Palau de la Música

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Palau de la Música

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852 – 1926) is famous world over – if you haven’t seen his architecture in the flesh, so to speak, you will have certainly seen pictures with the Casa Milà illuminated at night, read about the ongoing construction of La Sagrada Família; or perhaps your parents have a souvenir illustrating the architect’s use of trencadís. He is the most famous architect and designer for providing us with examples of Modernisme, a movement that is (for the sake of convenience) best described as the Catalonian version of Art Nouveau.  Well, outside of Catalonia at least. Needless to say there are many more exceptional artists, architects and craftsmen that contributed to the wonder that was fin-de-siècle Barcelona. Here I wish to highlight one such talent; Lluís Domènech i Montaner (1850 – 1923) and pay heed to his pièce de résistance– the Palau de la Música Catalana (1905-1908).

Main façade of the Palau de la Música Catalana.

Concealed in a back street this opulent theatre is one of the hidden and most underrated gems of fin-de-siècle ­architecture. The Palau de la Música Catalana focuses on Catalonia’s history, folk lore and traditions yet demonstrates a meticulous understanding of new developments and materials. It is this union that is key to the pseudo-nationalistic and political connotations which are inextricable from the Modernisme movement.

At the turn of the century, continental Europe experienced a zeitgeist of upheaval and change which manifested itself in a broad stream of cultural eclecticism, stimulated by theoreticians who were optimistic in their new architectural outlook. In Barcelona this was combined with regional politics resulting in the Modernisme movement which aimed to articulate Catalonia as an area not only capable of regaining its independence within Spain but one that could compete culturally with the continental artistic hubs such as Paris, Vienna and London.

In his article, In Search of a National Architecture, published in 1878, Domènech reviews historicism from a modern viewpoint; “if to believe that all generations have left us something worth learning, studying and applying is to fall into that sin- well, we declare ourselves guilty of eclecticism.”[i] The idea was - in this modern time of great change - to make use of whatever methods were still valid from which ever age they came (sounds familiar?).

The facade of the Palau is beautiful and astonishing to stumble upon. Due to the location within a small back street the likelihood is that the viewer will see one of the façade’s corners first. If approaching the theatre through the old streets and not from the main road, the Via Laietana, then one is presented by a fantastic Rodinesque sculpture by Miquel Blay. 

Allegory of folk song by Miquel Blay.

The allegory of folk song juts over the street creating a porch. As one continues along the street and vision is centred on the middle of the façade (see first photo) an array of busts are presented; Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven and Wagner - celebrating the European alongside the local. The building is crowned by arcades and mosaics that glitter and shine paying homage to the Arabesque heritage of Catalonia. A revival of crafts was also part of the Modernista movement. The use of Catalan craft and tradition and their use in this building subsequently contribute to the theatre as a total work of art. Indeed, to my mind at least, this building typifies the notion of Gesamtkuntswerk. Furthermore, it was Domènech’s principal goal to integrate architecture and ornamentation thus linking form and function as he had in the Castell dels Tres Dragons (1888) which structurally anticipates Hendrik Petrus Berlage’s Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

The Palau is often referred to as the beginning of rationalist building in Barcelona on account of its technological conception as a steel-framed glass box. The acoustic expertise of the total design as well as integration of audience and performance makes it a very practical, as well as aesthetically mesmerising, building. From inside the external solid walls seem to have dissipated and glass bridges the interior exterior divide creating a “curtain wall” concept. The integration of performers and audience is brought about by the low height of the stage in ratio to the main floor.

The Palau de la Música Catalana is home to the Orfeo Catala. In this building national pride is imbedded in its modernity, its cultural references and by it being home to one of the most important arts in Catalan culture. Inside the main concert hall the Proscenium expresses, in luxurious detail, the Orfeo Catala’s history and link to modernity. Towards the left there is a bust of Anselm Clave, the man who instigated the Catalonian choir revival. On the other side a cavalcade rises above columns, framing a bust of Beethoven. As Wagner’s Valkyries ride silently towards Clave, a symbiosis between modernity - via modern music - and Catalan culture is formed. At the time, if one wanted to see what Catalonia was capable of, one visited the Palau de la Musica.[ii]

The main concert hall and proscenium. Taken from a postcard owned by the author.

The fin de siècle was a time when Wagnerism swept the continent. The universality of music provided the bourgeoisie in Barcelona with an aid to expressing a national identity and culture that could be recognized by other European nations.[iii] This was Domènech’s constant aim whilst Gaudi may be better described as an isolated mystic. It was Domènech who really put Barcelona on the map back then – yet it is Gaudi we have on our mantle pieces. The Palau seems to personify Lord Byron’s affirmation that “the perfection of architecture is frozen music.”[iv] To believe this sentiment one only has to look at and feel the fluidity of the building in its sculptures and use of glass as the light effects shimmer like notes delicately played. Walking into the main concert hall and seeing the ceiling’s cacophony of colour as it bursts outwards is simply breathtaking.

The Palau de la Música Catalana is illustrative of Barcelona’s new eclecticism whereby tradition could be used as a passport towards gaining a modern identity. Absolutely every part of the building is united by ornamentation, by craft, by Catalonia’s heritage yet it embodies modernity it in its structure and by the continual references to modern culture. Modernisme was in essence a uniting communal, national cause, finding a dynamic expression in architecture. Today’s world often begets an architecture that is hollow, relying purely on icon status; that the Palau reflects the meaning of the Modernisme movement, as well as being an aesthetic whole, truly makes it a Gesamtkuntswerk worthy for all time. Furthermore, it represents that there is a lot more to Catalonia’s architecture than the guy who gave us a nice postcard to send home to mum and dad.

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[i] Domènech i Montaner, Lluís. 2007. “In Search of a National Architecture.” (Originally La Renaixensa, VIII, 1, 1878: 149-160) in In Lluís Domènech i Montaner by Lourdes Figueras, 216-223. (Barcelona: Santa & Cole)

[ii] Hughes, Robert. 1992. Barcelona. (London: The Harvill Press)

[iii] Mackay, David. 1989. Modern Architecture in Barcelona (1854-1939). (Oxford: BSP Professional Books)

[iv]  Mackay, David. 1989. Modern Architecture in Barcelona (1854-1939). (Oxford: BSP Professional Books)