Palau de la Musica Catalana Barcelona

Palau de la Musica Catalana ranks as one of the finest constructions of Barcelona, treasuring itself as an intrinsic part of the city’s heritage. With an exquisite architecture and elaborate facilities, the majestic structure has become a part and parcel of the city’s cultural milieu.

Palau de la Musica Catalana dates more than a century back, reflecting the typical architecture of the era. The building owes its origins to Orfeó Català, a prominent choral society of the period as they contributed for its construction in 1905. For a century therefore, the theatre had served as the seat of the city’s cultural endeavors, drawing numerous guests to experience uncounted performances under its historic roofs. Palau continues to host more than half a million audiences to relish a gamut of performances that range from classical recitals to jazz music.

The auditorium is a masterpiece of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, a celebrated architect of the period. The building is indeed a fine specimen of the modernist architecture that marked the century. The auditorium enjoys an elaborate decoration typical of a modernist construction. With a fine balance of red bricks, stained glasses and glazed tiles, the auditorium is a riot of colors, standing gallantly over the neighboring constructions. The facade here has distinct touches of Spanish and Arabic influence, producing a delightful harmony. Palau de la Música Catalana boasts of a design that is a sheer pleasure to behold. A large mosaic by Luis Bru adorns the top façade while numerous columns stand along the balconies donned in brilliant colors and intricate floral patterns. The interiors too are equally beautiful as delicate patterns embellish the ceilings in ceramic molds and vibrant tiles. The entire auditorium wears a classic look as dainty chandeliers hand down to cast delightful hues on the elegant marble floors.

Palau de la Música Catalana is an elaborate construction that houses enormous halls that can accommodate a large audience. The main concert hall is a spacious structure equipped with an excellent acoustic arrangement. The hall can seat about 2200 people, allowing them to relish a performance to its fullest. With its marvelous design and its opulent auditorium, Palau de la Música Catalana therefore stands out from the other halls in Barcelona.

Construction of the Palau de la Música Catalana

The Orfeó Català (Catalan Choral Society), having had its base at various different addresses in the old quarter of Barcelona, laid the first stone of a very unique building: the Palau de la Música Catalana. It was the year 1905. At that time the institution had 184 singers and 1,358 members

Classified by UNESCO in 1997 as a World Heritage site, this is the most famous building designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It is thoroughly Modernista, seen especially in its integration of various visual arts, decorative richness, use of color, and floral ornament. It is the home and concert hall for the Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891 by Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives. This organization was so successful that it commissioned in 1904 this concert hall, which is still active with almost half a million people a year attending a variety of concerts from symphonic and chamber performances to jazz and cançó.

The building is on the site of the former cloisters of the old monastery of Sant Francesc; the streets are narrow and cramped. In fact, it is impossible to see the allegorical mosaic at the top of the facade unless one is lucky enough to get inside buildings opposite the concert hall. Thick columns support the arcades at the entrance; where they join a shield advertises the Orfeó Català. During Franco's regime the government ordered that all references to Catalan be concealed.

The Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) is a concert hall designed in the Catalan modernisme style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It was built in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, between 1905 and 1908 for the Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891 that was a leading force in the Catalan cultural and political independence movement that came to be known as the Renaixença (Catalan Rebirth) (Benton 1986, 56; Fahr-Becker 2004, 199). The project was financed primarily by the society, but important financial contributions also were made by Barcelona's wealthy industrialists and bourgeoisie. The Palau won the architect an award from the Barcelona City Council in 1909. Between 1982 and 1989, the building underwent extensive restoration, remodeling, and extension under the direction of architects Oscar Tusquets and Carles Díaz (Carandell et al. 2006, 138). In 1997, the Palau de la Música Catalana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, more than half a million people a year attend musical performances in the Palau that range from symphonic and chamber music to jazz and Canço (Catalan song).

A double row of columns on the main balcony is decorated with colorful and different mosaic designs. Floral themes characteristic of Modernism are evident in stained glass, ceramic, and mosaics. One of the thick columns at the entrance originally served as a ticket booth. While the building is predominantly red brick, mosaic decoration covers many surfaces. The chief designer of the mosaics was Lluís Bru. The large sculpture on the corner, by Miquel Blay, is entitled La cançó popular catalana (1909). Catalan song is personified as a graceful maid before a group of male and female figures. Above them is a copy of a silver statuette of St. George in the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya chapel.