The Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, more than live music and concerts

The Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona (Palace of Catalan Music) it’s more than a place to attend a concert. Located in the Born neighborhood, it is one of the most representative and beautiful buildings of Catalan modernist architecture; It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.

But let’s go back a while to know a little bit of its history.
The Palau de la Música in Barcelona was built between 1905 and 1908 and is the work of the modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It was the headquarters of the Orfeó Català and has now become an outstanding music and culture center.

The building of the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona

This modernist building is configured around a central metal structure covered with glass. It is considered the iconic building within the work developed by Domènech i Montaner in the Ciutat Comtal, and when natural light reaches it, you can see an excellent combination of mosaics, forge and sculptures.

The colors and textures are the main protagonists, and all this gives you an image that connects you with nature in an almost magical way.

The spaces for concerts in the Palau de la Música Catalana

As we mentioned at the beginning of the post, this building is more than a space for music but, without a doubt, it is a unique space to enjoy it. It has three concert halls of different sizes and characteristics whose stages can accommodate different musical proposals.

Also, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona hosts cultural, business and social events of various kinds, and given its fantastic character and its beautiful scenery is chosen, too, to carry out filming under this exceptional architecture.

1. Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is a real wonder. In it, the music has been playing for more than 100 years and is a reference for choral and symphonic music throughout Spain. An incredible organ presides over the stage, and the central skylight symbolizes the Sun. In fact, this room has natural light.
If you raise your eyes, you will see the muses surrounding the stage or the Wagner’s Valkyries appearing from the ceiling, among other sculptures. Flowers and fruits also return that connection with nature.

A truly special place where the experience of enjoying a concert becomes extraordinary. A whole show of shapes, colors and sounds that will not leave you indifferent.

2. The Petit Palau

The Petit Palau is a modern auditorium (2004) in which chamber concerts or smaller format concerts are held. It also hosts congresses, conferences, business meetings, and more. It is built 11 meters deep and equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment.

It has a fixed tier and stalls that can be stored under the stage to create a more diaphanous space.

3. Rehearsal Hall of the Orfeó Català

The third room of the Palau de la Música Catalana is the Rehearsal Hall of the Orfeó Català. It is a very cozy and intimate space in which, in addition to the rehearsals of the group, conferences, presentations and small format concerts are held. Here is the place where the first stone of “El Palau” was put. In this room, you can see the decoration of Catalan modernism, with stained glass windows and hight columns.

Do not miss Lluís Millet Room

Lluís Millet was the founder of the orfeón and has a unique space dedicated to his figure. It is a waiting room inside the Palau de la Música Catalana, intended for meetings, conversation and rest. It has a height of two floors and is closed by a spectacularly stained glass window decorated with floral motifs, through which we see a balcony with the characteristic ornamentation of this construction.

What types of concerts does the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona offer?

All music styles have a place in the Palau de la Músic Catalana in Barcelona. From flamenco to opera, from choral to rock concerts. It also organizes opera, flamenco, symphony orchestras and choir music cycles.

This place has a broad shows program formed by more than 300 concerts for this season. If you are in Barcelona and do not want to miss this spectacular building you can enjoy, for example, the more than 100 self-produced shows of the 2018-2019 season of the Palau de la Música Catalana and also the concerts with guest composers of the size by Philip Glass or Josep Maria Guix.

On the other hand, if you visit our city with your family, you can not miss the Familiar Concerts at the Palau, a series of concerts aimed at parents, children, brothers, grandchildren or grandparents sharing an intense and exciting musical evening.

The best seats inside the Palau de la Música Catalana to enjoy a concert

If you decide on the main room, you should know that the orchestra or platea stalls are the best place to enjoy the show. Afterward, the central stalls, the circulars and the seats and boxes on the first floor also offer good visibility.

The Palau de la Música Catalana is located on the street of the same name and close to it there are other points of interest in Barcelona such as the Boquería Market or the Cathedral. We are sure you’ll love this visit!

Featured image: Interior view of the Palau, Barcelona