Monday evening 19 November at the Patti Smith concert in Barcelona, I learned that the much maligned acoustic qualities of the Palau de la Musica do not deserve such fame. Seated on the front row of the upper ring I had braced myself for a largely visual experience, the music not lifting from the ground floor. To my joyful surprise though, I soon noticed this was not nearly true. In stead of having poor sound, the famed auditorium simply does not have any acoustic traits at all.
The idea behind building music halls in stone is that the walls, if properly shaped, help carry the music to its furthest corners. The Palau being made out of stained glass, the music simply travels straight through the walls and the roof. The building lacks the tiniest of echoes. The preferred solution therefore is to put your ears in direct connection with the musicians, or rather the loud speakers. No echo needed, as you listen unmitigated to music which is produced right in front of you. Designed for the experience, only the cheaper seats at the Palau de la Musica lack straight audibility. The rest of them are gathered round what feels like a campfire recital. For the acoustic set up of the earth poet’s band, the perfect scenery. Listen to Smith and company performing Beneath the Southern Cross in honour of Roberto Bolaño.
