We go to the beach. In the multicolored bag we put the towel, the sun cream and… the sheet music. As?
And why not? Perhaps this is what Pau Casals must have thought when he had his summer house built in front of the Sant Salvador beach, in El Vendrell (Tarragona). A beautiful beach, with its long golden sand so characteristic of this area of the coast, with palm trees here and there decorating the promenade and with its own spirit.
This beach, despite being included in the Costa Daurada, has very different characteristics from the neighboring Comarruga or Calafell. It is a set of narrow streets that give way to the old houses and fishermen's warehouses on the first line of the coast. Some remained intact in their humility; others grew in size and splendor.
This old fishermen's neighborhood forms a complex full of charm, through which you can walk reminiscing about the times when people went to the beach covered from head to toe and with parasols topped with feathers. Or the times when fishermen cast their nets from there and then sell the fish, first to locals and then to visitors. There are no beach bars. There are no street vendors. There are no large apartment blocks, no discos, no English breakfast at one in the afternoon, no fried fish with café con leche.
The first urban planning of the maritime district of Sant Salvador began in 1908 by the architect Francisco Solà, the same one who a year later would begin to design the summer house on the land that Casals had bought. At first it was a simple house, but as the musician consolidated his career, the house grew. The definitive reform was carried out in 1932 by the architect Puig Gairalt, who designed the sculpture gallery and the garden, and a new wing of the house where the concert hall and the Vigatà room were located, with a series of paintings from the 18th century by the artist with the same name. There he entertained his guests, with an independent entrance to the private house, sharing with them some of his most precious memories that would later be the germ of the future museum.
Aligned facing the sea, the house of Pau Casals was converted into a museum that is considered one of the best in Europe dedicated to a musician. Indeed, this center goes beyond the classic house-museums, where the visitor can get an idea of the artist's life within those walls. A few years ago it was remodeled and became an authentic interpretation center for the figure of this musician committed to society.
Visitors to the museum have a tour of the entire building that will allow them to better understand the figure of Pau Casals. The talent of the famous cellist was recognized throughout the world and he gave concerts all over the planet. And, beyond music, he became a tireless defender of peace, democracy and freedom.
Pau Casals had to live in troubled times. Born in the nearby town of El Vendrell in 1876, he was able to enjoy his summer home very little. In January 1939, with the imminent entry of Franco's troops into Barcelona, Casals went into exile in Prada de Conflent, in the south of France, and never returned to Sant Salvador. From Puerto Rico, where he lived since 1956 and where he died in 1973, he launched the Pau Casals Foundation to preserve the house and his legacy.
This context increased his political commitment and he became an ambassador of peace and freedom. His speeches, his public performances, his visits to world leaders to convince them how crucial democracy is, increased his worldwide fame. The museum bears witness to all this, which houses photos and documents that prove Casals' career.
The visitor will also be able to enjoy historical recordings where Pau Casals is seen in concert, rehearsing, and even teaching his students, who came from all over the world to attend his master classes. His bonhomie, with his pipe hanging from his mouth and his gesticulations to make the emotion of each movement of a score understood, are evident in the videos.
The daily life of the artist is also present, such as the diaries in which Casals meticulously noted the trips from one city to another where he had to perform, specifying the trains, planes or boats he took, the hours of travel and the price. Or the letters he sent to his mother explaining how beautiful one city or another was, or if he was cold (for example, in the fridge, as he calls it, from Moscow).
Throughout the visit, more than a century of history is covered. From the first instrument he studied with – the carabasseta, the calabacita – until his death in Puerto Rico, going through his encounters with personalities like Kissinger and his mythical speech before the United Nations demanding world peace.
The visit is complemented by the gardens, open to the general public, with a sculpture gallery and a viewpoint overlooking the Mediterranean. Where the small guest houses used to be, there is now a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the sea.
The Pau Casals museum also has a stable program of cultural activities throughout the year, with an auditorium and a multipurpose room. Since its remodeling last year, it has received more than 30,000 visitors. During the winter the majority of the public are groups and school visits, while in the summer months individual and family visits predominate.
