classical

Listen Up, London: Must-See Music Exhibitions

Listen Up! London is a vibrant city full of cultural events. Here we tell you the most important events you can’t miss this year.

The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains

V&A Museum, 13th May – 1st Oct 2017

This year sees the 50-year anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd’s debut single, ‘Arnold Layne’. To mark the occasion, the V&A Museum is unveiling the first major international retrospective of one of the most successful and influential bands of all time: ‘The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains’.

Animals — Find out about the band’s artistic history (credit: Pink Floyd Exhibition)

The show promises an immersive and theatrical journey that will channel the band’s reputation for pioneering sonic and visual experimentation. Featuring 350 artefacts from handwritten lyrics to stage props, the exhibit will chart Pink Floyd’s inimitable music, staging and design from the 1960s to the present day in spectacular and multi-sensory style.

The Spencer Collection: A Musical Banquet, 3rd Jan 2017 – 31st Mar 2018

And Hands, 28th Feb 2017 – 31st May 2017

Royal Academy of Music

The eminent permanent collection of the Royal Academy of Music Museum is accompanied this year by two rather different temporary displays. The first, ‘A Musical Banquet’ showcases pieces from Robert Spencer’s collection of early music instruments, manuscripts, printed music and curiosities. With items spanning 500 years, the exhibition offers a rich and beautiful array of artefacts to intrigue and delight music enthusiasts, including guitar songs printed on playing cards and fine 16th century guitars and lutes.

The second, ‘Hands’, is a little less conventional for a music exhibition. It’s dedicated to musician’s hands, the most powerful tool in the arsenal of composers and performers alike. The exhibition seeks to question what hands might say about musicians by means of casts and photographs and includes specimens from such venerable composers as Chopin, Mendelssohn and Paganini.

The Vault

Hard Rock Café

London’s only rock ‘n’ roll museum and part of the flagship Hard Rock Café, The Vault is quite literally what it says on the tin: a cosy basement room inside an old Coutts Bank, complete with hefty steel door. The small permanent exhibition of rock ‘n’ roll treasures includes clothing and personal items (Madonna’s Jean Paul Gauthier Bustier, John Lennon’s army shirt) but pride of place is the collection of guitars and other instruments (owned by the likes of Hendrix, Dylan, Bowie and Cobain).

hard-rock-cafe-london-27120132 — Head downstairs for more surprises (credit: Mail Experiences)

Entry is free and includes a guided tour from a member of staff. The Vault is accessed through the Hard Rock Café’s gift shop across the road from the café itself.

Handel & Hendrix in London

Beyond sharing a staggering musical talent, George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix have at least one other thing in common: both called the same street in Mayfair home, separated by a wall and 200 years of history. Today, 25 and 23 Brook Street are home to Handel House and the Hendrix Flat respectively – both featuring historically restored rooms that invite the public to step back in time and view the spaces as they would have been.

STILL-FRAME-5 — Music history, side by side (credit: Hendrix and Handel Museum)

Handel House features four restored rooms complemented by a roster of temporary exhibitions around Handel’s life and times and by live music performances. The Handel House series explores music of the Baroque period across multiple programmes between now and April.

Opened just last year, the Hendrix Flat has the distinction of being the only one of his homes open to the public. As the setting for many jam sessions and hours of song writing, the flat provides a unique insight into the creative space of the celebrated and mythologised musician.

Abbey Road Crossing

The most famous musical landmark in London and probably the world, the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road studios was immortalised on the cover of The Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road. Today, it’s a pilgrimage site for fans of the Fab Four and anyone with an enthusiasm for pop culture. Check out the ‘crossing cam’ online for a glimpse of what to expect. Do remember that the nearby Abbey Road Studios are a working studio and unfortunately aren’t open to the general public.

Untitled design-12 — An Abbey Road outtake, Paul wears sandals (credit: Iain Macmillan)

Classical Music: Barcelona’s Finest Venues

In Barcelona, you can find music to suit every taste. But if you specifically love your classical music, there are three main venues that stand above the rest. Throughout the years, they have been visited by some of the best opera singers, orchestras, and conductors the world has to offer. Here is why you should visit them.

Liceu

The Gran Teatre del Liceu is an impressive establishment. Opened in 1847, its history is interesting and quite tumultuous.

In fact, the venue had to be rebuilt two times due to fire damage. The first one struck in 1861, requiring some minor adjustments. One year later, The Gran Teatre was up and running again. The second fire came in 1994, caused by a spark that accidentally set light to a curtain during a routine repair. After that event, the theatre had to be rebuilt and it re-opened its doors only five years later, in 1999.

Liceu Interior example of the Barcelona Classical Music — Circle upon circle of stunning decor

There was a gap in performances too. During the Spanish Civil War, from 1936-39, operas and other plays were suspended in the theatre.

Aside from catastrophic events, there are of course moments of bliss. Liceu has seen the most famous opera singers in the world grace its stage, including the likes of Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti and Barcelona native, Montserrat Caballé. Operas of Catalan, Spanish and Italian composers have premiered within the famous walls. Several masterpieces have also been performed in this theatre, from composers Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Rossini, Verdi, Stravinsky, Dvořák, to name but a few.

9Singe Monserrat Caballet singing — Catalan native Montserrat Caballé performed here many times (credit: Warner Classics)

Liceu is not only a place for classical music and opera, performers of other genres also make use of its beautiful stages, profound acoustics and richly decorated halls that seat up to 2292 guests. A great example of this is Icelandic singer, Björk, who famously performed here in 2001.

These days, you can enjoy contemporary and classical ballet, classical operas and famous orchestras from all over the world. This March, you can enjoy Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, so remember to book tickets in advance. It is worth checking the schedule of upcoming events as there is a lot coming up this season.

Palau de la Música

Opened in 1908, the Palau de la Música also has a rich history. It is ideal if you’re staying in our Plaza Catalunya residence nearby. Today, more than half a million people annually attend Palau’s musical events, ranging from symphonic and chamber music to jazz.

In 1997, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is not surprising when you see it in person. Its design is typical of Catalan modernism, when curves predominate over straight lines, dynamic shapes are preferred over statics forms, and rich decoration, that emphasises floral and other organic motifs, is used extensively.

Palau_de_la_Música_Catalana,_the_Catalan_Concert_Hall — A seat with a view

Its concert hall, seating about 2 200 people, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It is the only auditorium in Europe that is illuminated during daylight hours entirely by natural light.

In its beginning, the Palau de la Música paid special attention to promoting local composers and artists, such as Enric Granados and the orchestra of Pau Casals. Many of the best soloists, orchestras and conductors have visited this venue, such as Emil Sauer, Maurizio Pollini, the Berliner Philharmoniker with Richard Strauss, amongst others.

Popular singers and bands, like Norah Jones and Juanes, have performed at the Palau. Some events in March are include renditions of The Fourth by Tchaikovsky and Gran Gala de Flamenco. Check the following link to know what’s going on at the venue.

Palau_de_la_Música_Catalana-4 — Look up to this: the stunning ceiling in the Palau

Auditori

Not far from our Sagrada Familia Residence, you will find the newest of the three major venues, opened in 1999. Architecturally, it is also the most modern.

Nowadays, some of the greatest orchestras of the world come to the Auditori. It also serves as the home of the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona, where the new great conductors and orchestras of our century are being taught. On average, they perform 75 concerts a season. The venue has 3 halls (Sala 1 Pau Casals for 2.200 spectators; Sala 2 Oriol Martorell with 600 places; and Sala 3 Tete Montoliu with 400 places).

Don’t miss the string quartets this spring. The programme for the upcoming season has something for every classical music fans and looks very impressive.

Untitled design-10 — Modern setting: Barcelona’s Auditori

Music In Milan: A Night At The Opera

Milan prides itself on its diverse music scene, touching on old and modern genres alike. Whilst several Italian artists and popular songs are well-known abroad, it may seem that most international music is not quite as appreciated in the country. This is a misleading belief as Milan has seen a ‘cultural rebirth’ over the last few years, holding a leading position amongst European destinations. Milan is connected to the rest of the world and is constantly welcoming creative sparks. If you’re a live music fan planning to visit, Milan is the place to be.

And there is no better place to start than the opera. Translated as ‘product of work’, opera finds its home in Italy. I want to focus this Music March segment on this unique and complex musical and theatrical genre. Though I cannot provide an intensive course of lyrical Italian (which can be challenging even to native Italian opera fans), I do have some vital information to give you before you head to your night out!

Teatro alla scala music of the night — Grand interior (credit: architecturaldigest.com)

Verdi, Bellini, Puccini, Donizetti… the list of Italian opera composers is long. No wonder, when you consider that melodrama was born in this country even before the state of Italy itself. While opera rose to popularity in Rome and Venice, the Milanese Teatro alla Scala (founded in 1778) is often regarded as the most important opera theatre in Italy. The opening of the lyrical season, taking place on 7th December (the day dedicated to Saint Ambrose, the local patron saint) is one of the country’s most important and prestigious events and is regularly attended by many celebrities.

Traditionally, the theatre’s programme alternates between melodramas, ballets, and classical music concerts. This year’s lyrical season – running from early March to late June – features Verdi’s La Traviata, Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Master-Singers of Nuremberg), Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, Rossini’s La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie), Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Il Serraglio) and Puccini’s La Bohème.

teatro music of the night — La Scala in the 19th century

While most of these operas were composed in Italian, Teatro alla Scala’s programme also features works in other languages, usually German or French. In operatic works, it was customary for the music and the lyrics to be written by different people, the composer often getting the most recognition. Each work’s language is typically related to the nationality of the ‘librettist’, the writer. This explains why several of the Austrian Mozart’s operas were written in Italian. In fact, Italy has given birth to many prominent libretto writers, such as Pietro Metastasio, Lorenzo Da Ponte and Arrigo Boito. The authors were often requested to work abroad, in places like Paris or Vienna, other major ‘opera capitals’. Sometimes, a libretto could be written prior to even being given the music!

Needless to say, opera has still got its own superstars, and the fact that most works are sung in Italian, German and French does not prevent international singers from becoming experts in their field. Since most opera works were written some centuries ago, even a fluent speaker may have a hard time understanding all of the lyrics, partly because the voices do not follow a natural intonation.

music Teatro of the evening — A rare photo of Giuseppe Verdi in front of La Scala, Milan 1890.

Therefore, whether you know Italian well or not, every opera attendee is highly recommended to read a synopsis of the show beforehand. Unlike prose, it is best to have a good idea what the opera is about from the start, to avoid getting lost in the music, the arias, and the plot. There is no need to read the complete libretto beforehand as most opera theatres now provide LCD screens displaying the lyrics as they are sung onstage. Purists may frown upon this innovation but it has definitely made things simpler!

Language aside, opera is an intrinsically diverse genre, reflecting a range of traditions in both music and drama. Similarly to ballet, it tends to stick to tradition and strict formal rules with the director’s style often impacting the final performance. Furthermore, it is not unheard of for opera to be reinterpreted in more ‘experimental’ ways. After all, opera has recently lost part of its stereotypical aloofness, becoming more accessible and attracting a wider audience, even offering opera courses to amateurs. Nonetheless, we are still talking about the most elegant theatre in the capital of Italian fashion. As such, it is best to dress up for the occasion: few forms of art are as appearance-conscious as opera, and this is true both on-and off-stage.

One last thing – don’t forget to book your tickets! From locals to occasional visitors, every performance at Teatro alla Scala draws a wide audience, easily filling up all its 2030 seats. I recommend an advance booking at least one month prior to your arrival. You can make your reservation via the theatre’s official website, choosing the performance you want to attend and proceeding to the payment. Those who are planning a longer stay and/or are frequent attendees can opt for a season ticket, the price of which will vary according to the seat and the time of the year. Otherwise, you can buy your tickets in a selection of offices all across Italy. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to enjoy the Italian Opera!