Historical Archive of the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu
Thanks to an agreement signed in 2011 between the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, it is possible for the entire research community and the general public to have access to the digitized catalogue and the documentary series belonging to the Historical Archive of the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The project is directed by Professor Francesc Cortés of the Department of Art and Musicology of the UAB and is carried out by the Humanities Library. It includes the cataloging and dissemination of more than 50,000 documents generated by the Societat from 1837 to the decade of the 1990s. In 1981 the theatre's management was placed in the hands of the Consortium of the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
This documentation is a valuable tool that allows to know the complexity and diversity of the aspects involved in an opera house: the artistic history of the theatre, the technical advances in the performing arts, the collection of scores generated by the theatre and the Societat, the administrative documentation provided by the impresarios who directed the theatrical seasons, etc. In addition, we find an important part of the social and cultural history of Barcelona, emerged from the most important opera house in contemporary Catalonia and with the longest trajectory in Spain.
Description of the collection: The Archive consists of an extensive corpus of documents ranging from the foundation of the Societat in 1838, with the construction of the theatre and its inauguration in 1847, through the fire and the reconstruction of 1861, or by the constitution of the Consortium of the Gran Teatre del Liceu during the 1981-1982 season. The documentation ends in 1999.
The collection comprises administrative and management documentation (proceedings of the Meetings, the Book of the Concierge), photographs, photographic glass plates, posters of the performances and balls celebrated, plans of different reconstructions, scenographic projects and manuscript reports on scenery that are unique in Europe.
The collection is in continuous growth. Work is being carried out on the digitization and incorporation of documentation.
Limit dates: 1838-1999
Date of incorporation: 2013-
Depository library: Humanities Library
Where to consult the documentation: https://www.bib.uab.cat/human/arxiusocietatliceu/publiques/indexcat.php
Rights: The user agrees to use this documentation only for research purposes, to cite the origin for public dissemination, and to deliver any resulting work to the Library. The consultation or reproduction of the documents does not imply any intellectual property rights in the document’s content. Any use contrary to the law and to the corresponding rights will be the responsibility of the user.
Contact: bib.humanitats@uab.cat