Classical, Gaudí, Barcelona

Barcelona52 concerts in 29 venues across Barcelona's ten districts, from March 5th to April 1st. This is the offering of the seventh edition of the Barcelona Obertura Ciutat de Clàssica festival, which, as usual, combines the programming of L'Auditori, the Liceu, and the Palau de la Música with 27 free concerts in 26 venues of unique "heritage or social" significance, as described by Xavier Marcé, Councilor for Culture. The announcement was made this Wednesday at the Pedralbes Monastery, a choice full of meaning: firstly, because the monastery is once again hosting concerts for a festival that this year celebrates the city's status as a capital of architecture; secondly, because March 26th will mark the 700th anniversary of the construction of the monastery by Elisenda de Montcada and Jaume el Just.

Among the festival's new features are new venues such as the Bellesguard Tower, the Frederic Marès Museum, Plaça Sóller, the Julio Muñoz Ramonet Foundation, the Horta - Can Mariner Library, and the Palau Albéniz. Returning venues with unique heritage significance include Casa Batlló, the Miró Foundation, and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, as well as others with social significance, such as the Zona Nord Civic Center. Another new feature is that tickets for the free concerts will be allocated by lottery: each user can reserve two tickets for three concerts until February 20th. on the festival websiteThe draw will take place on the 23rd. Tickets sold out in less than two minutes, and this success also generated frustration. With the new system and the limitation to three concerts, the hope is to "reach more people," as stated by Víctor Medem, who is facing the final edition as the artistic director of Ciudad de Clásica because a few months ago he took over the direction of L'Auditori. His position will be filled by Laura Núñez, co-director of the Franz Schubert Foundation, the organizer of the Schubertíada.

The offerings from the country's three major musical institutions include, among others, Philippe Herreweghe's Collegium Vocale (programmed by Ibercamera), Martha Argerich (by BCN Clàssics), Jordi Savall, Sergei Dogadin, and the Casals Quartet at L'Auditori; Manon Lescaut, the concert version ofOrlando of Handel and the Novena Mahler at the Liceu, and Monteverdi Choir, Il Pomo d'Oro, the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra, and Arcangelo & Jonathan Cohen at the Palau de la Música. As for the free concerts of the City of Classical Music series, emerging talent and musicians from the OBC, the Liceu Orchestra, and the Municipal Band, as well as students from the Esmuc and the Liceu Conservatory, have been involved. "We welcome proposals from the city's musical community to showcase its value, and we give opportunities to emerging talent," Medem summarizes.

To construct the artistic narrative of the free concerts, Medem has proposed three main themes. The first is Modernism, linked to the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death. Therefore, the concert repertoires will include works by composers who were contemporaries of Gaudí, such as Enric Morera, Francesc Tàrrega, Narcisa Freixas, and Joaquim Malats. The second focus is on three "very interesting" female composers: Luise Greger (murdered by the Nazis in 1944), Margarete Schweikert, and Johanna Müller-Hermann, all three with careers that began in the late 19th century, when Vienna was the center of the musical world. Finally, there will be a third focus dedicated to the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. The budget for the free concerts is €350,000, of which €270,000 is provided by the Barcelona City Council. In addition to the Gaudí centenary and the 700th anniversary of the Pedralbes Monastery, other anniversaries will grace the festival's program: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Pau Casals and the founding of the Damm brewery. Ramon Agenjo, president of Barcelona Obertura, is also the patron and director of the Damm Foundation, and the Old Estrella Damm Factory is once again the venue for the opening concert, this year featuring Mireia Peñalver, Daniel Carmona, Aina Font, and Laura Rouy. "Barcelona is a city of music. We have the best music venues, the best music schools, and a civil society committed to music," said Agenjo with his usual enthusiasm, the same enthusiasm with which he describes the work of the artistic director of Ciutat Clásica: "Víctor is the Hansi Flick of music. He identifies talent when it first begins."