Edu365.cat

VilaWeb.cat
VilaWeb.tv
Nosaltres.cat
MÉSVilaWeb  Correu  Clau
Vilaweb Diari de l'escola
The Liceu, Ten Years On

A Long...

...and Turbulent History

The Liceu Today


dilluns, 2 de febrer de 2004
On the 31st of January 1994, exactly ten years ago, there was a major fire at the Liceu, one of the most importance symbols of Catalan culture. The flames destroyed almost the entire building, creating an enormous cloud of smoke that could be seen from all over Barcelona. Thousands of anonymous citizens gathered in the Rambla, the pedestrian street on which the theatre is located, not able to believe what their own eyes were seeing.

Fortunately, though, civil society and the political authorities did not resign themselves to the tragedy, but joined forces to rebuild the Liceu as quickly as possible. Immediately after the incident, the decision was taken to put up the new theatre on the same site, where the façade was practically all that remained standing. The architects, Ignasi de Solà-Morales, Lluís Dilmé and Xavier Fabré, were given the task of reconstruction, which began in 1995.

The decisive action of the authorities and the donations made by private individuals and a variety of organisations made it possible for the Liceu to be inaugurated once again in October 1999, just five years after the fire that had devoured it. Two years previously, in 1997, the owners approved the transfer of the Liceu to public institutions.

Today, ten years after the fire, the Liceu is once again one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. The new theatre preserves the image and the decor it had, while introducing the most innovative technology. It has also been considerably extended, from 16,000 to 32,000 square metres in surface area. However, the modernisation and extension of the Liceu has been done at the price of demolishing twelve other buildings and relocating around sixty families who lived next door.
  • + Secció de Nosaltres.Com: Música

A Long...


+ On the 9th of April 1861, a major fire destroyed the Liceu.
The Liceu was opened on the 4th of April 1847, over one hundred and fifty years ago. With seating capacity for 4,000 spectators, it was at that time the largest theatre in Europe. This fact is especially impressive if we think of how, unlike most opera theatres of the time, it was not built with any aid or involvement from the state. Rather, it was the bourgeoisie that made its construction possible. And by the end of the 19th century, the Liceu had consolidated its position as one of the most internationally renowned centres of opera. It was the favourite place to meet (and to show off) of the rising Catalan bourgeoisie, enriched by the profits of their businesses in trade and industry.

...and Turbulent History


+ In 1893, the anarchist Santiago Salvador threw two bombs onto the theatre.
But before becoming a world-famous theatre, the Liceu was to suffer a fire that destroyed the auditorium and the stage. This tragic event took place on the 9th of April 1861, but a year later the theatre had already been rebuilt, a fact that reveals the drive and the wealth of the Catalan bourgeoisie. Bear in mind that at that time, the Principality of Catalonia was fully immersed in its industrial revolution, which gave rise to the emergence of two new social classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. While the former got rich, the latter lived a hard life working in factories from dawn to dusk in very tough conditions. There was a great deal of tension between the two classes, and the Liceu was a victim of this: on the 7th of November 1893, an anarchist named Santiago Salvador threw two bombs onto the theatre stalls, one of which exploded, killing twenty and injuring many more.

The Liceu Today


+ The Liceu is once again one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world.
Nowadays, the Liceu is no longer the exclusive showcase of the bourgeoisie, but has become more accessible to a more diverse public. Many of the theatre-goers no longer dress in black tie, and the average age is around forty, while it used to be over fifty. This is probably due both to the modernisation of the theatre (which has made it possible to widen the repertoire) and to the fact that it has been given over to public ownership. The Liceu also has almost 25,000 members, more than any other public theatre in Europe, and it is almost always full to overflowing. But it still receives considerable financial aid from the private sector thanks to the Liceu Foundation.

MATERIALS

  • El Liceu
    Format:Web
    Web oficial del Gran Teatre del Liceu, en què destaquen el detallat apartat històric i la visita virtual.
  • Els instruments de l'orquestra
    Format:Web
    Didàctica i interactiva explicació de cadascun dels instruments que formen una orquestra, amb fragment musical inclòs.
  • Conservatori del Liceu
    Format:Web
    Pàgina del conservatori de música més antic del país, fundat el 1838.
  • Música clàssica
    Format:Web
    Espai del portal Ritmes.net dedicat a la música clàssica.
  • Recursos musicals
    Format:Web
    Recursos i materials de la Xarxa Telemàtica Educativa de Catalunya (XTEC) per a l'ensenyament i l'aprenentatge de la música.
  • La Caixa de Música
    Format:Web
    Treball escolar que relaciona diferents aspectes musicals amb la física i les matemàtiques. Elaborat per alumnes de l'IES Bellvitge de l'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelonès).

QUE HO SABIES?

  • On the site on the Rambla where the Liceu was built, there used to be a convent run by the Trinitarians. What was known as Mendizábal's act of disentailment (1835) led to the suppression of most of the religious orders and the auctioning off of their assets, and this affected the Trinitarian convent.
  • The Liceu Conservatoire is the oldest in the country, founded in 1838. In this school of music, extraordinarily talented musicians, such as Pau Casals, have imparted their mastery, and singers of international prestige have been trained, such as Montserrat Caballé and Victòria dels Àngels.
  • The Liceu Circle is a private organisation founded in 1847 which brings together melomaniacs who frequently attend the Liceu. But it was not until April 2001 that this organisation allowed women to become members, in the midst of a big controversy that attracted extensive media coverage.

BANNER ACTUALITZAT

Vols el banner de l'última notícia a la teva web?

Copia aquest codi i enganxa-l'hi:

<a href="http://www.vilaweb.cat
/misc/diariescola/redirect.php?tp=url">
<img src="http://www.vilaweb.cat
/misc/diariescola/redirect.php?tp=img" border="0"/></a>

CERCADOR DEL DIARI DE L'ESCOLA


Ajuda

ESCOLES EN XARXA

Vés-hi
Com apuntar-s'hi

Investiga

Tomb virtual pel Gran Teatre del Liceu.
El Foyer del Liceu, un nou espai polivalent.
La primera òpera estrenada al Principat, un present de noces a l'arxiduc Carles d'Àustria.
Cent anys abans Claudio Monteverdi havia creat l'òpera italiana.
I també...
Què és VilaWeb?    Publicitat    Mapa web    Contacte Una web de Partal, Maresma i Associats, S.L. Iqua