Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie is one of the best concert halls in Europe, and when it comes to classical music, it’s described as ‘the place to be’. This week the program was dedicated to Catalan music in a cycle in which, among others, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Cór de Cambra del Palau and the Copla de Sant Jordi participated, all three with sold-out tickets.
“The entire music world cares about what happens in this room,” says L’Auditori director Victor Medem. Therefore, the success of the focus on Catalonia is of particular importance. “The reception has been amazing. The fact that we are a tourist attraction means that a lot of people know what happens in our home, and they are interested in our culture.” OBC performed in front of more than 2,000 people and will conclude their German tour in Düsseldorf. “The aim of playing abroad is to give prestige to Catalan culture, rather than starting from an economic approach,” says Palau director Joan Ole. “To act as ambassadors and express the moment in music of tradition, but also of contemporary creativity.”
With formation Generation CPalau wants to give value, specifically, to young choral composers. “The Hamburg concert is the first time we’ve presented this label outside of Catalonia. We wanted to promote and make known a quality group. Apart from the four C’s, they also share a spiritual approach to music. Everyone can admire it while still being innovative,” says Ouellet. According to the managers, this ability to innovate is ideally represented by Rosalia.
Cor de Cambra participates in as many as ten songs on the album Lux Which was recorded at L’Auditori. “Not only does the album sound great to me, but it incorporates many elements of our musical tradition. The huge plurality of influences, the ability to express oneself in different languages, and to make innovation an essential part of everything,” says Oli. Medem adds: “I don’t know if there will be more interest in classical music with Rosalía, but it reaches other audiences. It’s not an easy or clear type of music, it can confuse you at first, but if you give it the chance it will attract you, as it does with her. We will be happy to have her on our stage.”
One of the sounds that appears in songs like Berghain It is the composer Anna Campani, a member of the Cor di Cambra and also of Generation C. “Having Rosalía in front of us makes a certain impression. She gave us vocal examples and art that moved us. She was very kind and kind to us.” At the Elbphilharmonie, they performed popular songs such as Number of cellsAnd also one of his creations All the people of Robert. “Taking ourselves outside of Catalonia is a way to show ourselves to the world,” Campani says. “It’s not easy to make a living from this. There are so many hours devoted to composing, and it’s difficult to get paid properly.”
There is no doubt about the international recognition of Catalan music. Other notable concerts were Jordi Savall, Marco Mezquida, Chiquilo and Tarta Relena, which will end with Silvia Pérez Cruz and Salvador Sobral, with all tickets also sold out.
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