Heartbeat of Barcelona

Barcelona was famous in the early twentieth century for the rise of what became known as architectural modernism. Of course, the most famous of the Barcelonan modernists was Antony Gaudí, but there were others. Lluis Domènech i Montaner designed the Palau de la Musica Catalana for the Orfeó Catalá, and the building was financed by public subscriptions. Built between 1905 and 1908, it is the only concert hall in the world on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The accompanying photos show similarities between Doménech and Gaudí, yet there are also some differences. While Gaudí refused to incorporate anything other than natural symbols in his work, the stage of the Palau has a huge statue of Catalán composer Josep Anselm Clavé on the left. On the right is a colossus of a pensive Beethoven, and above him are huge horses with riders besieging a Wagnerian Valhalla.

Like most of the public buildings in Barcelona, the Palau de la Musica is striking in the complexity of its ornamentation. Sunlight pours into the concert hall through a thousand stained-glass windows. A large, bulbous sun in the center of the ceiling bulges downward like a glob of dripping honey. Green glass ballusters on the balconies each contain a twisted ribbon of wrought iron. Such creative, extravagant decoration could only be found in dreams, or possibly nightmares.

The main purpose of the building, of course, is the presentation of music and drama, and, even though our schedule would not allow us to attend a full-dress concert in the evening, we did see (and hear) a 23-voice chorus rehearsing an ethereal contemporary piece that showed off the room’s acoustics. Over 600 concerts per year take place here, and the building with its many adjacent parlors and meeting rooms is a center for Catalán culture, art and even political gatherings. In some ways the Palau de la Musica has become the heartbeat of the culture of Barcelona. It was a privilege to spend the morning here today.Read more