I had heard that the Palau de La Musica Catalana was pretty
special and to go see it.
It was a good thing we had a heads up to look for it,
because it is sort of hidden. But, not really. If that makes sense.
It is more to say it is not in a prominent location, but instead the flamboyant building is squeezed into a tiny space.
You have
to know to go look for it. But when you find it – WOW!
The Palau de la Música Catalana was built between 1905
and 1908 as the permanent home of the Orfeó Català, a choral society
dedicated to promoting Catalan music, language, and culture.
Stepping back a bit with some historical background, at the
beginning of the 20th century Catalonia was actively asserting its cultural
identity. The Palau was meant to reflect that confidence. The goal was to
create a fully modern concert hall that worked well acoustically while also
acting as a public symbol of Catalan creativity.
From the beginning, the building faced a major challenge
called: space.
The Palau's space was a small, irregular lot in the middle of narrow medieval streets near the old city. There was no room for a broad
façade or a surrounding plaza. Across the very narrow street is an apartment building that I am sure the residents have to be very careful of prying eyes on performance nights.
The architect, Domènech i Montaner solved the dilemma of the small space by designing
the building vertically, stacking functions and using the limited space as
efficiently as possible.
The horseshoe-shaped auditorium keeps the audience
close to the stage and helps create strong acoustics. I think every seat would be a great seat.
Circulation areas such as staircases and foyers are placed
along the sides, keeping the main hall compact but effective.
To avoid a closed-in feeling, he used glass and natural
light.
The highlight is the large stained-glass skylight centred over the seating area.
An unusual sculptural feature is the group of muses at the front of the
stage, representing different types of music.
Look closely. Rather than being free-standing sculptures they are a part of the building and then appear to emerge from the wall, "blending the sculpture with the structure".
There are winged horses, Pegasus
figures, associated with music, poetry and artistic inspiration. "These figures suggest movement and energy rather than stillness."
Throughout the interior, floral patterns, curved lines, and
plant-like forms reflect the Modernisme interest in nature as a source
of design inspiration. The purpose is to emphasize natural shapes instead of classical man-made symmetry. The design is totally different than other existing performing arts venues.
When the Palau opened in 1908, it immediately attracted attention. Both praise and criticism. If it looks a bit like Gaudi’s designs, it is because Domènech i Montaner’s was a professor to Guadi. So what came first, the chicken or the egg?
Today, the Palau de la Música Catalana remains a working
concert hall, hosting classical music, choral performances and other
events. When we went for our tour we were lucky there was a group practicing to enhance our experience.
In 1997, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
recognizing both its architectural importance and its continued cultural role.
A fun little "hidden gem" in Barcelona that we were pleased we "discovered".
2 comments:
Wow, that stained glass skylight is not only beautiful but a structural marvel. The setting reminded me of a carol performance at the RAH.
Gordon, the building is sandwiched into a little tiny space. We approached it from the backside and had to look for the front door and wondered if Google Maps had sent us astray. The stained glass skylight is gorgeous, and now that you mention it, I guess it would be a structural marvel.
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