when we are in Barcelona, there are two options for us to see a performance in the Palace of Catalan Music:
Gran Gala Flamenco
Dvořák's New World Symphony
Does anyone have feedback on these? I wanted to make sure these are worth the money. Or should we just book a Palace tour?
Thanks
Totally depends on your musical taste and the cost. Just don't miss the palace - it's gorgeous.
Pick either concert for a fantastic experience of enjoying a venue designed for enhancing a wonderful music experience. Decades ago we took. the tour and then found sitting for a concert added greater depth to enjoying the facility. We prefer seats along the sides of the stage on the upper floor, in contrast to being directly in front go the stage. Dress up a bit and really find yourself blending in with the local population. Totally worth the invested time.
I’d probably skip Flamenco in Barcelona. It’s maybe like having Texas BBQ in Boston.
Dvorak is at least appropriate to the general period in which the Palau was built.
I would go to either one. Experiencing a concert there is one of those special lasts-a-lifetime memories.
As Marbleskies said:
We prefer seats along the sides of the stage on the upper floor,
This is exactly where I sat to see the Gypsy Kings, and it couldn't have been any more perfect.
I took a tour there and then went to a concert. The music was nothing special but the experience was great. I'd pick Dvorak over flamenco but that's your call. Flamenco is most associated with Andalucia, but experiencing it in Barcelona is better than not at all. (Boston must have some Texas BBQ, after all.)
My junior high school orchestra performed the New World Symphony, at least highlights thereof - so I might go with that, out of curiosity to see how it was supposed to sound!. But, we saw an "Opera and Flamenco" performance there in 2017 and loved it.
Whichever you choose, get there early and enjoy a drink in the bar.
BG, I attended both an English-language tour and later in the week, the Gran Gala Flamenco performance. This was several years ago. The tour required reservations well in advance, and you had a limited choice of specific times, since there were tours in various languages at different times. You see more of the building on the tour, including the concert hall, and learn about the history, architectural design, etc. I seem to remember it included a video presentation also. The performance was a great event In the main concert hall, although certainly flamenco on a big stage in a big hall is very different from flamenco in an intimate setting in a bar or club. I got my ticket and seat selection way in advance and had a front row, very center seat in the first mezzanine, which I thought was perfect. On performance night, you didn’t see much beyond the concert hall and lobby. You could photograph before and after the performance, but not when the performers were on stage. I remember having a nice light supper, sort of tapas, in the cafe before the performance. On the way out, I happened onto an isolated patio at the Palace where some of the musicians and their families were relaxing, and it was nice mingling with them a bit. The Palace was certainly a highlight in Barcelona, one of many!
