S’Agaró, cultural, social and sporting life
In the summer of 1956, the loggia of Senya Blanca was the setting for a tribute to Mozart that de facto marked the birth of summer music festivals in Catalonia. The ideologue behind it was Josep Pla, who convinced Josep Ensesa to create the board of trustees for the S’Agaró Music Festival, chaired by musician Lluís Maria Millet.
To promote the new garden city, Josep Ensesa organized all kinds of events and diverse gatherings, with dinners followed by dances at the original Taverna del Mar and at La Gavina Hotel, which was decorated for carnival and New Year’s Eve. Over time, both dates became an essential appointment for a faithful nucleus of enthusiastic clients.
With the success of summer dances and parties, Josep Ensesa realized that the consolidation of S’Agaró had to be linked to all kinds of cultural and sporting activities.
PANEL 06
06.1 The forerunner of the summers of music
On the nights of August 18 and 19, 1956, the “Senya Blanca” loggia became the scene of a tribute to Mozart. Under the baton of Hans-Jürgen Walther, the Hamburg Chamber Orchestra offered a recital of works by the Austrian composer, among which the operetta Bastià and Bastiana stood out, performed by Günther Morbach, Ingrid Fleming and Gisela Knabree.
The two evenings were a success and marked, de facto, the birth of summer music festivals in Catalonia. The ideologist of those Mozart Festivals had been Josep Pla.
The festival returned in July 1957. For three nights, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra performed, conducted by the German Bruno Vondenhoff, with luxury soloists: the pianist Vlado Perlemuter, the violinists Henryk Szeryng and Gaspar Cassadó, and the soprano Victòria de Àngels . The summer event did not stop until 1980, and the main lyrical figures paraded through its stages.
06.2 The lively social life of S’Agaró
Josep Ensesa was a pioneer in Catalonia in the use of marketing, advertising and the media to promote everything he undertook in S’Agaró. First, with the Bathrooms and the Beach Restaurant; Starting in 1925, with urbanization, and when it had already begun to spread, he dedicated himself to promoting the Hostal de La Gavina and all the festive and sporting activities that were organized.
With the success of the dances and parties that were held throughout the summer in the Sant Pol Baths, Josep Ensesa saw that the consolidation of S’Agaró also had to be linked to the organization of all types of cultural and sporting activities.
Thus, it generated numerous artistic, theater and musical activities, at the festivals of “Sant Joan”, “Sant Pere”, “Sant Jaume” or the main festival of the “Verge del Carme”, with popular dances, sardanas, children’s shows and float parades. Later, the “Florides” Parties, dinners enlivened by an orchestra. The intense social life of S’Agaró has been maintained over the years, and has become a powerful focus of attraction for relevant people from all walks of life.
06.3 Regattas and tennis, in the midst of a diverse sporting patchwork
Before the war, Josep Ensesa had already organized sports games, but, during the 1940s and 1950s, he worked hard to make the garden city a great venue for championships and competitions of all kinds. Thus, to the regattas and tennis of the 1930s, ping-pong, scuba diving, water skiing, bocce, bowling and hockey games were added. Sports, in fact, were a complementary element of the luxury and exclusivity offered by the residential city.
Josep Ensesa’s passion for sailing meant that, in the summer of 1940, the waters of Sant Pol once again vibrated with excitement with the nautical festivals.
S’Agaró organized, from July 23 to 28, 1946, the V International Tennis Competition. Although the previous edition had been held a decade ago, the contest was consolidated and reached the 16th edition. From 1962 to 1964, the Hostel hosted matches of the European Professional Tennis Cup.