Audenis, music to nourish the soul

Barcelona–"Audenis, the pianist says the piano is out of tune and that he can't perform the concert like this."

–"What are you saying? I'll come back and check it out."

(Examining the piano) –"The piano is perfect. Let's do something, I'll take apart the piano case and leave the tools scattered around. Tell the pianist to come."

(The pianist appears on stage, sees Josep working at the piano, watches as he puts it back the way it was, and sits down on the bench and types a few chords). –"Now it's perfect!"

A real scene that took place many years ago at the Gran Teatre del Liceu between Josep Audenis and a very famous pianist. Obviously, nothing was wrong with the piano; José left it exactly the same. But the pianist's ego had been conveniently satiated. Job done.

A delightful anecdote, one of the many that Josep Audenis keeps in his memory. There aren't many businesses in the world that are exactly the same age as their owner. Well, Audenis, at 316 Carrer Valencia in Barcelona, ​​​​is one of them. It was founded in 1928, the same year Josep Audenis Masjuan was born. At 96, he still goes to the store every day to lend a hand to his children, Josep and Isabel, who now run the business.

He is 96 years old, yes. And if his ear didn't fail him, he would continue tuning pianos just as he learned from his father, Josep Audenis y Rimundi, who opened the first shop at 116 Balmes Street, where he remained until the early 1980s. For a few years, the two locations coexisted, but in 1978, Josep managed to open an expansion and expand his horizons. In fact, at first, they only rented and repaired pianos, inherited from Tubau Hermanos, the piano makers who previously occupied the premises on Balmes Street. At the back of the shop, they still preserve, as a relic, an upright piano that survived from those distant early 20th century.

Entering Audenis is a pleasure for the senses. Especially for the ear and, of course, for the soul as well. It's easy to find someone trying out a piano. And that someone is very likely a professional considering purchasing one. Or it could also be a student. In both cases, there's a high level of confidence that the notes that emerge are, at the very least, pleasing.

Upstairs, they have a display of instruments for sale. All kinds: string, wind, and percussion. The piano is their historic specialty, so their stock is much larger. But there are also clarinets, trumpets, flutes, guitars, violins, violas... The sample is wide and varied, always within the category of classical acoustic instruments. It's hard to delve into electronic instruments. Oh! And how can you not notice the two luthier workshops on display, the string and wind instruments. A real gift for the customer or for the visitor who admires this precious profession.

Instruments and books

It's important to keep in mind that Josep's father, the founder of the business, died in 1946, and from then on, he and his mother, Isabel Masjuan, took over. The first years were spent traveling from house to house tuning pianos, and a stock of more than 150 pianos available for rent. Years of hard and rewarding work. This is what you call a lifetime dedicated to a craft.

Maria Prat, Josep's wife, had the foresight to dedicate part of the store—now the basement—to the sale of sheet music and music books. The variety is immense. They have around 30,000 scores! They also have a musical-themed gift section: pendants, bracelets, glasses, mugs, and all kinds of accessories. On the book shelves, you can find biographies, music history, theory, analysis, and more. They're also ready to accept returns of surplus stock for Sant Jordi, because for some years now, April 23rd has also been an important sales day for them. They no longer carry out piano repairs or tunings in the store, but they continue to offer home delivery. In three years, Audenis will celebrate its centenary. Good music keeps playing. Music that feeds the soul.