Barcelona’s celebrations marking the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death included the world premiere of Els set somnis de Gaudí (The Seven Dreams of Gaudí), a large-scale symphonic-choral work by Catalan composer and pianist Olivia Pérez-Collellmir.
The performance took place on 10 June at the Palau de la Música Catalana under the direction of Marin Alsop, bringing together the Philharmonia Orchestra, soprano Núria Rial, the Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música Catalana, the Cor Jove de l’Orfeó Català and the Cor de Noies de l’Orfeó Català. Around 200 musicians participated in the event.
The premiere formed part of a wider programme of commemorations dedicated to Gaudí, whose influence on Barcelona remains profound a century after his death. Among the most significant events of the anniversary year was the inauguration and blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família, the tallest and final central tower of the basilica designed by the architect.
Written to a libretto by poet Anna Gual, Els set somnis de Gaudí is structured in seven movements exploring different aspects of Gaudí’s artistic, intellectual and spiritual universe. The work draws on themes associated with his life and architecture, including nature, craftsmanship, faith, suffering and transcendence.
A distinctive feature of the project was its connection to Gaudí’s designs for the Sagrada Família. The score incorporated sounds inspired by the architect’s hyperboloid bells, whose original prototypes were lost during the Spanish Civil War. Research by architect and scholar Galdric Santana, who has spent years studying and reconstructing these designs, contributed to the musical conception of the work.
The concert also featured Arvo Pärt’s Da pacem Domine and another world premiere, 84 Campanas, by American composer David Cieri.
Pérez-Collellmir studied piano in Barcelona before continuing her education at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she later joined the faculty. The premiere of Els set somnis de Gaudí was among the musical highlights of a year dedicated to commemorating one of the most influential figures in Catalan cultural history.
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