Between 1982 and 1989, the first part of the restoration and expansion of the palace was carried out, by architects Óscar Tusquets and Carles Díaz. The second part of this restoration, also under the direction of Óscar Tusquets and Josep Palain, began in 2000. In this phase, a six-story building was attached to the palace whose chamfer is resolved by a tower whose base is sculpted in the shape of a large palm tree.

The new building and plaza were located on the land previously occupied by the church.

The objective of this restoration was to modernize and expand the original building. Firstly, we sought to restore damaged parts of the building, and then update it to the new era. In this way they expanded and gave life to the hidden patio, providing a sense of greater spatiality. At the same time, they obtained a new access, the main access through which the building is accessed today. In the extension made next to the stage, services for the artists were placed, such as dressing rooms, changing rooms and new rehearsal rooms.

Contenido

La arquitectura de Domènech es de gran calidad y originalidad, resaltando la estructura de hierro que permite la planta libre cerrada por vidrio y por otro lado la integración en la arquitectura de las artes aplicadas.[8]​ Dos decisiones demuestran la tipología y la innovación tecnológica del proyecto: la primera la solución del patio en la medianera del solar con la iglesia para que la sala de conciertos quedara con la misma simetría de distribución y entrada de luz. La segunda fue la resolución de ubicar el auditorio en el primer piso con el acceso desde la planta baja por los diferentes tramos de la escalera con un tratamiento tan efectivo que compensa la ascensión: con esto se consiguió la utilización de la planta baja para oficinas del Orfeón.

En el exterior se mezclan elementos escultóricos, que hacen alusión al mundo de la música, con elementos arquitectónicos y decorativos de carácter modernista y barroquizante. En el interior el arquitecto combinó magistralmente los diversos materiales de construcción con cerámica (el trencadís tan típico del modernismo catalán) y vidrio. La sala y el escenario forman un conjunto armónico, en el que uno se integra en el otro. El escenario está dominado en su parte trasera superior por los tubos del órgano, que se convierten a su vez en un elemento decorativo e icono del propio palacio. La embocadura del escenario está enmarcada por ilustraciones escultóricas espectaculares, sendas alegorías de la música culta y de la música popular: a la derecha, un busto de Ludwig van Beethoven sobre columnas dóricas que sostienen unos cúmulos de los que emerge la cabalgata de las walquirias (clara referencia a la adoración por Richard Wagner que siempre ha sentido el público catalán); a la izquierda, unos chicos al pie de un sauce en cuyas ramas aparece el busto de José Anselmo Clavé, alusión al texto de la canción Les flors de maig de este autor.

Entre 1982 y 1989 se realizó una gran restauración y ampliación bajo la dirección de los arquitectos Óscar Tusquets y Carles Díaz, iniciándose la segunda parte en el año 2000 dotando al palacio con un edificio adosado de seis pisos de altura donde se ubican los camerinos, el archivo, la biblioteca y una sala de reuniones. Abriéndose a una plaza gracias al derribo de la iglesia de San Francisco de Paula, que había sufrido un incendio durante la guerra civil española y se había hecho una reconstrucción sin valor arquitectónico. En la segunda fase se realizaron reformas interiores y una nueva ampliación con una sala de audición y ensayo así como un restaurante.[9]​.

Primitive main façade

It is located on Alta de San Pedro street, the only access until 1989, on the corner of Amadeo Vives street, which is resolved with the inclusion of the sculptural group La cançó popular catalana (The Catalan popular song), as a bow, by the artist Miguel Blay, in which a Saint George is represented, below a female figure in the center like a large figurehead, surrounded by a group of characters representing the sailor, the peasants, the old man, the children, the upper class of society, a symbol that the palace of Catalan Music was for all the people. According to an inscription at the foot of the sculpture, it was paid for by the Marquis of Castellbell (Joaquim de Càrcer i de Amat), and that its inauguration took place on September 8, 1909.

The complexity of the angular façade on two narrow streets makes it difficult to obtain a complete view of the complex.

Other elements of this façade are the arches "Arch (construction)") with large columns "Column (architecture)") made of red brick and ceramic. On the first floor there is a balcony that runs along the façade with fourteen columns in groups of two, covered with mosaic all with different designs, on the second floor the busts of musicians on columns, made by Eusebio Arnau, from left to right are Palestrina, Bach and Beethoven, past the sculptural group on the corner there is the bust of Wagner already on Amadeo Vives Street. The original ticket offices were located within two of these columns at street level. At the top of this façade a large pediment "Fronton (architecture)") in mosaic by Lluís Bru symbolizes the senyera (flag) of the Orfeón by Antoni Maria Gallissà and in the center a queen presiding over a party with a spinning wheel, in allusion to La Balanguera, a poem by Joan Alcover i Maspons with music by the composer Amadeo Vives, a piece that the Orfeón performed most and which from 1996 is the official anthem of Mallorca.[10]​.

Current main facade

On this façade there is the usual entrance since 1989, through a new esplanade that is accessed from a street that since 2006 has been called the Palace of Music.

The façade, made by Domènech i Montaner, is surprising for its construction, which was carried out as if it were visible, despite the fact that it was completely blind due to the position on its entire front of the church "Church (building)") of San Francisco de Paula. To allow light to enter through the windows of this façade, the architect built a patio about three meters wide that served as a boundary with the church and although it was not visible, he built it with great wealth of materials and design, the work of exposed red brick, wrought iron railings, cornices and sculpted capitals and with stained glass windows of the same colors as the rest of the building. According to data provided by Pere Artís, the initial budget for the palace works was 450,000 pesetas, which was doubled, with some friction between the client and the architect due to his stubbornness to finish this façade the same as the one that was visible and therefore the increase in the cost of the work.[11]​.

On the left side of the façade is the services building, built by the architects Óscar Tusquets, Lluís Clotet and Carles Díaz in the last twenty of the century, with a tower with a base sculpted as if it were a large palm tree, it is also where there is the artists' entrance. On the right side there is a sculpture dedicated to Lluís Millet, by the sculptor Josep Salvadó Jassans, made in 1991, and the entrance to the palace restaurant, called Mirador and made like a glass box. At this end of the façade, the angle with Alta de San Pedro Street is also resolved as a bow as in the old façade, representing in red brick and in low relief, a gigantic Tree of Life made by the Barcelona sculptor Naxo Farreras.

The entire recovered central façade has been covered by a new one, making a glass screen with the name of the building, Palau de la Música Catalana, engraved on the glass.

Lobby

Through the old entrance on Alta de San Pedro Street, the first thing you see is a large double staircase to the first floor illuminated by large streetlights. The railing is richly carved in stone and with glass balusters. Already in this entry you can remember the writer Robert Hughes, referring to the palace:

Lluís Millet Room

Located on the first floor, in front of the concert hall, it is what is called a waiting or rest room with an imposing modernist lamp "Modernism (art)"), the doors are made of glass and from this room you go to the terrace where we find the columns decorated with mosaics that face the Alta de San Pedro street, all the columns are different in color and decoration, this room is also intended for holding social events or press conferences.

To decorate the room, busts have been included:

• - The Founders: Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives (both by Joan Matamala), the president Joaquim Cabot (by Eusebi Arnau).

• - The Musicians: Pau Casals (by Brenda Putnam), Eduard Toldrà, Joan Massià (by Eva Moshack), Frederic Mompou (by Joan Rebull), Xavier Montsalvatge (by Manolo Hugué), Manuel Blancafort (by Eudald de Juana), Alícia de Larrocha (by Ramon Cuello), Rosa Sabater (by Josep Maria Subirachs) and Victòria dels Angels.

• - The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner (replica of a work by Eusebi Arnau).

concert hall

Upon entering the room from the first floor, it has the effect of a dark entrance, immediately finding yourself with a great theatrical effect, with the explosion of light and color that the large room has, the stained glass windows on both sides run from the floor to the ceiling with the first and second floor of seats as if they were trays, columns decorated with colored mosaics like the ceiling with red and white glazed ceramic roses, at the intersection of the upper "Arch (construction)" arches. You can see some semicircle mosaics representing peacock tails with all their splendor and color, and in the center of the ceiling serving for natural and electric light, the large skylight or lamp made by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch, like a large sun in the shape of an inverted sphere, with golden crystals in the center and surrounded by others with softer blue and white tones representing female busts. This characteristic and genuine symbol of the palace represents the brand of the Fundación Orfeón Català-Palau de la Música Catalana, and is protected, along with other elements of the interior of the palace, by trademarks owned by the Foundation.

The capacity of the concert hall is 2049 people distributed in:.

• - Plataea, 688.

• - amphitheater, 321.

• - Second floor, 910.

• - Organ Galleries, 82.

• - Reserved, 48.

At the mouth of the stage, eleven meters wide, is the sculptural group by Diego Massana and continued by the young Pablo Gargallo,[13]​ which represents on the right side the bust of Beethoven below the ride of the Valkyries with a clear symbology of Wagner's central European classical music (in his honor in 1901 the Wagnerian Association of Barcelona was founded)[14]​ and the representation of popular music Catalan on the left side, with the bust of José Anselmo Clavé under a large tree at the foot of which is a group of singers. The magnitude of this sculptural work means that at the top they come almost to touch.

In the rear semicircle part of the stage, there are eighteen modernist muses in mosaic and in relief starting from the waist that seem to be dancing coming out of the walls, the upper sculptural part made by Eusebio Arnau and the trencadís of the skirts by Mario Maragliano and Lluís Bru, all of them are carrying different musical instruments, on them the organ is installed.[15]​.

The acquisition of the organ "Organ (instrument)") was made from the German house Walcker Orgelbau, in Ludwigsburg and took place in 1908. The first concert with it performed, by Alfred Sittard, organist of the cathedral "Hofkirche (Dresden)") in Dresden, meant hearing an organ concert for the first time in Barcelona in a venue other than a church. In 2003 it was restored by Gerhard Grenzing[16]​ thanks to contributions made by private companies and many individuals who had the possibility of sponsoring a tube.

Designed by architect Óscar Tusquets in the new building next to the entrance on Alta de San Pedro Street, it is located eleven meters deep and was inaugurated in 2004. It has a theatrical capacity for 538 people and perfect acoustics, excellent for chamber music. In addition, all types of social and cultural events are held in its space, for which it is equipped with great technological advances.

In 2007 it was one of the five projects awarded the European Uli Awards For Excellence in recognition of design and architectural value.

[17]​.

The collection was started by the Orfeón in 1891, it consists of various legacies with manuscripts from the 19th century, and a large number of volumes, most of them on musical themes; There are scores and the complete repertoire of the pieces sung by the choir since its foundation.

Muchos de los mejores solistas y cantantes del siglo han actuado en el palacio de la Música Catalana, entre ellos: Pau Casals, Jacques Thibaud, Alfred Cortot, Eugène Ysaÿe, Albert Schweitzer, Enrique Granados, Blanche Selva, Wilhelm Backhaus, Emil Sauer, Wanda Landowska, Clara Haskil, Fritz Kreisler, Arthur Rubinstein, Claudio Arrau, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropóvich, Alicia de Larrocha, Victoria de los Ángeles, Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Maria Uriz, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Barbara Hendricks, Alfred Brendel, Wilhelm Kempff, Sviatoslav Richter, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maurizio Pollini, Maria João Pires, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jessye Norman, Daniel Barenboim, etc.

Grandes orquestas y directores han visitado el auditorio desde su primer año en funcionamiento: la Orquesta Filarmónica de Berlín con Richard Strauss, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado y Mariss Jansons; Orquesta Filarmónica de Viena, con Carl Schuricht, Karl Böhm, Zubin Mehta y Leonard Bernstein; Orquesta Real del Concertgebouw con Eugen Jochum, Antal Doráti y Mariss Jansons; Orquesta Filarmónica de Israel y Zubin Mehta; Staatskapelle Berlin y Orquesta Sinfónica de Chicago con Daniel Barenboim, New York Philharmonic con Kurt Masur, Orquesta Filarmónica de Múnich con Sergiu Celibidache, Cleveland Orchestra con Lorin Maazel, Philharmonia Orchestra con Carlo Maria Giulini, Concentus Musicus Wien con Nikolaus Harnoncourt; Václav Neumann, Jordi Savall, Philippe Herreweghe, y coros como: Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina"), Orfeón Donostiarra, Escolanía de Montserrat, Niños Cantores de Viena, etc.

De 1920 a 1936 el palacio fue la sede de la Orquesta Pau Casals donde fue dirigida por Pau Casals, Richard Strauss, Vincent d'Indy, Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern, Arthur Honegger, Manuel de Falla, Eugène Ysaÿe, etc. Durante los años de 1947 a 1999, la orquesta residente del palacio fue la Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña.

Compositores y músicos importantes han interpretado o dirigido sus propias obras: Enrique Granados, Richard Strauss, Maurice Ravel, Serguéi Prokófiev, Igor Stravinsky, Manuel de Falla, Arnold Schönberg, Serguéi Rajmáninov, Anton Webern, Roberto Gerhard, George Enescu, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Federico Mompou, Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutoslawski, Pierre Boulez, etc.

Otros artistas, actores, bailarines, músicos de jazz, cantantes y grupos de música popular, rock, y otros estilos también han actuado en el palacio: Raphael "Raphael (cantante)"), Vittorio Gassman, Maurice Béjart, Ángel Corella, Charles Aznavour, Duke Ellington, Tete Montoliu, Oscar Peterson, Woody Allen, Keith Jarret, Ella Fitzgerald, Michel Camilo, Tamara Rojo, Paco de Lucía, María Dolores Pradera, Bebo Valdés, Luis Eduardo Aute, Georges Moustaki, Miguel Poveda, Marina Rossell, Ana Belén, David Bisbal, Jorge Drexler, David Bustamante, Cassandra Wilson, Lila Downs, Vicente Amigo, Norah Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, Ute Lemper, Ornella Vanoni, entre muchos otros.

El palacio se convirtió en el escenario emblemático para los cantautores de la Nova Cançó: cantar en el palacio fue una manera de consagración para un cantante. Raimon, Joan Manuel Serrat, Maria del Mar Bonet, Lluís Llach, Ovidi Montllor o Francesc Pi de la Serra han hecho recitales en él.

Durante años también se representaron con una cierta frecuencia obras de teatro, sobre todo teatro experimental o de autores que no podían representarse en otros locales: compañías como el Teatre Experimental Català, la Compañía Adrià Gual o la Agrupación Dramática de Barcelona (1955-19963) hicieron del palacio la sede de sus estrenos, entre los que cabe destacar espectáculos como el estreno de la Primera història d'Esther de Salvador Espriu, la de El Ben Cofat i l'altre de Josep Carner, la del Pigmalión de Joan Oliver, las obras de Joan Brossa, entre otras.

Some absolute premieres

• - 1911 - Enrique Granados. Goyescas Suite for piano, part one; Isaac Albeniz. Azulejos, for piano (finished by Granados) (March 11).[1].

• - 1924 - Joaquín Turina. Three arias for soprano and piano (December 19).[2].

• - 1925 - Manuel de Falla. Psyché (February 9).[3].

• - 1926 - Manuel de Falla. Concerto for harpsichord and five instruments Jaume Pahissa. Intertonal Suite (October 24)[4]; Joaquín Turina. Two songs.

• - 1928 - Eduard Toldrá. El giravolt de maig, opera with a libretto by Josep Carner; Joaquín Turina. Rhythms: cinematic fantasy for orchestra and Evocations for piano (October 29).

• - 1929 - Roberto Gerhard. Concertino for strings, Wind quintet (December 22).

• - 1932 - Manuel Blancafort. The kidnapping of the Sabines (October 16).

• - 1936 - Alban Berg. Violin Concerto "In Memory of an Angel" "Violin Concerto (Berg)") (April 19).

• - 1940 - Joaquín Rodrigo. Aranjuez Concert (November 9).

• - 1945 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Five black songs (June 19).

• - 1946 - Joaquín Rodrigo. Quatre cançons en llengua catalana and Tríptic de Mossén Cinto (November 22).

• - 1948 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Mediterranean Symphony (November 18).

• - 1951 - Manuel Blancafort. Concert ibèric for piano (March 3).[5].

• - 1952 - Federico Mompou. Sing of the soul (May 10).[6].

• - 1960 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Spiritual song (April 9).

• - 1961 - Federico Mompou. Variations on a theme by Chopin (October 13).[7].

• - 1963 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Morphological disintegration of Bach's Chaconne (October 18).

There is the possibility of visiting its interior through guided tours, purchasing a ticket for this purpose at the box office. The visit includes the different spaces, due to their availability: the Orfeón Catalán rehearsal room, where an audiovisual is shown, the Lluís Millet room and the concert hall.[18]​.

On July 23, 2009, a nine-hour police search was carried out at the Music Palace by order of a Barcelona judge who was investigating the alleged diversion of more than 2 million euros from the funds of the Orfeón Catalán. In fact, they created the foundation to act freely without those responsible for the choir or the palace being able to intervene, giving rise to the paradox that, while the foundation obtained large sums of money, these did not reach the primary recipients, which were the choirs of the Orfeón and the palace itself. On the contrary, the Orfeón suffered from a lack of resources and could not make some of the scheduled tours. The palace offered quality programming, but at higher prices than in other auditoriums, since the money obtained through other means was not enough. Later it was discovered that it was, but it did not reach its destination, but rather into the pockets of the managers.

Six months after the police search and the jurist and cultural manager Joan Llinares took over the direction of the institution, the audits carried out under his coordination confirmed an embezzlement of more than 34 million euros, of which on that same date a little more than 6 had been recovered. For months they have been free to transfer their resources to hidden accounts or change the ownership of their properties. Millet has been an omnipresent character in the public and economic life of Catalonia during the last thirty years, which gives him considerable power reinforced by the sensitive information that he is supposed to possess, especially with regard to the financing of political parties carried out with funds from the Palace of Music itself.

In August 2010, it was revealed that Ferrovial allegedly paid commissions of 4% to the CDC party, which at that time was the majority in the Government of the Generalitat. Specifically, he charged 5.9 million euros for the palace.[21]​.

The ruling of the sentence issued by section 10 of the Barcelona Court, published on January 15, 2018, sentenced Jordi Montull Bagur to seven and a half years in prison; his daughter Gemma Montull to 4 and a half years in prison; and former president Félix Millet to nine years and eight months in prison. His wife, Marta Vallès Guarro, and his daughter, Laia Millet Vallès, have been declared lucrative participants, for which Marta Vallès has to return 6.41 million euros to the palace and her daughter Laia, 112,782 euros. Daniel Osàcar (former treasurer of CDC) was also convicted, and Félix Millet was fined 4.1 million euros for money laundering and the crime of fraud for the confiscation of 6.6 million euros. to the Treasury, and between him and Jordi Montull they must return more than 23.2 million euros to the Palace of Catalan Music.[22]​ The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court subsequently confirmed most of the sentences, although it slightly reduced those of Gemma Montull and Daniel Osàcar.[23]​.

• - Catalan Architecture. Centre Obert d'Arquitectura, COAC..

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Palace of Catalan Music.

• - Official website of the Palace of Catalan Music.

• - Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, ​​Spain The UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture.

• - Interview with Joan Oller, director of the Palace of Catalan Music.

• - Thematic guide ETSAB Library: Palace of Congresses of Catalonia. Architect: Carles Ferrater.

Between 1982 and 1989, the first part of the restoration and expansion of the palace was carried out, by architects Óscar Tusquets and Carles Díaz. The second part of this restoration, also under the direction of Óscar Tusquets and Josep Palain, began in 2000. In this phase, a six-story building was attached to the palace whose chamfer is resolved by a tower whose base is sculpted in the shape of a large palm tree.

The new building and plaza were located on the land previously occupied by the church.

The objective of this restoration was to modernize and expand the original building. Firstly, we sought to restore damaged parts of the building, and then update it to the new era. In this way they expanded and gave life to the hidden patio, providing a sense of greater spatiality. At the same time, they obtained a new access, the main access through which the building is accessed today. In the extension made next to the stage, services for the artists were placed, such as dressing rooms, changing rooms and new rehearsal rooms.

Contenido

La arquitectura de Domènech es de gran calidad y originalidad, resaltando la estructura de hierro que permite la planta libre cerrada por vidrio y por otro lado la integración en la arquitectura de las artes aplicadas.[8]​ Dos decisiones demuestran la tipología y la innovación tecnológica del proyecto: la primera la solución del patio en la medianera del solar con la iglesia para que la sala de conciertos quedara con la misma simetría de distribución y entrada de luz. La segunda fue la resolución de ubicar el auditorio en el primer piso con el acceso desde la planta baja por los diferentes tramos de la escalera con un tratamiento tan efectivo que compensa la ascensión: con esto se consiguió la utilización de la planta baja para oficinas del Orfeón.

En el exterior se mezclan elementos escultóricos, que hacen alusión al mundo de la música, con elementos arquitectónicos y decorativos de carácter modernista y barroquizante. En el interior el arquitecto combinó magistralmente los diversos materiales de construcción con cerámica (el trencadís tan típico del modernismo catalán) y vidrio. La sala y el escenario forman un conjunto armónico, en el que uno se integra en el otro. El escenario está dominado en su parte trasera superior por los tubos del órgano, que se convierten a su vez en un elemento decorativo e icono del propio palacio. La embocadura del escenario está enmarcada por ilustraciones escultóricas espectaculares, sendas alegorías de la música culta y de la música popular: a la derecha, un busto de Ludwig van Beethoven sobre columnas dóricas que sostienen unos cúmulos de los que emerge la cabalgata de las walquirias (clara referencia a la adoración por Richard Wagner que siempre ha sentido el público catalán); a la izquierda, unos chicos al pie de un sauce en cuyas ramas aparece el busto de José Anselmo Clavé, alusión al texto de la canción Les flors de maig de este autor.

Entre 1982 y 1989 se realizó una gran restauración y ampliación bajo la dirección de los arquitectos Óscar Tusquets y Carles Díaz, iniciándose la segunda parte en el año 2000 dotando al palacio con un edificio adosado de seis pisos de altura donde se ubican los camerinos, el archivo, la biblioteca y una sala de reuniones. Abriéndose a una plaza gracias al derribo de la iglesia de San Francisco de Paula, que había sufrido un incendio durante la guerra civil española y se había hecho una reconstrucción sin valor arquitectónico. En la segunda fase se realizaron reformas interiores y una nueva ampliación con una sala de audición y ensayo así como un restaurante.[9]​.

Primitive main façade

It is located on Alta de San Pedro street, the only access until 1989, on the corner of Amadeo Vives street, which is resolved with the inclusion of the sculptural group La cançó popular catalana (The Catalan popular song), as a bow, by the artist Miguel Blay, in which a Saint George is represented, below a female figure in the center like a large figurehead, surrounded by a group of characters representing the sailor, the peasants, the old man, the children, the upper class of society, a symbol that the palace of Catalan Music was for all the people. According to an inscription at the foot of the sculpture, it was paid for by the Marquis of Castellbell (Joaquim de Càrcer i de Amat), and that its inauguration took place on September 8, 1909.

The complexity of the angular façade on two narrow streets makes it difficult to obtain a complete view of the complex.

Other elements of this façade are the arches "Arch (construction)") with large columns "Column (architecture)") made of red brick and ceramic. On the first floor there is a balcony that runs along the façade with fourteen columns in groups of two, covered with mosaic all with different designs, on the second floor the busts of musicians on columns, made by Eusebio Arnau, from left to right are Palestrina, Bach and Beethoven, past the sculptural group on the corner there is the bust of Wagner already on Amadeo Vives Street. The original ticket offices were located within two of these columns at street level. At the top of this façade a large pediment "Fronton (architecture)") in mosaic by Lluís Bru symbolizes the senyera (flag) of the Orfeón by Antoni Maria Gallissà and in the center a queen presiding over a party with a spinning wheel, in allusion to La Balanguera, a poem by Joan Alcover i Maspons with music by the composer Amadeo Vives, a piece that the Orfeón performed most and which from 1996 is the official anthem of Mallorca.[10]​.

Current main facade

On this façade there is the usual entrance since 1989, through a new esplanade that is accessed from a street that since 2006 has been called the Palace of Music.

The façade, made by Domènech i Montaner, is surprising for its construction, which was carried out as if it were visible, despite the fact that it was completely blind due to the position on its entire front of the church "Church (building)") of San Francisco de Paula. To allow light to enter through the windows of this façade, the architect built a patio about three meters wide that served as a boundary with the church and although it was not visible, he built it with great wealth of materials and design, the work of exposed red brick, wrought iron railings, cornices and sculpted capitals and with stained glass windows of the same colors as the rest of the building. According to data provided by Pere Artís, the initial budget for the palace works was 450,000 pesetas, which was doubled, with some friction between the client and the architect due to his stubbornness to finish this façade the same as the one that was visible and therefore the increase in the cost of the work.[11]​.

On the left side of the façade is the services building, built by the architects Óscar Tusquets, Lluís Clotet and Carles Díaz in the last twenty of the century, with a tower with a base sculpted as if it were a large palm tree, it is also where there is the artists' entrance. On the right side there is a sculpture dedicated to Lluís Millet, by the sculptor Josep Salvadó Jassans, made in 1991, and the entrance to the palace restaurant, called Mirador and made like a glass box. At this end of the façade, the angle with Alta de San Pedro Street is also resolved as a bow as in the old façade, representing in red brick and in low relief, a gigantic Tree of Life made by the Barcelona sculptor Naxo Farreras.

The entire recovered central façade has been covered by a new one, making a glass screen with the name of the building, Palau de la Música Catalana, engraved on the glass.

Lobby

Through the old entrance on Alta de San Pedro Street, the first thing you see is a large double staircase to the first floor illuminated by large streetlights. The railing is richly carved in stone and with glass balusters. Already in this entry you can remember the writer Robert Hughes, referring to the palace:

Lluís Millet Room

Located on the first floor, in front of the concert hall, it is what is called a waiting or rest room with an imposing modernist lamp "Modernism (art)"), the doors are made of glass and from this room you go to the terrace where we find the columns decorated with mosaics that face the Alta de San Pedro street, all the columns are different in color and decoration, this room is also intended for holding social events or press conferences.

To decorate the room, busts have been included:

• - The Founders: Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives (both by Joan Matamala), the president Joaquim Cabot (by Eusebi Arnau).

• - The Musicians: Pau Casals (by Brenda Putnam), Eduard Toldrà, Joan Massià (by Eva Moshack), Frederic Mompou (by Joan Rebull), Xavier Montsalvatge (by Manolo Hugué), Manuel Blancafort (by Eudald de Juana), Alícia de Larrocha (by Ramon Cuello), Rosa Sabater (by Josep Maria Subirachs) and Victòria dels Angels.

• - The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner (replica of a work by Eusebi Arnau).

concert hall

Upon entering the room from the first floor, it has the effect of a dark entrance, immediately finding yourself with a great theatrical effect, with the explosion of light and color that the large room has, the stained glass windows on both sides run from the floor to the ceiling with the first and second floor of seats as if they were trays, columns decorated with colored mosaics like the ceiling with red and white glazed ceramic roses, at the intersection of the upper "Arch (construction)" arches. You can see some semicircle mosaics representing peacock tails with all their splendor and color, and in the center of the ceiling serving for natural and electric light, the large skylight or lamp made by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch, like a large sun in the shape of an inverted sphere, with golden crystals in the center and surrounded by others with softer blue and white tones representing female busts. This characteristic and genuine symbol of the palace represents the brand of the Fundación Orfeón Català-Palau de la Música Catalana, and is protected, along with other elements of the interior of the palace, by trademarks owned by the Foundation.

The capacity of the concert hall is 2049 people distributed in:.

• - Plataea, 688.

• - amphitheater, 321.

• - Second floor, 910.

• - Organ Galleries, 82.

• - Reserved, 48.

At the mouth of the stage, eleven meters wide, is the sculptural group by Diego Massana and continued by the young Pablo Gargallo,[13]​ which represents on the right side the bust of Beethoven below the ride of the Valkyries with a clear symbology of Wagner's central European classical music (in his honor in 1901 the Wagnerian Association of Barcelona was founded)[14]​ and the representation of popular music Catalan on the left side, with the bust of José Anselmo Clavé under a large tree at the foot of which is a group of singers. The magnitude of this sculptural work means that at the top they come almost to touch.

In the rear semicircle part of the stage, there are eighteen modernist muses in mosaic and in relief starting from the waist that seem to be dancing coming out of the walls, the upper sculptural part made by Eusebio Arnau and the trencadís of the skirts by Mario Maragliano and Lluís Bru, all of them are carrying different musical instruments, on them the organ is installed.[15]​.

The acquisition of the organ "Organ (instrument)") was made from the German house Walcker Orgelbau, in Ludwigsburg and took place in 1908. The first concert with it performed, by Alfred Sittard, organist of the cathedral "Hofkirche (Dresden)") in Dresden, meant hearing an organ concert for the first time in Barcelona in a venue other than a church. In 2003 it was restored by Gerhard Grenzing[16]​ thanks to contributions made by private companies and many individuals who had the possibility of sponsoring a tube.

Designed by architect Óscar Tusquets in the new building next to the entrance on Alta de San Pedro Street, it is located eleven meters deep and was inaugurated in 2004. It has a theatrical capacity for 538 people and perfect acoustics, excellent for chamber music. In addition, all types of social and cultural events are held in its space, for which it is equipped with great technological advances.

In 2007 it was one of the five projects awarded the European Uli Awards For Excellence in recognition of design and architectural value.

[17]​.

The collection was started by the Orfeón in 1891, it consists of various legacies with manuscripts from the 19th century, and a large number of volumes, most of them on musical themes; There are scores and the complete repertoire of the pieces sung by the choir since its foundation.

Muchos de los mejores solistas y cantantes del siglo han actuado en el palacio de la Música Catalana, entre ellos: Pau Casals, Jacques Thibaud, Alfred Cortot, Eugène Ysaÿe, Albert Schweitzer, Enrique Granados, Blanche Selva, Wilhelm Backhaus, Emil Sauer, Wanda Landowska, Clara Haskil, Fritz Kreisler, Arthur Rubinstein, Claudio Arrau, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropóvich, Alicia de Larrocha, Victoria de los Ángeles, Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Maria Uriz, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Barbara Hendricks, Alfred Brendel, Wilhelm Kempff, Sviatoslav Richter, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maurizio Pollini, Maria João Pires, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jessye Norman, Daniel Barenboim, etc.

Grandes orquestas y directores han visitado el auditorio desde su primer año en funcionamiento: la Orquesta Filarmónica de Berlín con Richard Strauss, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado y Mariss Jansons; Orquesta Filarmónica de Viena, con Carl Schuricht, Karl Böhm, Zubin Mehta y Leonard Bernstein; Orquesta Real del Concertgebouw con Eugen Jochum, Antal Doráti y Mariss Jansons; Orquesta Filarmónica de Israel y Zubin Mehta; Staatskapelle Berlin y Orquesta Sinfónica de Chicago con Daniel Barenboim, New York Philharmonic con Kurt Masur, Orquesta Filarmónica de Múnich con Sergiu Celibidache, Cleveland Orchestra con Lorin Maazel, Philharmonia Orchestra con Carlo Maria Giulini, Concentus Musicus Wien con Nikolaus Harnoncourt; Václav Neumann, Jordi Savall, Philippe Herreweghe, y coros como: Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina"), Orfeón Donostiarra, Escolanía de Montserrat, Niños Cantores de Viena, etc.

De 1920 a 1936 el palacio fue la sede de la Orquesta Pau Casals donde fue dirigida por Pau Casals, Richard Strauss, Vincent d'Indy, Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern, Arthur Honegger, Manuel de Falla, Eugène Ysaÿe, etc. Durante los años de 1947 a 1999, la orquesta residente del palacio fue la Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña.

Compositores y músicos importantes han interpretado o dirigido sus propias obras: Enrique Granados, Richard Strauss, Maurice Ravel, Serguéi Prokófiev, Igor Stravinsky, Manuel de Falla, Arnold Schönberg, Serguéi Rajmáninov, Anton Webern, Roberto Gerhard, George Enescu, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Federico Mompou, Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutoslawski, Pierre Boulez, etc.

Otros artistas, actores, bailarines, músicos de jazz, cantantes y grupos de música popular, rock, y otros estilos también han actuado en el palacio: Raphael "Raphael (cantante)"), Vittorio Gassman, Maurice Béjart, Ángel Corella, Charles Aznavour, Duke Ellington, Tete Montoliu, Oscar Peterson, Woody Allen, Keith Jarret, Ella Fitzgerald, Michel Camilo, Tamara Rojo, Paco de Lucía, María Dolores Pradera, Bebo Valdés, Luis Eduardo Aute, Georges Moustaki, Miguel Poveda, Marina Rossell, Ana Belén, David Bisbal, Jorge Drexler, David Bustamante, Cassandra Wilson, Lila Downs, Vicente Amigo, Norah Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, Ute Lemper, Ornella Vanoni, entre muchos otros.

El palacio se convirtió en el escenario emblemático para los cantautores de la Nova Cançó: cantar en el palacio fue una manera de consagración para un cantante. Raimon, Joan Manuel Serrat, Maria del Mar Bonet, Lluís Llach, Ovidi Montllor o Francesc Pi de la Serra han hecho recitales en él.

Durante años también se representaron con una cierta frecuencia obras de teatro, sobre todo teatro experimental o de autores que no podían representarse en otros locales: compañías como el Teatre Experimental Català, la Compañía Adrià Gual o la Agrupación Dramática de Barcelona (1955-19963) hicieron del palacio la sede de sus estrenos, entre los que cabe destacar espectáculos como el estreno de la Primera història d'Esther de Salvador Espriu, la de El Ben Cofat i l'altre de Josep Carner, la del Pigmalión de Joan Oliver, las obras de Joan Brossa, entre otras.

Some absolute premieres

• - 1911 - Enrique Granados. Goyescas Suite for piano, part one; Isaac Albeniz. Azulejos, for piano (finished by Granados) (March 11).[1].

• - 1924 - Joaquín Turina. Three arias for soprano and piano (December 19).[2].

• - 1925 - Manuel de Falla. Psyché (February 9).[3].

• - 1926 - Manuel de Falla. Concerto for harpsichord and five instruments Jaume Pahissa. Intertonal Suite (October 24)[4]; Joaquín Turina. Two songs.

• - 1928 - Eduard Toldrá. El giravolt de maig, opera with a libretto by Josep Carner; Joaquín Turina. Rhythms: cinematic fantasy for orchestra and Evocations for piano (October 29).

• - 1929 - Roberto Gerhard. Concertino for strings, Wind quintet (December 22).

• - 1932 - Manuel Blancafort. The kidnapping of the Sabines (October 16).

• - 1936 - Alban Berg. Violin Concerto "In Memory of an Angel" "Violin Concerto (Berg)") (April 19).

• - 1940 - Joaquín Rodrigo. Aranjuez Concert (November 9).

• - 1945 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Five black songs (June 19).

• - 1946 - Joaquín Rodrigo. Quatre cançons en llengua catalana and Tríptic de Mossén Cinto (November 22).

• - 1948 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Mediterranean Symphony (November 18).

• - 1951 - Manuel Blancafort. Concert ibèric for piano (March 3).[5].

• - 1952 - Federico Mompou. Sing of the soul (May 10).[6].

• - 1960 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Spiritual song (April 9).

• - 1961 - Federico Mompou. Variations on a theme by Chopin (October 13).[7].

• - 1963 - Xavier Montsalvatge. Morphological disintegration of Bach's Chaconne (October 18).

There is the possibility of visiting its interior through guided tours, purchasing a ticket for this purpose at the box office. The visit includes the different spaces, due to their availability: the Orfeón Catalán rehearsal room, where an audiovisual is shown, the Lluís Millet room and the concert hall.[18]​.

On July 23, 2009, a nine-hour police search was carried out at the Music Palace by order of a Barcelona judge who was investigating the alleged diversion of more than 2 million euros from the funds of the Orfeón Catalán. In fact, they created the foundation to act freely without those responsible for the choir or the palace being able to intervene, giving rise to the paradox that, while the foundation obtained large sums of money, these did not reach the primary recipients, which were the choirs of the Orfeón and the palace itself. On the contrary, the Orfeón suffered from a lack of resources and could not make some of the scheduled tours. The palace offered quality programming, but at higher prices than in other auditoriums, since the money obtained through other means was not enough. Later it was discovered that it was, but it did not reach its destination, but rather into the pockets of the managers.

Six months after the police search and the jurist and cultural manager Joan Llinares took over the direction of the institution, the audits carried out under his coordination confirmed an embezzlement of more than 34 million euros, of which on that same date a little more than 6 had been recovered. For months they have been free to transfer their resources to hidden accounts or change the ownership of their properties. Millet has been an omnipresent character in the public and economic life of Catalonia during the last thirty years, which gives him considerable power reinforced by the sensitive information that he is supposed to possess, especially with regard to the financing of political parties carried out with funds from the Palace of Music itself.

In August 2010, it was revealed that Ferrovial allegedly paid commissions of 4% to the CDC party, which at that time was the majority in the Government of the Generalitat. Specifically, he charged 5.9 million euros for the palace.[21]​.

The ruling of the sentence issued by section 10 of the Barcelona Court, published on January 15, 2018, sentenced Jordi Montull Bagur to seven and a half years in prison; his daughter Gemma Montull to 4 and a half years in prison; and former president Félix Millet to nine years and eight months in prison. His wife, Marta Vallès Guarro, and his daughter, Laia Millet Vallès, have been declared lucrative participants, for which Marta Vallès has to return 6.41 million euros to the palace and her daughter Laia, 112,782 euros. Daniel Osàcar (former treasurer of CDC) was also convicted, and Félix Millet was fined 4.1 million euros for money laundering and the crime of fraud for the confiscation of 6.6 million euros. to the Treasury, and between him and Jordi Montull they must return more than 23.2 million euros to the Palace of Catalan Music.[22]​ The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court subsequently confirmed most of the sentences, although it slightly reduced those of Gemma Montull and Daniel Osàcar.[23]​.

• - Catalan Architecture. Centre Obert d'Arquitectura, COAC..

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Palace of Catalan Music.

• - Official website of the Palace of Catalan Music.

• - Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, ​​Spain The UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture.

• - Interview with Joan Oller, director of the Palace of Catalan Music.

• - Thematic guide ETSAB Library: Palace of Congresses of Catalonia. Architect: Carles Ferrater.