Saturday, April 29, 2017

The Catalan Folk Song

“La canción popular catalana” (The Catalan Folk Song) by Miguel Blay, Palau de la Música Catalana, Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt, Barcelona

“La canción popular catalana” (The Catalan Folk Song) by Miguel Blay, 1907
Palau de la Música Catalana by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, 1908
Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt
Barcelona, March 2017

“In 1905, Blay was approached by Modernist architect Lluis Domènech i Montaner to create a group of sculptures for the facade of El Palau de Musica Catalana, a concert hall in Barcelona. The building is known for its Art Nouveau style and is made up of a mix of glass, metalwork, sculpture, and ceramic mosaics. Miguel Blay created a group of sculptures titled “La canción popular catalana” (The Catalan Folk Song) for the facade of the building. The sculptures depict different characters of varying social classes: children, peasants, sailors, etc. In the center, there is a female figure that represents the Catalan song. Above her the patron saint of Barcelona, Sant Jordi, stands holding a sword, protecting her and the other sculptures. It is said to show that people of all classes can enjoy the traditional Catalan music.” (Miguel Blay, Wikipedia)