ItalianoRight at the beginning of the XX century, when the new century ushered in the desire for novelty, progress and modernity, the Orfeó Català choir of Catalan music decided to build their headquarters in Barcelona. They assigned the task to the architect Lluìs Domènech i Montaner, asking him to build a home for Catalan choral music. It was no coincidence that the first brick was laid on the day of the Catalan patron saint, Sant Jordi, in 1905. Let’s have a look at the history of the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.
Domènech i Montaner took the challenge of building such a sumptuous palace with so little space available. The streets surrounding the Palau were so narrow that they hindered the ability for visitors to admire the beauty of the façade. The architect exercised ingenuity in adopting peculiar solutions to give the stage and concert hall the necessary breadth to welcome 2,146 spectators. He was even able to include all the theatre offices and archives in the building. He created an eclectic-style palace with a dream-like combination of architectural features. For this reason, the Palau de la Música Catalana is one of the highest examples of modernism in Barcelona.
The inauguration of the Palau de la Música concert hall was celebrated by the music of the Catalan composer Clavé in 1908. He was the father of Catalan choral music.
Almost a hundred years later, in 2003, space restrictions were not convenient any more. The Petit Palau was built as a new polyvalent hall of the Palau de la Música. A square was opened to let visitors have a view on the colourful glass wall built by Domènech. The expansion was possible thanks to the demolition of an adjacent church, pertaining to the convent that used to stand on the land of the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.