Boileau, Barcelona musical treasure

On Provença street, almost at the corner with Roger de Llúria, there is a treasure. A Barcelonian treasure that is over a hundred years old. It is the Boileau publishing house, the oldest active music publisher in the State. A whole institution, a benchmark and a guarantee of quality both in the editing and in the dissemination of music for all kinds of audiences. Entering their shop is like taking an authentic leap back in time. Inaugurated in 1939 and designed following the inspiration of the GATCPAC architectural movement, it has been preserved just as it was on the first day.

With the original furniture, floors, and decoration. A whole declaration of principles, of a business personality committed both to its own heritage – music publishing – and to the common heritage, the city, commerce, and the quality of the legacy it leaves to the city. Yolanda Guasch and her two daughters, Marta and Mariona Aramburu, representatives of the third and fourth generations of a family business that has remained active for more than a century, show us.

The beautiful chest of drawers with eighth note-shaped handles is particularly impressive. They are full of old sheet music. On the glass of the entrance door, the staff can be seen, just like on the floor, also tiled from that era. Everything exudes authenticity and, above all, a love for the profession. The profession started by its founder, Alessio Boileau – Yolanda Guasch's grandfather – who came to Barcelona from Italy and opened a small workshop for engraving and printing sheet music. It was the year 1904. It was a business focused on professionals who wanted their music printed on sheet music.

Yolanda shows us a few pieces from that era that are on display and have been turned into a museum. A luxury. But the business soon began to evolve. The published sheet music could not only serve its composers but also students and individuals who wanted to learn to play. Thus, in 1913, editorial Boileau was born, and with it, the possibility of making larger print runs and reaching the widest possible audience. And a third step was the opening of the shop. Planned in 1935, it had to wait a few years due to the outbreak of the Civil War, until 1939, when it was inaugurated. And to this day.

In the same place in Eixample. Boileau can tell a whole story about music in our country. And not only because they keep at least one copy of all the music they have published over the decades, approximately 4,500 scores. Also because they have witnessed the evolution of tastes, trends, studies, and clientele they have had. From conservatory students to self-taught individuals, teachers, wealthy families who wished to instill musical studies in their sons and, particularly, their daughters. Yolanda explains that for many years, the female audience was very relevant. In the early days, music for solo musicians or for small ensembles – duets, trios, or quartets – and a great revolution, in the mid-century, with the appearance of music for orchestra and for groups. A whole variety, from music for small ensembles to medium and large ensembles. The founder's legacy was continued by his daughters, Mercedes, Rosario, and Elvira, Yolanda's mother.

And today? Well, at Boileau they offer their very varied editorial catalog, which they sell online worldwide – retail and as distributors for shops and bookstores – and which includes both their classic sheet music of all time and modern music, pedagogical, educational, and children's editions. They also sell external editions that may be subject to current trends: sheet music by Rosalía, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, or Lady Gaga. Plenty of examples. For all tastes and needs. Today's times are heavily marked by digital facilities that allow very easy access to materials, which implies fraudulent scans and illegal downloads. “This is detrimental to the quality of musical grammar, which leads to the degradation of music itself,” explains Yolanda. For this reason, Boileau's online sales ensure that the original materials are not misused.

Yolanda, Marta, and Mariona preserve the memory and legacy of Boileau with the enthusiasm and perseverance inherited from the founder and those who continued. They would wish that administrations had more awareness of the need for effective protection of emblematic commerce and lifelong family businesses. They do not falter.