Barcelona’s Museu de la Música to exhibit one of the world’s most important guitar collections

One of the world’s most important guitar collections is to be opened to the public in Barcelona from July until the end of the year. Barcelona’s Museu de la Música will exhibit some 50 unique guitars of historical importance that will allow visitors to see the development of the instrument. A restoration project has been carried out by the museum to restore many of these guitars in order to recreate their original sound. Experts consider the collection, which contains these exceptional instruments from the 17th century to the present day, to be one of the most important in the world.

Barcelona (ACN).- The exhibition will include instruments such as that of classical Catalan guitarist Miguel Llobet who is said to have revolutionised modern day guitar playing. The museum is part of the L’Auditori concert hall complex and visitors to the exhibition are given a guided tour of the collection which will end with a concert in which two of the historic guitars will be showcased in performances of works by Sor, Albéniz and Tàrrega.

The exhibition has been possible due to the extensive restoration project that has been carried out by the museums’ technicians. This work has meant that some of the instruments have been restored to such an extent that their original sound has been recreated. Visitors are treated to a perfect interpretation of how they would have sounded hundreds of years ago. The collection will include such guitar varieties as the Moorish derived lute guitar, Renaissance style models as well as different types of vihuelas. In fact, according to the museums current curator, Flemish music theorist Johannes Tinctoris stated the guitar was actually “a Catalan invention”.

The Museu de la Música wanted the exhibition to take place during the holiday period so that both locals and foreign visitors would be able to better understand and enjoy their distinctive collection. Tours will take place daily from Tuesday until Sunday at 3:30pm and 4:00pm and will last 1 hour. During the final 20 minutes of the tour guests will be able to enjoy a concert in which guitars from the collection will be played by professional musicians.