Summer in Barcelona is synonymous with open-air cinema and moonlight concerts while the summer breeze caresses our faces. There are concerts all over the city, and for some years now the Liceu, the most traditional music institution in Barcelona, has been jumping on the open-air summer bandwagon to offer a classical music cycle performed on the beach sand.
Barcelona’s beach will once again experience one of those magical moments that happen every year: two nights of free classical music, outdoors, on the sand and by the sea. The series Clàssica a la Platja returns on July 9 and 10 to the beach of Sant Sebastià, with concerts at 9 pm that will bring together three of the great musical institutions of the city: the Liceu, the Palau de la Música Catalana and L’Auditori, under the umbrella of the Barcelona Obertura project.
Mar i Cel, at symphonic rhythm
The first date will be Tuesday July 9 and promises to be special. The Orchestra and Choir of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, conducted by Sergi Cuenca, will perform a symphonic version of ‘Mar i Cel’, the legendary musical by Dagoll Dagom with music by Albert Guinovart. And yes, the company itself will participate in the show. A unique opportunity to relive one of the most beloved titles of the Catalan theater, this time with the Mediterranean as scenery.
On Wednesday , July 10, the OBC (Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya) and the Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música, conducted by Ludovic Morlot, will take center stage. The repertoire will include excerpts from the opera ‘Carmen’ by Bizet and the ‘Tres danzas españolas’ by Enric Granados. Tradition, passion and Mediterranean roots for an evening that, if the weather is good, has every chance of being unforgettable.
Here you don’t have to book, pay or dress up. Just go down to the beach, take a towel and let yourself go. In a city increasingly in need of culture available to all, Clàssica a la Platja has established itself as an essential proposal: first class music, in a postcard setting and open to everyone.
So take advantage of the fact that the heat wave has subsided to lie down on the sand and enjoy classical music.