Manuscript
Collection and other original source material offer a rich opportunity for research.
Besides the extensive listening facilities, there are also videotape viewing and
multimedia workstations.
The Music Department's instrument resources
include excellent keyboards. A 9-foot Bösendorfer grand piano, two harpischords,
and the recently rebuilt pipe organ in John M. Greene Hall are regularly heard in
department performances. The department's 5 1/2 octave fortepiano was built by Paul
McNulty, one of the most highly respected builders today; it is based on an 1805
design by Walter & Sohn of Vienna. Completed in June 2000, it is the 34th instrument
made by Mr. McNulty, an American living in Divisov, Czech Republic.
A program in early music supported by Smith,
Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Hampshire colleges and the University of Massachusetts
enriches the active musical life of the campus. Wide-ranging cultural activities,
a distinguished faculty, and the lively interchange among the five academic institutions
in the Connecticut River valley provide opportunities for a rewarding academic experience. |
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