Book Tickets
Strauss, Richard Strauss (1864–1949). Not “the Strauss” of waltzes that are heard every January 1 at the famous New Year’s concert, but nonetheless, a very important figure in composition and conducting at the beginning of the 20th century. Strauss visited Barcelona on four occasions. What was his interest in the city? What places did he visit during his stay? What relationships did he have with the musicians locally?
1st visit – November 1897
In November 1897, at the age of only 33, Richard Strauss arrived in Barcelona for the first time. Strauss was invited by a great admirer of his music, Antoni Nicolau, whom he had met in Paris. Nicolau premiered some of Strauss’ works in his concert series at the prestigious Theatre Líric, the most important theatre in Barcelona after the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Located on the corner of Mallorca and Pau Claris streets, it opened in 1881. However it only lasted 19 years, closing its doors in 1900.
Strauss arrived on the Express Train from Paris at the Estación de Francia (France Station), which was then still in the old building. Inaugurated on July 22, 1854 as the terminal of the line from Barcelona to Granollers. This station was Initially called Barcelona 2, being the second station built in the city after Barcelona-Mataró, becoming popularly known as Granollers station. From 1878, it was called Estación de Francia, when the Barcelona-Granollers line was extended to the border.
Strauss stayed at the Gran Hotel Inglés, a newly opened luxurious hotel on Pelai Street. This hotel, with its electric elevator and rates starting at 10 pesetas a day, represented the ultimate in comfort, modernity and exclusivity. At the end of 1917, the Gran Hotel Inglés in Plaza Cataluña became the Hotel Bristol, until 1927 becoming Telefónica’s central building.
The concerts were on November 11 and 14, where Strauss conducted a program that included his own work, the symphonic poem Don Juan, as well as Liszt‘s Mephistowalzer and Beethoven‘s Third Symphony. Ticket prices were 1 peseta for general admission, 3 pesetas for the gallery, 6 pesetas for a seat and 45 pesetas for a box. In comparison, a ticket to a performance at the Teatro Principal cost only 50 cents. In the press of that year there were advertisements for beds at 17.50 pesetas, half the cost of a box ticket for that concert.
2nd visit – March 1901
On the first day of March 1901 Strauss arrived on the express from France in Barcelona for the second time. Already in a new century, but only four years after the previous visit.
On this occasion, Antoni Nicolau invited him to participate in one of the concerts in the Lent cycle of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Held on March 3 at 9:00 p.m., it was a real success. The program included Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, as well as several of his own compositions, such as Don Juan, The Adventures of Till Eulenspiegel, Don Quixote, Death and Transfiguration, and A Hero’s Life. In addition, the Orfeó Català performed his choral work Al Atardecer. A new session was immediately scheduled for March 6, as its resounding success showed once again Strauss’ deep connection with the Barcelona public.
From this second visit we have testimony from Strauss himself where he mentions other places that he visited in Barcelona. One Sunday he took a quiet walk through the Gothic quarter that seemed “simply delicious.” Afterwards he went to eat at Tibidabo, then his hosts took him to the bulls and that night he attended a concert by the Orfeó Català. In his own words “I went from bullfighting to The Mass of Pope Mercelo.”
3rd visit – May 1908
In May 1908, Strauss visited Barcelona for the third time, this time invited by Lluís Millet. The composer arrived to participate in a series of concerts at the recently inaugurated Palau de la Música Catalana, which had only opened to the public three months earlier. The concerts took place on May 15, 16 and 17, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
The program included works such as Venusberg from the opera Tannhäuser and the prelude to Wagner‘s Tristan und Isolde, Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, and several of his own compositions, including Death and Transfiguration and Don Juan. This visit also stood out for the close friendship that Strauss maintained with Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives, a relationship that endured over the years, as demonstrated by the numerous letters they exchanged.
4th (and last) visit – March 1925
Strauss’s last visit to Barcelona took place in March 1925, when he was 61 years old. Being the interwar period, the context of this last visit was quite different. Europe was recovering from the devastation of the First World War while Spain, although neutral in the war, had experienced internal tensions and was headed for a dictatorship under Primo de Rivera, contrasting with the cultural effervescence that Strauss experienced in Barcelona.
On this occasion, his stay was longer and marked by the “Strauss Festival“, which was held for three days at the Palau de la Música Catalana. On March 12, Strauss conducted a concert featuring Frederic Longàs on piano and Enric Casals on violin, performing Don Juan, El Burgués Gentilmujer and A Hero’s Life. On March 15, the program included The Adventures of Till Eulenspiegel, the Couperin Suite and the Alpine Symphony. Finally, on March 17, soprano Mercè Plantada joined to perform Death and Transfiguration, several lieder, and the Domestic Symphony.
During this visit, Strauss also attended a concert by the Barcelona Municipal Band in the Plaza Reial, where he was so impressed by their quality that he asked to conduct a concert with them. On March 19, he led an impromptu concert in the Plaza de Sant Jaume, which culminated in a standing ovation and an excited Strauss raising his arm and shouting “Long live Barcelona! Long live Catalonia!” Before leaving, he was honoured by Joan Lamote de Grignon and the members of the Municipal Band, who presented him with a parchment signed by everyone.
This was the last visit of this great 20th century musician, but not the last time that his music was heard in Barcelona. Currently, our large musical halls, such as the Palau de la Música Catalana, L’Auditori de Barcelona and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, continue to program Strauss’ works in each new season.
