Orfeó Català
| Orfeó Català | |
|---|---|
| Seat: |
 Barcelona / Catalonia
|
| Carrier: | Palau de la Música Catalana |
| Founding: | 1891 |
| Genus: | mixed choir |
| Founder: | Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives |
| Voices : | ?? (SATB) |
Orfeó Català ( Catalan for "Catalan Choir") is a folk choir founded in 1891 by Lluís Millet i Pagès and Amadeu Vives . It is the most important choir in Catalonia and has had its seat in the Palau de la Música Catalana (English: "Palace of Catalan Music") in Barcelona since 1908 . The Orfeó Català is in the tradition of Josep Anselm Clavé and beyond that of the French Orphéons or folk choirs.
History and meaning
The Orfeó Català played a leading role in the musical world of Catalonia from the start. His success led to the construction of the Palau de la Música Catalana , which was completed in 1908 and of which the Orfeó is still today. Until the Auditori was built, the Palau de la Música was the most important concert hall in Barcelona.
The Orfeó Català was initially founded as a male choir. In 1896 it was expanded to include a women's choir and shortly thereafter a children's music school. In 1904 the choir founded the music magazine Revista Musical Catalana , which was published until 1936. It has appeared again since 1984, now sponsored by the Consortium of the Palau de la Música Catalana .
As an influential cultural institution in Catalonia, the Orfeó Català was subject to severe repression during the Primo de Rivera dictatorship . In 1925 he was temporarily banned from all activities.
Under the direction of important conductors such as Richard Strauss , Camille Saint-Saëns , Pau Casals , Antoni Ros-Marbà and Zubin Mehta , the choir celebrated successful performances in the musical centers of Europe and South America. The current choirmaster is Josep Vila i Casañas.
In 1984 the Orfeó Català was awarded the “ Creu de Sant Jordi ” prize for services to Catalan culture, the highest honor awarded by the Generalitat de Catalunya .
In 2009 Fèlix Millet Tusell, descendant of the palace's founder and current president, was accused of embezzling millions of euros. Renovation work with a cost estimate of 9.6 million resulted in a total cost of 24 million euros.
Felix Mittet Tusell claims to be one of the most influential Catalan families. In the book L'oasi català ( Eng : “The Catalan Oasis”) by Andreu Farràs and Pere Cullell, the 100 Catalan families who share the power of Catalonia are described, an idea that Millet commented: “Somos unos cuatrocientos y siempre somos los mismos. ” ( Eng . :“ We are around 400 and we are always the same ”). The Orfeó Català as well as the Círculo del Liceo and the Tribuna del FC Barcelona y La Caixa have always been among the meeting places of this Catalan elite.
Web links
- Orfeó Català homepage (Catalan, Spanish, English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cf. Esther Vera: La Cataluña feudal . In: El País , September 24, 2009.