Architect Domenech Montaner’s stunning concert hall in Barcelona marks the zenith of the Modernista movement in the city. He called it his ‘Garden of Music’, and it is a joy to behold. As soon as you arrive you can tell you’re in for a treat.
When you turn from the narrow street, there’s a new entrance.
With the Good Conductor waiting to take charge.
Just inside there’s a rather elegant bar. On a guided tour we learn that a church beside the Palau was pulled down and the new entrance created, with a small auditorium. Then we get the first dazzling glimpse.
A dynamic representation of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries flies high above our heads.
It’s hard to know which way to look!
But Pegasus is also in flight.
While on the balcony I have to wait to photograph a row of mosaic pillars where too many people had the same idea.
Then we go back inside on the top floor to see what we’ve really been waiting for.
Montaner’s vision was to blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, creating light that would change throughout the day.
You should be able to click on the image to get a closer view. It’s a kind of inverted dome, a stained glass orb skylight, totally entrancing. The tour finished with a short performance of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue, I can’t think of anywhere better to hear it.
This post is for Jo who’s been to the Palau and hopefully will like this little reminder, and for Jude who may like to go there sometime in the future.
I’m sorry, I’m way behind and owe many of you messages!
Lucid Gypsy 
Excllant photos, thank you for walking me through this incredible location!
Wow!
Glorious! Feast for the eyes .. Thanks so much for sharing 😄
Beautiful coverage of an impressive building, a treat for all the senses.
Bless your cotton socks, darlin 🙂 This place was one of my highlights of Barcelona and it’s fabulous to see it again. It’s a must, Jude! 🙂 Happy weekend, Gilly! I’m just home.
What a grand tour!! Magnificent captures!
What a stunning visual overload. It almost seems like too much, but what would you want to subtract? I’m particularly taken with the coloured flowers, but the skylight is the highlight. You had music too! Thank you for a splendid post.
Ahh, the memories return. Thanks. ☺
Oh, oh, oh YES please – send me the details 🙂
Will do, I’m hoping to sort it tomorrow and post on Monday!
No hurry – we go mid-October.
How long are you staying?
Really magnificent, Gilly. Love those colourful pillars. 🙂
Thank you for the tour, Gilly. Magnificent photos of a stunning place.
I can just imagine the sound when the Bach music was played. Incredible ….
Issy 😎
What a glorious close-up, Gilly! Fantastic capture of the inverted dome. I am also a fan of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue. 😉
Thank You! Absolutely stunning architecture and so wonderful to see. My great grandfather on my father’s side was from Catalonia in Northern Spain. That is where my last name comes from. I also have other ethnicities but have always found my father’s stories of his family and their coming to the US interesting. My last name is Espriu. 🙂
How wonderful Renee, and have you been to Catalunya? Barcelona is the capital and a very proud city, one of my favourites anywhere. I’ll post more about it when I have time. Maybe you could write down the stories of your family? 🙂
No, I have not been there but my sister did go and found we have a distant relative no longer alive that was a writer also. He wrote poetry as well as other types of writing. These photos give me an idea of what my sister saw while she was there. 🙂
The writer’s name is Salvador Espriu. There are very few with this last name so he is more than likely related. My sister even managed to bring home some of his writing although difficult to understand as the dialect there is a mix of Spanish and French and it is this language he wrote in. You can find more about him if you put his name in your search engine. 🙂
Yes the Catalan language is difficult to understand. I understand quite a bit of French and a little Spanish, so if it’s written down I can pull a few bits out, but not spoken! I’ll look for Salvador:-)
Here is a site that has some translation into English. Very interesting if you have the time. http://www.escriptors.cat/autors/esprius/pagina.php?id_text=2581
‘he played an important part in the revitalisation of Catalan theatre’, he’s almost certain to have been to the Palau in my photos then!
Yes, I believe that is true from what I have heard and read. I do understand Spanish so do understand some of what he wrote. Here is a link of him being interviewed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkIPiN5o_J4
What incredible details, and such a combination of different media. I love it! It would be difficult to take it all in in person, I would think. Real sensory overload!
The views keep going better and better and better. I probably won’t be able to make it to see the show from looking at the location. The acoustics is probably above par.
I live near this beautiful building, and I did never have the chance to visit it from the inside ;(. I really want to go before I die! I love the art of Barcelona, my city, and I appreciate you like it! ^^
Hello, I absolutely love your city, you’re so lucky to live there. You MUST go to the Palau, it’s fabulous, as are many other places there 🙂
Sure!!! Is a very beautiful place ^^