“Opera in the Shops” (Òpera al comerç) offers more performances in the city’s shopping hubs until mid-November

The favourable reaction of retailers and locals to the “Opera in the Shops” programme means that each new Friday performance in the participating shopping hubs is eagerly awaited. Both the organisers and the general public highlight the link it establishes between the retail trade and culture and welcome its success. 

The project, a Barcelona Comerç Foundation initiative for “Commerce and Culture Year”, was launched last May and will finish at the end of this coming November. These are the forthcoming dates:

• 5 October     Creu Coberta shopping hub
• 19 October   Sants-Les Corts shopping hub
• 26 October    Barnavasi shopping hub
• 2 November  Gran de Gràcia shopping hub
• 9 November  Sants Establiments Units shopping hub
• 16 November  Nou Eixample shopping hub

One of the main features, underlined by both retailers and the general public, is that the Friday performances are spread around 10 outlets, as well as the markets associated with the hubs, as happened last Friday in Sant Antoni. That means you can listen to different pieces, including arias and Neapolitan songs, in a lyrical route you can create yourself. A stroll around the shops accompanied by live opera.

Everyone really appreciates the powerful, top-quality voices of the soloists. They come from the Òpera Jove de Catalunya, young opera singers who strive to make opera popular around Catalonia, promote the country’s operatic talent and support this Barcelona initiative.

When people get close to one of the shops hosting one of the performances, and hear the soloists singing a cappella, it stirs their emotions. Before they start to sing, the artists say something about each piece, which makes them more understandable and stimulates the imagination, which does the rest.

“In fact it’s like a party,” says Paula, a shopkeeper in Sant Antoni for 30 years. She is Italian by birth and liked the programme of performances planned for Friday 28 October, when Carlota Porta performed “Quando m’en vó” from 'La Bohème' (Puccini) in Paula’s shop, “Entralatas”. In fact, Carlota made her doubly happy because Paula likes opera, not just La Bohème but also “O mio babbino caro”, from 'Gianni Schicchi' (Puccini). As the singer also knows it, she sang it. Paula celebrated with her customers, who she had invited for a vermouth. Commerce and Culture.