Misplaced Pages

#964035

53-1112: In 1847 the institution inaugurated the opera house Gran Teatre del Liceu . In 1854, the Liceo Filarmónico and the Gran Teatre del Liceu separated administratively. Nevertheless, both entities have always remained closely linked. Among its students have been, among other, artists as: singers Francisco Viñas , Maria Barrientos , Josefina Huguet , Conchita Supervía , Mercedes Capsir , Elvira de Hidalgo , Miguel Fleta , Victoria de los Ángeles , Jaume Aragall , Montserrat Caballé , Manuel Ausensi , José Carreras , Eduard Giménez , Dalmacio González , Juan Pons , Nuria Rial , Josep Bros ; guitarist Renata Tarragó ; pianist Frank Marshall or composers Leonardo Balada , Lluís Benejam , Agusti Grau Joan Guinjoan , Joan Lamote de Grignon , Ricard Lamote de Grignon , Frederic Mompou , Carles Santos , Manuel Valls , and Joaquim Zamacois . Many of them also became professors there upon completion of their studies, including Renata Tarragó . Among

106-436: A 31 January 1994 fire which destroyed the building, caused by a spark that fell on the curtain during a routine repair during the run of Paul Hindemith 's Mathis der Maler . The following opera was scheduled to be Puccini 's Turandot . Public and institutional response was unanimous on the need to rebuild the opera house on the same site with improved facilities. The new Liceu is the result of efforts to preserve parts of

159-514: A concert in 1904, followed a year later by Pietro Mascagni . In 1915, impresario Mestres Calvet broadened the repertory and introduced composers such as de Falla and Stravinsky . It was a golden age for Russian and German operas, which were now sung in their original language. Mestres also was associated, beginning in 1917, with the success of Diaghilev 's ballets with Vaslav Nijinsky , Léonide Massine , Lydia Lopokova , Chernicheva and other dancers. Years later, Anna Pavlova also performed at

212-454: A more complete and up-to-date perspective of the nature of an opera performance, improvements to the choir and orchestra, careful casting, and attracting public interest to aspects of productions other than the leading roles. This approach, coupled with new economic support and a more-discerning public, resulted in quality productions. The consortium maintained high standards in casting, production and public loyalty (measured by attendance) until

265-557: A permanent orchestra and choir and singers for supporting roles. Leading roles are usually sung by guest singers. Stagecraft is produced internally by the theater (alone or with other opera houses) and rented from other houses. Until the 1990s, the Liceu also had a ballet company. Most of the operas performed are from 19th-century Italy and Germany: Verdi , Wagner , bel canto composers and, more recently, Puccini , Richard Strauss and Mozart . The history of Liceu premieres illustrates

318-522: A school of stagecraft and theatrical scenery was developed at the Liceu. After beginning with Joan Ballester, who was known for his sets for L'Africaine , the leading set designer was Francesc Soler i Rovirosa. The style was realistic, using painted paper flats and curtains. Sets and costumes were made in the theater workshops. From the 1900s to the 1930s, the school was represented by scenery painters who included Maurici Vilomara, Fèlix Urgellés, Salvador Alarma and Oleguer Junyent. The last of these painters

371-472: A screen above the proscenium, are used for all opera performances and some lieder concerts. An electronic libretto system provides translations (into English, Spanish or Catalan) on small, individual monitors for most seats. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Liceu marked Spain's lockdown end with a performance for an audience of 2,292 house plants which was livestreamed on social media. Each plant

424-550: A university, college, or other educational institution in Catalonia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gran Teatre del Liceu The Gran Teatre del Liceu ( Catalan: [ˈɡɾan teˈatɾə ðəl liˈsɛw] ; Spanish : Gran Teatro del Liceo [ˈɡɾan teˈatɾo ðel liˈθeo] ; English: "Great Lyceum Theater" ), or simply Liceu , is a theater in Barcelona , Spain. Situated on La Rambla , it

477-716: Is also responsible for the promotion and dissemination of culture in Spanish , as well as the promotion of cultural cooperation and, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation , of international relations in the field of culture. The MCD is headed by the Culture Minister, a Cabinet member who is appointed by the Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister . The minister

530-456: Is assisted by a Secretary of State and an Under-Secretary. The current minister of Culture is, since 21 November 2023, Ernest Urtasun . The Ministry of Culture was created during the Spanish transition to democracy . However, the government action on culture dates back to the 18th century. From the beginning of the century and promoted by the Crown , it appeared the first Royal Academies such as

583-469: Is the city's oldest theater building still in use for its original purpose. Founded in 1837 at another location, the Liceu opened at its current address on 4 April 1847. The theater was rebuilt after fires in 1861 and 1994, and reopened on 20 April 1862 and 7 October 1999. On 7 November 1893, on the opening night of the season, an anarchist threw two bombs into the stalls. About twenty people were killed, and many more were injured. Between 1847 and 1989,

SECTION 10

#1732797383965

636-705: The City of Madrid the management of the Teatro Español . In 1985 the Ministry suffered a big reshuffle because of the devolution of cultural powers to the recently created Regions . At the same time it was created the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM) and the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA). Between 1996 and 2004 the Ministry of Culture was merged with

689-676: The Language (1713), History (1738) or Fine Arts (1752), all of them dependent from the Secretariat of State . With the development and specialization of the Administration , the promotion and protection of culture was assumed by the Ministry of Development between 1834 and 1837 when it assumed powers over theaters, and all kinds of public amusements and recreation, as well as the Conservatories of Arts and Music, by

742-570: The Liceo Filodramático de Montesión (Philodramatic Lyceum of Montesión, now named Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu) was founded in Barcelona to promote musical education (hence the name "Liceo", or lyceum .) It organized opera productions performed by Liceo students. A theater (Teatro de Montesión, or Teatro del Liceo de Montesión) was founded in a convent building, and plays and operas were performed. The first performance

795-540: The Ministry of the Interior between 1837 and 1847 and Development again between 1847 and 1851, by the Ministry of Grace and Justice between 1851 and 1855 and again by the Ministry of Development until 1900. The Budget Act of 1900 created the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts which assumed the responsibilities on culture until 1977. During this period, the Directorate-General for Fine Arts

848-745: The Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu , since it was founded in 1847. In 2024, it was Spain's oldest working orchestra in Spain. Its first conductor was Marià Obiols. Ministry of Culture (Spain) The Ministry of Culture ( MC ) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for the promotion, protection and dissemination of the Spanish historical heritage , national museums , art , books , reading and literary creation , of cinematographic and audiovisual activities and of national archives and libraries . It

901-477: The baroque and classical composers Monteverdi , Handel and Gluck . Ballet remains an important part of the theater's activities, with performances by some of the world's best-known companies (including the Béjart Ballet ). The Liceu's most-performed operas by January 2009 were: The Liceu has premiered a number of theatrical and musical works, including: During the second half of the 19th century,

954-457: The 1994 fire. The proscenium reproduces the old one, which was rebuilt in 1909. It has a large central arch with two Corinthian columns on both sides and, among the columns, four tiers of boxes. These wider, more-luxurious boxes are known as banyeres ("bathtubs"). The auditorium ornamentation reproduces that of 1909: sumptuous, with the golden and polychrome plaster moldings usual in 19th-century European theaters. Its brass lamps have glass in

1007-905: The 2,338-seat Liceu was the largest opera house in Europe by capacity. Since 1994, the Liceu has been owned and managed by a public foundation whose board of trustees represents the Ministry of Culture , the Generalitat de Catalunya , the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona and the City Council of Barcelona . The theater has its own choir (the Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu), symphonic orchestra (the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu ) and college of music (the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu ). In 1837,

1060-413: The Liceu one hundred years earlier. For 33 years, Pàmias led Liceu activity when it seemed impossible to maintain the opera house without official aid. The Liceu's repertory has included the world's most-performed titles since the 1950s, including nearly all the great 20th-century composers (Bartók, Honegger, Gershwin, Berg, Janáček, Weill, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Britten, Schönberg , and Hindemith ) and

1113-460: The Liceu one of Europe's largest opera houses), and is a typical Italian horseshoe-shaped theater with a maximum length and width of 33 and 27 metres (108 and 89 feet). The auditorium has a platea (main floor) and five balconies. Boxes with small rooms attached are in front of the stage, on the platea and in some galleries. There are no significant physical divisions between boxes; a low screen separates one box from another. There are no columns in

SECTION 20

#1732797383965

1166-493: The Liceu's stalls. Although only one of the bombs exploded, about twenty people were killed and many more were injured. The attack by anarchist Santiago Salvador shocked Barcelona, and became symbolic of the era's social unrest. The Liceu re-opened its doors on 18 January 1894, but the seats occupied by those killed were not used for a number of years. The second bomb was displayed at the Van Gogh Museum in 2007, during

1219-418: The Liceu. In 1947, the directing company came into the hands of Arquer and Pàmias. In contrast with the preceding years, which had been marked by programming of the great repertory works, the first season of the new directorship renewed the repertoire with the first performances in Barcelona of about 100 works by a number of composers. Revivals featured Donizetti's Anna Bolena , which had first been staged at

1272-530: The Ministry of Education although the Secretariat of State for Culture was maintained. In 2004 it was created again and in 2011 the Ministry assumed the competencies on bullfighting . It was suppressed again in 2011 until 2018 when the new prime minister Pedro Sánchez recovered this Ministry. The Ministry's structure is: Public organisms under direction of Ministry of Culture and Sport: Office name: Established in 1975 and first presented in 1976,

1325-482: The Secretariat of State for Culture was created and it also assumed RTVE . The final structure established nine general directions: Artistic Heritage, Archives and Museums; Cultural Diffusion; Books and Libraries; Music Theater and Shows; Cinematography; Community Development; Youth; and Broadcasting and Television. It also assumed organically the Superior Council of Sports. In 1981 the Ministry ceded to

1378-672: The Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu created the Consorci del Gran Teatre del Liceu (Consortium of the Great Liceu Theater) responsible for the theater's management. The Provincial Deputation of Barcelona and the Spanish Ministry of Culture joined the consortium in 1985 and 1986, respectively. The consortium attracted the public back to the Liceu quickly with improvements in its artistic standard. This included

1431-487: The architect, construction began on 11 April 1845. The theater was opened on 4 April 1847. The opening presented a mixed program which included the premieres of a José Melchior Gomis musical ouverture , the historical play Don Fernando de Antequera by Ventura de la Vega, the ballet La Rondeña ( The Girl From Ronda ) by Josep Jurch, and the cantata Il regio himene with music by Liceu musical director Marià Obiols . The first complete opera, Donizetti's Anna Bolena ,

1484-455: The building and upkeep of opera houses, the Liceu was funded by private shareholders of what would become the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu (Great Liceu Theater Society, organized similarly to a trading company or societat ). This is reflected in the building's architecture; there is no royal box. Since the queen did not contribute to construction, the society's name was changed to Liceo Filarmónico Dramático. With Miquel Garriga i Roca as

1537-405: The building society obtained the permanent right of use of some theater boxes and seats in exchange for their economic contributions. Auxiliary-building-society shareholders contributed the rest of the money necessary in exchange for rights to other spaces in the building, including some shops and the private Círculo del Liceo club. Unlike other European cities where the monarchy was responsible for

1590-506: The building to the foundation. Some stakeholders disagreed with the decision, which was unsuccessfully challenged in court. From 1994 until the Liceu's reopening in 1999, Barcelona's opera seasons were performed in the Palau Sant Jordi arena (some large-scale performances in 1994), Palau de la Música Catalana , and Teatre Victòria. The rebuilt, improved and expanded theater opened on 7 October 1999 with Puccini 's Turandot ,

1643-413: The building unaffected by the fire which had also survived the 1861 fire. The auditorium was rebuilt with the same layout, with new the roof paintings by Perejaume and state-of-the-art stage technology. The theater became public to rebuild and improve it. The Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu (Great Liceu Theater Foundation) was created, and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu handed over ownership of

Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-414: The center of the roof is a platform for technical facilities (lighting, sound and computer). Other technical facilities are control and projecting cabins in some balconies, a "technical floor" over the roof, and high-tech equipment to record and broadcast performances. With computerized cameras, the auditorium can also be used as a television set. Stage facilities are modern, allowing quick scene changes and

1749-503: The civil war, in 1939, the Liceu was returned to its original owners. From 1940 to the 1960s, the seasons were high-quality. In 1955, thanks to a special board, the Bayreuth Festival was staged away from its normal venue for the first time in its history. Performances of Parsifal , Tristan und Isolde and Die Walküre , with innovative sets by Wieland Wagner , were enthusiastically received. An economic crisis affected

1802-498: The crowning of Giuseppe Verdi as the king of opera. In 1866, Mozart's Don Giovanni was staged at the Liceu for the first time. In 1883, Wagner 's Lohengrin was first performed. From the 1880s to the 1950s, Wagner was one of the most beloved and highly-regarded composers at the Liceu. It staged the first performance of Parsifal outside Bayreuth on 31 December 1913, after the Bayreuth monopoly ended, with Francesc Viñas in

1855-502: The evolution of European operatic tastes. Opera was only a part of its artistic activities at first, alternating with zarzuela (Spanish light opera ), romantic ballet ( Giselle had its first Barcelona performance in 1847), theatrical performances, and magic shows. The first operas performed, Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Verdi's I due Foscari , are emblematic of the taste for bel canto and Italian romantic melodrama: Rossini , Donizetti, Bellini , and Verdi. They are still in

1908-536: The exhibition "Barcelona around 1900". In 1909, the auditorium was renovated. Spanish neutrality during World War I allowed the Catalan textile industry to amass enormous wealth by supplying the warring parties. The 1920s were prosperous; the Liceu became established, welcoming leading singers, conductors and companies such as Sergei Diaghilev 's Ballets Russes . When the Second Spanish Republic

1961-416: The next opera in the season at the time of the 1994 fire. The new venue had the same traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium, with improved technical, rehearsal, office and educational facilities, a new rehearsal hall, a new chamber-opera and small-performance hall, and more public space. The architects for the rebuilding were Ignasi de Solà-Morales and Xavier Fabré i Lluís Dilmé. Surtitles , projected onto

2014-463: The nuns who formerly owned the convent and had the right to return motivated the Liceu to leave its location in 1844. The last performance there was on 8 September of that year. The Trinitarian convent building in Barcelona's central La Rambla was purchased, and the Liceu's managers entrusted Joaquim de Gispert d'Anglí with construction of a new building. Two societies were created: a building society and an auxiliary building society. Shareholders of

2067-731: The professors there were Catalan composers Enric Morera , Graciano Tarragó and German composer Engelbert Humperdinck . The Barcelona Guitar Orchestra is based there. Since 1999 Maria Serrat i Martín has assumed the General Direction and in 2002 the Spanish composer and musicologist Benet Casablancas assumed the academic direction of the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu. 41°23′19″N 2°10′23″E  /  41.38861°N 2.17306°E  / 41.38861; 2.17306 This article about

2120-524: The repertory, and Verdi is the most-performed composer. The first operas by non-Italian composers which were put on at the Liceu were Ferdinand Hérold 's Zampa (1848), Carl Maria von Weber 's Der Freischütz (1849), Giacomo Meyerbeer 's Robert le diable , Auber's La muette de Portici (1852) and Fra Diavolo (1853). These were sung in Italian, the custom at the time. The first performances of Il trovatore (1854) and La traviata (1855) led to

2173-412: The shape of a drake. The stalls , on the main floor, are made of strained iron and red velvet. Modern features were introduced in the reconstruction. The eight circular paintings in the roof and the three in the proscenium, lost in the fire, have been re-created by the contemporary artist Perejaume . The stage curtain is by Catalan designer Antoni Miró  [ ca ] . The new hemispheric lamp in

Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu - Misplaced Pages Continue

2226-488: The simultaneous use of four different sets. A new foyer was built under the main auditorium for the main bar and restaurant and for concerts, small-format performances, lectures, cultural activities, and meetings. The Liceu station of the Barcelona Metro line 3 is adjacent to the theater. The Liceu is a receiving and producing house , with two or three new productions staged each year. Its company consists of

2279-402: The theater during the 1970s; the privately-based organization could not afford the increasing cost of modern opera productions, and overall quality declined. The death of Joan Antoni Pàmias  [ es ] in 1980 revealed the need for the intervention of official bodies if the Liceu was to remain a leading opera house. In 1981, the Generalitat de Catalunya , Barcelona's City Council and

2332-430: The theater except inside the platea , making the balconies look like a golden horseshoe without visual interruptions. The amfiteatre ubicare is a projection of the first balcony with a less-pronounced horseshoe shape accommodating three rows of seats, considered the best in the theater. Building expenses were covered by the sale of boxes and seats. Boxes were lavishly decorated by their owners, but they were destroyed in

2385-441: The title role and conducted by Franz Beidler. In 1955, the Bayreuth Festival company visited the theater and performed three operas. Verismo , especially Puccini, is a late-19th-century tradition. The first Russian opera was staged in 1915 with great success, and Mussorgsky , Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky were often performed. Early in the 20th century, Richard Strauss conducted his works. Siegfried Wagner conducted

2438-416: Was Vicenzo Bellini 's Norma , on 3 February 1838. The repertoire was Italian, the most-performed composers were Donizetti , Mercadante , Bellini and Rossini . The Barcelona premiere of Hérold 's Zampa was held here. In 1838, the society changed its name to Liceo Dramático Filarmónico de S. M. la Reina Isabel II (Dramatic Philharmonic Lyceum of H.M. Queen Isabel II). Lack of space and pressure from

2491-494: Was Josep Mestres Cabanes, who painted scenery from 1930 to the 1950s. Many notable singers have performed at the Liceu; when Camille Saint-Saëns visited the Liceu, he said: "Ils aiment trop the ténor" ("They [the Liceu public] love tenors too much"). Liceu debuts and final (or most recent) performances are in parentheses: The Liceu has a theater manager (an empresari or administrador ). Since 1980, it has also had an artistic director . The Liceu has had its own orchestra,

2544-450: Was created in 1915 which had competences on civil constructions related to National Monuments, Museums, Artistic Schools, Painting, Music Schools and other entities of an artistic nature and in 1939 it was created the Directorate-General for Archives and Libraries. Both merged in 1974 in a new Directorate-General for Artistic and Cultural Heritage. In 1946 it was created the Directorate-General for Cinematography and Theater which main task

2597-440: Was presented on 17 April 1847. Liceu was the biggest opera house in Europe, with 3,500 seats. Other operas performed during the first year were (in chronological order) I due Foscari (Verdi), Il bravo (Mercadante), Parisina d'Este (Donizetti), Giovanna d'Arco (Verdi), Leonora (Mercadante), Ernani (Verdi), Norma (Bellini), Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti) and Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini). The building

2650-627: Was proclaimed in 1931, political instability triggered a financial crisis for the Liceu which was overcome with subsidies from the Barcelona City Council and the regional Catalonia government. The theater was nationalized during the Spanish Civil War and was renamed Teatre del Liceu – Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Liceu Opera House – the National Theater of Catalonia); its opera seasons were suspended. After

2703-438: Was severely damaged by fire on 9 April 1861, but was rebuilt with a design by architect Josep Oriol Mestres and re-opened on 20 April 1862 with a performance of Bellini's I puritani . Of the old building, only the facade, the entrance hall and the foyer (Hall of Mirrors) remained. On 7 November 1893, during the season's opening night and the second act of Rossin's opera Guillaume Tell , two Orsini bombs were thrown into

SECTION 50

#1732797383965

2756-537: Was then donated to healthcare workers at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. The theater is in La Rambla , in downtown Barcelona. It has two facades, since the other two sides were surrounded until 1994 by residential buildings. Some parts of the first building remain: The auditorium was rebuilt after the 1994 fire as an improved recreation of the 1861 auditorium. It has a seating capacity of 2,292 (making

2809-595: Was to censor this cultural sectors. It was suppressed in 1967. Finally, in 1977 it was created an independent Culture Ministry which assumed the Directorate-General for Artistic and Cultural Heritage from the Ministry of Education , the responsibilities of the Under Secretary for Family, Youth and Sport from the Ministry of the Presidency and the information and cultural functions of the Ministry of Information and Tourism (cinema, theaters, music). Likewise,

#964035