The background of symphonism’s consolidation in Catalonia

The music lovers in Catalonia and especially those connected with Barcelona, the capital, were soon to show an interest in the compositions calling for a symphony orchestra. Although the principal milestone in this respect is considered to have been the creation of the Orchestra Pau Casals in 1920, numerous initiatives aimed to offer the public large-format musical performances had already arisen in the course of the 19th century. This article discusses these initiatives, highlighting the difficulties which each of them faced and their merits.