# Samuel Barber (1910-1981)



## JTech82

An open-hearted yet tough romantic, Samuel Barber was one of the few twentieth century American composers to fight for the primacy of lyricism. In his last decades he seemed to be losing the battle, but by the end of the century Barber had posthumously become one of America's most widely performed and recorded composers. In particular, his emotive Violin Concerto and Adagio for Strings have gained a popularity exceeded only by certain works of Aaron Copland.

Barber entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1924, where he met future opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti; the two would become lifelong lovers. Barber was an able pianist and a baritone of some talent, but he was an even more precocious composer. His 1933 Curtis graduation piece, the spirited School for Scandal Overture, has become a beloved concert opener.

Barber developed into America's most enduring composer of art songs; most popular is his tender setting for soprano and chamber orchestra of James Agee's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Barber had unerring taste in texts, and his literary interests led him to compose some allusive short orchestral pieces. Yet he was particularly adept at writing abstract works, such as Music for a Scene from Shelley. Many of these are in large forms: two symphonies, one string quartet (from which was drawn the Adagio for Strings, first popularized by Arturo Toscanini), an ambitious piano sonata, and one concerto each for violin, cello, and piano. While following traditional formats, they are propelled by a dramatic expressivity that hadn't been fashionable since Sibelius. Equally direct in their emotional content are his three Essays for Orchestra, the second being the best crafted and most acclaimed.

Barber would have seemed an ideal composer for the stage, but he had limited success in that realm. Medea, a 1947 dance score for Martha Graham, has found greater longevity in orchestral excerpts. His 1958 Vanessa garnered him the first of two Pulitzer Prizes (the second was for his Piano Concerto), but, like most other American operas, it quickly dropped out of sight. Barber wrote Anthony and Cleopatra to open the new Metropolitan Opera House in 1966, but critical reaction was so hostile that he produced very little during his remaining 15 years. Barber was too conservative to be fashionable; his harmony could be astringent, but his tonality remained secure, his rhythms were strong and clear, and he was not above writing a good melody.

(Article taken from All Music Guide)

I'm personally a big fan of his work. I think it's pretty disturbing, but in a hauntingly beautiful way, and with each listen a person begins to hear the many facets of this wonderful, but underrated composer.


----------



## thePianoMan

I sang The Crucifixion, one of the Hermit Songs last semester for my vocal jury. I personally love it!


----------



## Yagan Kiely

Could have sworn I posted in here already:

Best US composer (that I know of) IMO. Much more musical than Ives, (though possibly not as interesting), and Copland just doesn't interest me.



> Violin Concerto


Wish he left off the last movement. It seems so pointless hanging off the end. Prolonging an unfinished work for no reason.


----------



## Tal

I am IN LOVE with his violin concerto


----------



## Lark Ascending

Barber is my favourite US composer, and the glorious Knoxville, Summer of 1915 my favourite of his works.


----------



## JTech82

Knoxville is a nice piece even though I'm not much for vocals, the orchestral part of the music is beautiful.

I like all of the symphonies, but my favorites are Adagio for Strings, Canzonetta for oboe and strings (the last piece he wrote), his violin concerto, and School for Scandal Overture.


----------



## Sid James

If you are talking neoromantic composers, I prefer Walton. He seemed more willing to experiment in his works (eg. with atonalism in his String Quartet). That said, I am not highly familiar with Barber, except for his Violin Concerto and Adagio for Strings.


----------



## JTech82

Andre said:


> If you are talking neoromantic composers, I prefer Walton. He seemed more willing to experiment in his works (eg. with atonalism in his String Quartet). That said, I am not highly familiar with Barber, except for his Violin Concerto and Adagio for Strings.


If you've only heard two works from Barber, how could you come the conclusion that you prefer Walton?

You obviously haven't heard Barber's symphonies, School for Scandal Overture, Essays For Orchestra, his piano concerto, etc. You simply haven't heard enough Barber to form your conclusion.

By the way, atonality doesn't constitute good music. Atonality within itself is unnecessary dissonance where all melodic or lyrical content is ignored for the sake of self-indulgence.

I laugh at your ignorance.


----------



## Yagan Kiely

> I laugh at your ignorance.


While I agree with you (to _some_ extent), I cringe at this pathetic comment....


> By the way, atonality doesn't constitute good music.


Tonal music can ALSO be bad music. Quite easily.



> Atonality within itself is unnecessary dissonance where all melodic or lyrical content is ignored for the sake of self-indulgence.


It does create for itself a bad name because of it's (atonality's) habit of doing this, but this isn;t an accurate generalisation.

I also, agree with Andre that the ability to be flexible _can_ be helpful.


----------



## JTech82

Yagan Kiely said:


> While I agree with you (to _some_ extent), I cringe at this pathetic comment....
> 
> Tonal music can ALSO be bad music. Quite easily.
> 
> It does create for itself a bad name because of it's (atonality's) habit of doing this, but this isn;t an accurate generalisation.
> 
> I also, agree with Andre that the ability to be flexible _can_ be helpful.


First of all, did I say tonal music couldn't be bad. Don't put words in my mouth, Yagan.

Atonal music creates a bad name for itself, because it's self-indulgent and doesn't appeal to the majority of classical listeners. I bet you'll find more people interested in Tchaikovsky than you will say someone like Webern or Schoenberg. That's not opinion that's a fact.

Music isn't about being flexible, it's about finding what you like. If you enjoy self-indulgent music that goes nowhere and serves no purpose then have at it. Listen away.


----------



## Yagan Kiely

> First of all, did I say tonal music couldn't be bad. Don't put words in my mouth, Yagan.


Never said you did.



> Atonal music creates a bad name for itself, because it's self-indulgent and doesn't appeal to the majority of classical listeners.


It wasn't meant to though. It isn't self-indulgent because it was meant to appeal to lots of people. Schoenberg naively thought that schoolboys would be whistling his tunes.



> That's not opinion that's a fact.


Obviously. But more people like B.Spears than Schubert also.



> Music isn't about being flexible, it's about finding what you like.


I remember saying that flexibility can be 'helpful', I never said 'music is about being flexible'. Please don't put words in MY mouth.


> If you enjoy self-indulgent music that goes nowhere and serves no purpose then have at it.


It's purpose is to express. This is not a fact, and is your subjective opinion, please stop dressing them up as facts.



> Listen away.


As you know from the other thread, I believe the expression of atonal music is very narrow, and it is incomprehensible. Tonality fixes these problems. As I said, I agree with you mostly, I just don't have such an inflexible and aggressive aversion to atonality, I just believe tonality is 'better'.


----------



## Sid James

JTech82 said:


> If you've only heard two works from Barber, how could you come the conclusion that you prefer Walton?
> 
> You simply haven't heard enough Barber to form your conclusion.
> 
> By the way, atonality doesn't constitute good music. Atonality within itself is unnecessary dissonance where all melodic or lyrical content is ignored for the sake of self-indulgence.
> 
> I laugh at your ignorance.


I think you're taking this WAY too seriously, man.

I'm not the kind of person who will usually collect most of a composer's works. I like to collect a few, and usually leave it at that. I did *qualify* my comments about Barber, saying that I am not highly familiar with him. *I did not say that I did not like his music*, I just said I preferred Walton if you're talking about composers of that generation. I suppose I have heard more of Walton (his concertos, string quartet as I mentioned, Symphony No. 1, Henry V) so that may lead to some bias. But who cares? If I like the style of one composer based on what I'm familiar with, what are you going to do, chop off my head? At least I am not dismissing him, and even if I did, I would have a right to, because my taste can be different from other people's.

About atonality, I didn't mean to open a whole new can of worms here. I simply like Walton's String Quartet because he opened himself up to fresh ideas in that work. It was the only work in which he experimented with atonal techniques, and it is my favourite work by him. There's nothing wrong with this kind of music. If you don't like it, then simply don't listen to it.

I was only saying I liked the way Walton integrated different approaches like this into his neoromantic style. Maybe Barber did the same kind of thing in works I'm not familiar with, this may be true. But you should be more tolerant of people who simply express an opinion and are willing to admit to gaps in their knowledge. It's not useful if you attack them. That's not the point of this forum.


----------



## JTech82

Yagan Kiely said:


> Never said you did.
> 
> It wasn't meant to though. It isn't self-indulgent because it was meant to appeal to lots of people. Schoenberg naively thought that schoolboys would be whistling his tunes.
> 
> Obviously. But more people like B.Spears than Schubert also.
> 
> I remember saying that flexibility can be 'helpful', I never said 'music is about being flexible'. Please don't put words in MY mouth.
> It's purpose is to express. This is not a fact, and is your subjective opinion, please stop dressing them up as facts.
> 
> As you know from the other thread, I believe the expression of atonal music is very narrow, and it is incomprehensible. Tonality fixes these problems. As I said, I agree with you mostly, I just don't have such an inflexible and aggressive aversion to atonality, I just believe tonality is 'better'.


Fair enough. I am pretty aggressive, but oh well that's how it goes.


----------



## JTech82

Andre said:


> I think you're taking this WAY too seriously, man.
> 
> I'm not the kind of person who will usually collect most of a composer's works. I like to collect a few, and usually leave it at that. I did *qualify* my comments about Barber, saying that I am not highly familiar with him. *I did not say that I did not like his music*, I just said I preferred Walton if you're talking about composers of that generation. I suppose I have heard more of Walton (his concertos, string quartet as I mentioned, Symphony No. 1, Henry V) so that may lead to some bias. But who cares? If I like the style of one composer based on what I'm familiar with, what are you going to do, chop off my head? At least I am not dismissing him, and even if I did, I would have a right to, because my taste can be different from other people's.
> 
> About atonality, I didn't mean to open a whole new can of worms here. I simply like Walton's String Quartet because he opened himself up to fresh ideas in that work. It was the only work in which he experimented with atonal techniques, and it is my favourite work by him. There's nothing wrong with this kind of music. If you don't like it, then simply don't listen to it.
> 
> I was only saying I liked the way Walton integrated different approaches like this into his neoromantic style. Maybe Barber did the same kind of thing in works I'm not familiar with, this may be true. But you should be more tolerant of people who simply express an opinion and are willing to admit to gaps in their knowledge. It's not useful if you attack them. That's not the point of this forum.


*If you only collect a few of a composer's works, then why are you talking on a classical forum? How do you expect to hold an intelligent conversation about a specific composer when all you know are say Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" and Rachmaninov's "Symphonic Dances?"*


----------



## Sid James

JTech82 said:


> If you only collect a few of a composer's works, then why are you talking on a classical forum? How do you expect to hold an intelligent conversation about a specific composer when all you know are say Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" and Rachmaninov's "Symphonic Dances?"


Let's not turn this into a big cat fight/mud slinging contest.

I am usually aware of the MAJOR works of a composer. Maybe this is not the case with Barber, but I have a good familiarity with the general classical music repertoire prior to say 1950. Hence me being familiar with another neoromantic, Walton. I think my taste is rather eclectic and broad ranging rather than specific. I like classical, jazz and rock. Doesn't mean I know everything about these genres, though I know the main styles, currents and trends.

The exclusionary opinion you are giving is exactly what gives classical music fans a bad name in some quarters. I am not a musicologist. I don't have an endless knowledge of everything composed. Nor do I purport to. I was merely expressing my taste, which I think I have a right to.

Actually, one of the reasons why I joined this forum is to broaden my knowledge. Outlining the main works of Barber, you have done that to a degree. I might explore some of your suggestions in the future.

But I still think you took rather seriously my original message which was only 2 or 3 sentences long. I mean, chill out!


----------



## Yagan Kiely

I think everyone's main problem Andre, is that you said you prefer a composer you are familiar with over a composer you are not. While this is not in itself a problem, the fact that you don't truly know if you like one over the other is problematic. If you worded it: 'From the little I have heard, I prefer one A the B, but I am willing to look further into A' (even without the last half), would be better. That said, some are overreacting and being aggressive, though they have a point.


----------



## JTech82

Yagan Kiely said:


> I think everyone's main problem Andre, is that you said you prefer a composer you are familiar with over a composer you are not. While this is not in itself a problem, the fact that you don't truly know if you like one over the other is problematic. If you worded it: 'From the little I have heard, I prefer one A the B, but I am willing to look further into A' (even without the last half), would be better. That said, some are overreacting and being aggressive, though they have a point.


Well put, Yagan.


----------



## Sid James

Well, let me clarify what I was kind of attempting to say, originally. There were other neoromantic composers like Barber, from the other side of the Atlantic.

Similar to him is the British Walton, almost an exact contemporary, who produced (like Barber) symphonies, concertos and chamber works.

Other composers whose work can be described as neoromantic are the Hungarian Erno Dohnanyi and, to a degree, Walton's friend Malcolm Arnold.

So Barber was certainly not alone in what he was doing - replying to the romantic tradition of composers like Brahms from a mid Twentieth Century viewpoint.

That's the addition to this forum that I'd like to make. Hope that's not too controversial!


----------



## JTech82

Andre said:


> Well, let me clarify what I was kind of attempting to say, originally. There were other neoromantic composers like Barber, from the other side of the Atlantic.
> 
> Similar to him is the British Walton, almost an exact contemporary, who produced (like Barber) symphonies, concertos and chamber works.
> 
> Other composers whose work can be described as neoromantic are the Hungarian Erno Dohnanyi and, to a degree, Walton's friend Malcolm Arnold.
> 
> So Barber was certainly not alone in what he was doing - replying to the romantic tradition of composers like Brahms from a mid Twentieth Century viewpoint.
> 
> That's the addition to this forum that I'd like to make. Hope that's not too controversial!


And how does this change the fact that you said you prefer Walton over Barber when you haven't even heard that much of Barber's work?

You're free to your opinions as I am or as Yagan here, but I find your credibility to discuss Barber's music in an intelligent way to be questionable. What I find even more questionable is your general attitude about music, but then again that's why you're here to gain more knowledge of where to go next, right?

If that's the case, then what composer would you like to get into next?


----------



## Sid James

I'd like to add that, from what I've read about him, here & elsewhere, Barber was the only American composer of his generation not to turn to jazz or folk music for inspiration. This is in stark contrast to, say, Gershwin, Copland and Bernstien. His was a particularly European aesthetic. Today, there must be many American composers who do the same, turn to the old European traditions. I'm not really aware of the contemporary US repertoire, but I have heard some modern US composers on the radio (like Kenneth Fuchs) who have a similar approach to Barber, but in a more contemporary way. So although the introduction says that he was considered a conservative in his later years, I think today he really has left a legacy that some US composers may take inspiration from.

Of course there are many European composers who can be considered as contemporary neoromantics like Penderecki & Rautavaara. They still compose symphonies and concertos, and have a style that is evocative sometimes of the old masters (like Penderecki's recent Symphony No. 8 "Songs of transience", composed in 2005, which is reminiscent of Mahler's symphonies and song cycles).

About the bunfight which occured earlier, maybe it should be part of a separate thread about whether it's possible to judge a composer's style by only knowing a few pieces. People really objected to me preferring Walton to Barber based on my limited knowledge of Barber. But often we compare musicians without knowing all their albums, for example, one may prefer The Rolling Stones to the Beatles based on only knowing only a few songs or albums. There are many composers the general public only knows based on a few key works and Barber is one of these (the Adagio for Strings and the Violin Concerto are mentioned in the article above as being his most popular works). Same thing goes for Holst (The Planets), Orff (Carmina Burana), Vivaldi (The Four Seasons). I think it's ok to make up your mind whether you are interested in say buying or downloading more of their works based on these famous pieces.

Most people make up their minds on which ones they like based on this general knowledge. Compared to some of the people in this forum this might be limited (or ignorant as I was called) but I think these people are above average when it comes to classical music. Some are musicians themselves and/or avid collectors. So their knowledge is specific. I was only coming from a general viewpoint of the average person on the street who knows the basics about classical music. I suppose knowing Walton, who is not widely known by such people is a bonus. So I think I contributed something to the forum by at least bringing up Walton as a contemporary with a similar style to Barber.


----------



## Mirror Image

The remarkable thing about Barber is nobody sounds like him and he doesn't sound like anyone else. His musical language is totally his own like Stravinsky's, Debussy's, or Bruckner's for example.

Barber demonstrated a remarkable lyricism that can't really be found in a lot of modern classical music. He really stayed true to his own inner voice and marched to the beat of his own drummer, which in itself, given the politics involved with classical music, is quite astonishing that he continued to compose music that was so personal and yet was adventurous.


----------



## Sid James

I recently turned on the radio & they were playing a piece by Barber. I didn't know that it was Barber until the details were announced at the end. It definitely sounded very distinct. It kind of reminded me of Brahms' music when it was in a similar mood - the orchestration was warm, mellow, even languid. However, it definitely sounded that it was C20th, not C19th.

He did have this special lyricism, which had more to do with the European Romantic tradition, than say, what other American composers of his generation were doing at the same time. Barber's music has more to do with the old traditions from across the Atlantic, rather than more indigenous native American or jazz traditions. So he not only rejected the more avant-garde trends like serialism but also what was going on in his native country. However, there is a distinct modernity to his music as well. He seems to say what he wants to say with no frills attached, but there still is alot of emotion and even dissonance, in his music.

No wonder that they played his famous _Adagio for Strings _on the radio when it was announced that President Kennedy died. That piece seems to convey so much emotion, but it is still so restrained and economical. This I have found to be a hallmark of his musical style - a real blend of traditions passed down from the Romantics & a very modern 'less is more' aesthetic.


----------



## Mirror Image

Andre said:


> I recently turned on the radio & they were playing a piece by Barber. I didn't know that it was Barber until the details were announced at the end. It definitely sounded very distinct. It kind of reminded me of Brahms' music when it was in a similar mood - the orchestration was warm, mellow, even languid. However, it definitely sounded that it was C20th, not C19th.
> 
> He did have this special lyricism, which had more to do with the European Romantic tradition, than say, what other American composers of his generation were doing at the same time. Barber's music has more to do with the old traditions from across the Atlantic, rather than more indigenous native American or jazz traditions. So he not only rejected the more avant-garde trends like serialism but also what was going on in his native country. However, there is a distinct modernity to his music as well. He seems to say what he wants to say with no frills attached, but there still is alot of emotion and even dissonance, in his music.
> 
> No wonder that they played his famous _Adagio for Strings _on the radio when it was announced that President Kennedy died. That piece seems to convey so much emotion, but it is still so restrained and economical. This I have found to be a hallmark of his musical style - a real blend of traditions passed down from the Romantics & a very modern 'less is more' aesthetic.


One of the things I admire about Barber as a composer was the fact that he did what he wanted to do and it didn't matter what people thought. He just wrote beautiful melodies and harmonies. They just have this natural flow that a lot of American composers didn't have. Yes, he was a very late-Romantic no question about it, but he took those influences and really created his own language.

Listen to the harmonies used in the very last piece he wrote "Canzonetta for Oboe and Strings," which to my knowledge has only been recorded three times. Anyway, the harmony in this piece is quintessential Barber. The melody, which is pretty straight-forward is all typical Barber, but that harmony is where you can really tell. Barber wrote some of the most beautiful harmonies found in modern music or at least in my opinion.


----------



## Mirror Image

I've been filling in the gaps of my Barber collection with Marin Alsop's readings on Naxos. Does anyone have these recordings or have heard them?

I bought, many months ago, the last installment of Alsop's Barber cycle. This last recording which is some of the best Barber I've heard on CD contains the piece I always refer new fans of Barber's to called "Canzonetta for Oboe and Strings," which was Barber's last work. Although, Barber had only written one movement, which had to be completed by one of his students, it marks the end of a great composer's life.

It's a shame Barber isn't talked about much on this forum, but his music is highly individual and lyrical. Nobody has composed music like Barber.

The three greatest American composers in my opinion are Copland, Ives, and Barber.


----------



## BuddhaBandit

Mirror Image said:


> I've been filling in the gaps of my Barber collection with Marin Alsop's readings on Naxos. Does anyone have these recordings or have heard them?
> 
> The three greatest American composers in my opinion are Copland, Ives, and Barber.


I've got five of the Alsop recordings- symphonies one and two, the piano concerto, violin concerto, Capricorn Concerto, and Knoxville. They are really some of the gems of the Naxos catalogue.

I've always refrained from putting Copland in the same tier as Ives and Barber. He's famous and popular, of course, but he seems to use folk melodies for the sake of using folk melodies. Ives uses folk tunes to explore some of the unique tonal colors of the American musical heritage, and Barber seems to have musically grown right from the European tradition but retained an American "feel". This, to me, makes the music of Ives and Barber richer than that of Copland.


----------



## Mirror Image

BuddhaBandit said:


> I've got five of the Alsop recordings- symphonies one and two, the piano concerto, violin concerto, Capricorn Concerto, and Knoxville. They are really some of the gems of the Naxos catalogue.
> 
> I've always refrained from putting Copland in the same tier as Ives and Barber. He's famous and popular, of course, but he seems to use folk melodies for the sake of using folk melodies. Ives uses folk tunes to explore some of the unique tonal colors of the American musical heritage, and Barber seems to have musically grown right from the European tradition but retained an American "feel". This, to me, makes the music of Ives and Barber richer than that of Copland.


Yes, I look forward to digging into them and "discovering" Barber all over again. He's without a doubt one of my favorite composers of all-time. He's one of my early discoveries and I've loved his music ever since.

Copland composed some great music. Have you heard most of Copland's works? I love "Red Pony Suite," "Clarinet Concerto," "Piano Concerto," "Appalachian Spring," "Billy the Kid," "Letters From Home," "Our Town," among others. The man wrote some great music.


----------



## BuddhaBandit

Mirror Image said:


> Yes, I look forward to digging into them and "discovering" Barber all over again. He's without a doubt one of my favorite composers of all-time. He's one of my early discoveries and I've loved his music ever since.
> 
> Copland composed some great music. Have you heard most of Copland's works?


I've heard many- the ballets, the symphonies, the piano and clarinet concertos, some of the solo piano works, and The Tender Land. I like the piano variations and the third symphony quite a bit, but his other works just don't strike me as powerfully as those of Ives and Barber.

Have you heard anything by Roy Harris or David Diamond? I think you'd like them.


----------



## Mirror Image

BuddhaBandit said:


> Have you heard anything by Roy Harris or David Diamond? I think you'd like them.


Actually, funny you mention Diamond I just bought four recordings of his music on Naxos with Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

He's a great composer, but I look forward to digging into his music more.

Roy Harris I'm only familiar with through his Symphony No. 3. From what I remember, I liked, so I'll be exploring some more of his music down the road. There's recording with Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony Orch. on Naxos that's supposed to be good.


----------



## BuddhaBandit

Mirror Image said:


> Actually, funny you mention Diamond I just bought four recordings of his music on Naxos with Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
> 
> He's a great composer, but I look forward to digging into his music more.
> 
> Roy Harris I'm only familiar with through his Symphony No. 3. From what I remember, I liked, so I'll be exploring some more of his music down the road. There's recording with Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony Orch. on Naxos that's supposed to be good.


Naxos is great for both Diamond and Harris (Schwarz is famous for his championing of American music and is probably the best Diamond conductor- not that there are many). But, aside from Naxos, here are a few recordings you might want to check out:


----------



## Mirror Image

BuddhaBandit said:


> Naxos is great for both Diamond and Harris (Schwarz is famous for his championing of American music and is probably the best Diamond conductor- not that there are many). But, aside from Naxos, here are a few recordings you might want to check out:


I will check these out. Thanks for the recommendations.


----------



## handlebar

I own these are they are indeed a delight! Especially the Bersntein disc. Diamond is highly underrated and deserves more attention as one of America's best composers. Delos is to be commended for their diligence in promoting Diamond. I only hope that Naxos continue that with theirs.



Jim


----------



## kg4fxg

*Andre*

Andre,

As always you make some good points. I got to stop reading all this stuff on this forum as it is costing me money

I have some Walton, but I need to check out Dohnanyi, Arnold, Penerecki & Rautauaara. Where do you get these names? Just kidding, I have heard the names but am afraid my collection is lacking in some of them. Off to research them in several books I already own.

I really do love this forum, one composer gets us thinking about more. I guess I am always looking for what I don't have, looking for that which I don't know. Like a kid in a candy store it is so much fun to discover something new.

Thanks


----------



## Mirror Image

kg4fxg said:


> Andre,
> 
> As always you make some good points. I got to stop reading all this stuff on this forum as it is costing me money
> 
> I have some Walton, but I need to check out Dohnanyi, Arnold, Penerecki & Rautauaara. Where do you get these names? Just kidding, I have heard the names but am afraid my collection is lacking in some of them. Off to research them in several books I already own.
> 
> I really do love this forum, one composer gets us thinking about more. I guess I am always looking for what I don't have, looking for that which I don't know. Like a kid in a candy store it is so much fun to discover something new.
> 
> Thanks


Have you checked out Barber's work?


----------



## Mirror Image

I ordered a very important recording today with Thomas Schippers and the NY Philharmonic. It's supposedly contains one of the best recordings of "Adagio for Strings" on record. Schippers didn't live very long, but from what I've read about him, he was a strong Barber supporter.


----------



## Guest

Barber was "punished" for "failing" to write serial music, and so his reputation has been damaged by a coterie of eurocentric academics who claimed to decide what was "good" in C20th music.

Here is his masterpiece VANESSA, in a production from Monte Carlo





We should also remember DOVER BEACH, ANTHONY & CLEOPATRA and A HAND OF BRIDGE.

It's difficult not to mention Menotti in connection with Barber of course - another underrated genius of musical theatre in the USA (even if he clung to his Italian nationallty and never became a U.S. citizen)


----------



## Mirror Image

Reiner Torheit said:


> Barber was "punished" for "failing" to write serial music, and so his reputation has been damaged by a coterie of eurocentric academics who claimed to decide what was "good" in C20th music.


This is one reason I admire and love Barber's work is because he chose to compose music his own way and not compose music that the classical establishment wanted him to compose, so this resulted in music that highly distinctive and truly his own.


----------



## danae

I didn't have time to read all of the posts so I don't know if this work has been mentioned: I'm talking about Barber's Piano Sonata. It's exceptional. I believe it's one of the 2 major works for solo piano by american composers in the 20th century, the other being Ives's "Concord, Mass." Sonata (I think it's his 2nd piano sonata).


----------



## Mirror Image

danae said:


> I didn't have time to read all of the posts so I don't know if this work has been mentioned: I'm talking about Barber's Piano Sonata. It's exceptional. I believe it's one of the 2 major works for solo piano by american composers in the 20th century, the other being Ives's "Concord, Mass." Sonata (I think it's his 2nd piano sonata).


I'm not familiar with Barber's chamber works, so I will have to hear the "Piano Sonata." I'm a huge fan, though, of his orchestral output.


----------



## Sid James

I thought I'd bump up this old thread...

I've finally gotten around to listening to some more Barber. Although Mirror Image's vehemence at me for only knowing the _Adagio for strings & Violin Concerto _last year has nothing to do with it. I was just interested in discovering his music a bit more.

I really like the _Essays for Orchestra _(he wrote three in all). Perhaps the second one grabs me the most, with it's interesting exploration of themes & ideas. You would be hard pressed to find a more thematically tight argument than this. By contrast, _Medea's Dance of Vengeance _doesn't really grab me at all. Given the title I was expecting something much more intense, and the piece doesn't "hotten up" until the very end (Oh, well...). & the _Overture "School for Scandal"_ reminds me a bit of Mendelssohn (not that that's a problem).

I'll listen to the second cd in this EMI set soon, which has some piano & chamber works, & post my impressions of these later. Meanwhile, some of the newer members to the forum can now (freely) post their impressions of Barber. I think his music has good & bad points, like anyone else I guess...


----------



## Sid James

Nobody else wants to discuss Barber?

I've just listened to the second cd, with some of Barber's piano & chamber works. An interesting thing is that while some of these works sound like an amalgam of Romanticism, early modernism (eg. "Impressionism") & modernism, they still sound coherent and not patchy. The piano works _Souvenirs & Excursions_, which incorporate jazz-like rhythms, grab me the most, but the early Brahmsian _Cello Sonata_ is also very fine. _Summer music _for wind quintet reminds one of Stravinsky at times, Debussy at others. There's alot of variety here, but Barber did have his own voice albeit probably not as strongly individual as say Hovhaness, Carter or Bernstein (that's just my opinion). Nonetheless a homogenous style is detectable in these works. I think anyone with an interest in classical music of the C20th would enjoy them...


----------



## jurianbai

One of my favorite composer in term of being American, and also 20th century composer. Got several his piano works like Nocturne Op.11, but memorable is his Violin Concerto Op.14, uniquely my recording is a simplified version with only Violin and Piano playing, like the American melody overther.


----------



## Sid James

I'm coming around to the _Medea Suite_. Like Barber's _Piano Sonata_, it was one of the works in which he experimented with atonality. I think that often he is pigeon-holed as a "neo-romantic" when he actually wrote music in a wide variety of styles.

Yes, the_ Violin Concerto _is a very memorable work. I first heard it in a live concert in 1995, and from that moment on could remember it pretty clearly. It's the kind of work that you feel you've known all your life, even though it may be the first time you listen to it. No wonder it's the most popular American violin concerto ever, and probably one of the most popular for the instrument full-stop. Despite this overwhelming popularity, I don't feel like it's hackneyed, I listen to it afresh each time I hear it. It's that kind of work...


----------



## Sid James

I just listened to Barber's _*Piano Sonata*_ for the first time today. Played by Peter Lawson on a disc of American piano sonatas. Others are by Ives, Copland & Carter. The Barber stands out as perhaps the most emotional - although it uses the 12-tone technique - similar in a way to Berg's sonata, but perhaps less lush & more starkly modernistic. I especially like the slow movement, which for me evokes the eerie stillness of a city at night, loneliness. This music proves that Barber was actually quite an experimental composer, despite the fact that most people only know him as a neo-Romantic. I think the _Piano Sonata_ should definitely be as well known as say the _Violin Concerto_, the former is a much more coherent, unified statement.

Here is that striking third movement (youtube):


----------



## Air

I remember playing Barber's _Excursions_ a while back: 




They're fun, light, and (suprisingly) not too difficult. Of course Horowitz plays them like they're Balakirev's Islamey or something, but don't be fooled. I think his sonorously is perfectly suited to Barber and on top of it all, his technical brilliance is absolutely ravishing.


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

I just ordered this highly acclaimed two disc set of Barber's songs for an obscenely low price... clearly Barber's vocal work is grossly undervalued.


----------



## Sid James

Yes, Barber's solo piano works are very engaging, and what a contrast between works like the _Excursions_ or _Souvenirs_ & the 12-tone _Piano Sonata_! They're worlds away from eachother. As for his songs, I don't remember hearing them, but I've read that his _Knoxville Summer of 1915_ song cycle for soprano & orchestra is a masterpiece. I'll have to get hold of it at some stage...

By the way, are people aware that this year is the centenary of Barber's birth (March 9, 1910)? That's partly the reason why I've started to explore his music...


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

I just received this marvelous disc of Barber's songs:










Barber's songs are surely some of the finest American and finest Modern songs I have yet listened to. He offers up exquisite settings of poems by poets including Symonds, Swinburne, Yeats, Auden, Robert Graves, Roethke, Rilke, James Joyce, Hopkins, and even Czeslaw Milosz. The performance and recording is magnificent... every bit deserving of the Solo Vocal Award which was awarded to this disc in 1994 by Gramophone.


----------



## Lukecash12

JTech82 said:


> An open-hearted yet tough romantic, Samuel Barber was one of the few twentieth century American composers to fight for the primacy of lyricism. In his last decades he seemed to be losing the battle, but by the end of the century Barber had posthumously become one of America's most widely performed and recorded composers. In particular, his emotive Violin Concerto and Adagio for Strings have gained a popularity exceeded only by certain works of Aaron Copland.
> 
> Barber entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1924, where he met future opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti; the two would become lifelong lovers. Barber was an able pianist and a baritone of some talent, but he was an even more precocious composer. His 1933 Curtis graduation piece, the spirited School for Scandal Overture, has become a beloved concert opener.
> 
> Barber developed into America's most enduring composer of art songs; most popular is his tender setting for soprano and chamber orchestra of James Agee's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Barber had unerring taste in texts, and his literary interests led him to compose some allusive short orchestral pieces. Yet he was particularly adept at writing abstract works, such as Music for a Scene from Shelley. Many of these are in large forms: two symphonies, one string quartet (from which was drawn the Adagio for Strings, first popularized by Arturo Toscanini), an ambitious piano sonata, and one concerto each for violin, cello, and piano. While following traditional formats, they are propelled by a dramatic expressivity that hadn't been fashionable since Sibelius. Equally direct in their emotional content are his three Essays for Orchestra, the second being the best crafted and most acclaimed.
> 
> Barber would have seemed an ideal composer for the stage, but he had limited success in that realm. Medea, a 1947 dance score for Martha Graham, has found greater longevity in orchestral excerpts. His 1958 Vanessa garnered him the first of two Pulitzer Prizes (the second was for his Piano Concerto), but, like most other American operas, it quickly dropped out of sight. Barber wrote Anthony and Cleopatra to open the new Metropolitan Opera House in 1966, but critical reaction was so hostile that he produced very little during his remaining 15 years. Barber was too conservative to be fashionable; his harmony could be astringent, but his tonality remained secure, his rhythms were strong and clear, and he was not above writing a good melody.
> 
> (Article taken from All Music Guide)
> 
> I'm personally a big fan of his work. I think it's pretty disturbing, but in a hauntingly beautiful way, and with each listen a person begins to hear the many facets of this wonderful, but underrated composer.


Underrated? That depends on the crowd you are talking with. Everyone I know from the University of Pacific, Juilliard, all of the music majors and teachers I've met, they seem like they're part of a Barber Cult.


----------



## TWhite

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I just received this marvelous disc of Barber's songs:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Barber's songs are surely some of the finest American and finest Modern songs I have yet listened to. He offers up exquisite settings of poems by poets including Symonds, Swinburne, Yeats, Auden, Robert Graves, Roethke, Rilke, James Joyce, Hopkins, and even Czeslaw Milosz. The performance and recording is magnificent... every bit deserving of the Solo Vocal Award which was awarded to this disc in 1994 by Gramophone.


If nothing else, his songs ensure Barber a place as a master American composer, at least IMO. They're among the best I've yet come across. I've accompanied my share of them, and I have not run into any that are less than satisfying. He retains an almost constant balance and dialogue between voice and piano--they're true partnerships. And some of his lyric passages for voice are stunningly beautiful. And that recording that we both have is simply one of the best I've ever heard.

I'm also very fond of his Piano Concerto. The premier recording by John Browning is impetuous and full of fire. Browning later re-recorded the work in a broader, more romantic vein, and the music is so good that either interpretation works just fine. The work was written for Browning, who was, at least IMO, a phenomonal pianist, and even he asked Barber to 'thin out' some of the more complex figuration.

I think "Neo-Romantic" describes Barber's music perfectly. Even his jagged, intense Piano Sonata has a 'romantic' drive to it that for me makes it worth re-hearing almost any time.

I like Barber. A LOT!

Tom


----------



## handlebar

Andre said:


> Yes, Barber's solo piano works are very engaging, and what a contrast between works like the _Excursions_ or _Souvenirs_ & the 12-tone _Piano Sonata_! They're worlds away from eachother. As for his songs, I don't remember hearing them, but I've read that his _Knoxville Summer of 1915_ song cycle for soprano & orchestra is a masterpiece. I'll have to get hold of it at some stage...
> 
> By the way, are people aware that this year is the centenary of Barber's birth (March 9, 1910)? That's partly the reason why I've started to explore his music...


Knoxville is a pure delight and highly underrated IMHO. I own the Leontine Price recording (with Barber himself playing) and also the Dawn Upshaw version. Both are worth every penny and should be in a Barber collection.

Jim


----------



## jurianbai

Long story about the Barber Violin Concerto, facts and fiction : http://www.isobriselli.com/


----------



## Earthling

I've owned the Yoel Levi/Sylvia McNair disc of *Knoxville *for years-- held onto it for dear life! What a beautiful piece (and actually this may be the only piece Barber wrote that does come close to that Coplandesque "Americana" sound).

About *Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance*: I love the slow, simmering build up, but the sudden explosive ending-- I thought Barber really captured the brooding mood and the sudden flash of violence. Its the knowing of the inevitable fate that creates a sense of dread, just as in Euripides play, that makes it work for me.

To make another mention of Copland: He did write more than the obvious popular works-- the *Piano Variations, Piano Sonata, *and *Piano Fantasy *are brilliant, dissonant works, made of craggy granite. Its a shame that most people know Copland mainly through those more popular works. The symphonies are also a bit different too from the popular ballets, etc.-- the third comes close to being a bridge between the two sides of the Copland coin. Funny, though, that you still tell it is Copland, no matter how dissonant.


----------



## Guest

Love Barber. He had a long-standing relationship with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, who last concert season did a year-long tribute to him by performing all of his works. I was able to make it to performances of the Cello Concerto and Second Essay. Both great works, especially the essay.


----------



## Huilunsoittaja

Anyone like his 1st Essay, Op. 12? I think it's very beautiful and clever.


----------



## Guest

Yes, it's a great piece. The second essay is great too. I heard the latter played live by the Detroit Symphony.


----------



## anshuman

I think it makes sense to alternate between Barber and Copland . One begins to understand the vastness of the spectrum of american classical music.


----------



## Nix

I thought it was shameful that I haven't posted on the forum of my avatar.

Though objectively speaking Barber is far from my favorite composer, and I don't think I'd even consider him a 'great' composer (a good one... he was just too lazy!), there is something about him that has always drawn me towards his music. When I listen to him I just feel at home, completely comfortable and content. No other composer does this for me, not even my absolute favorites (Beethoven, Bach, Mozart). In Barber, I don't feel like he's usually saying anything profound... for me his music rarely takes me on a journey, it just comforts me. 

I think he has three masterpieces- his Adagio for Strings, Violin Concerto and Cello Concerto. The latter is severely underrated as is truly one of the great cello concerto's out there, and quite possibly the best American work in the genre.

And then a fine array of 'supporting' pieces fill out his oeuvre nicely, Knoxville Summer 1915 (this one is particularly gorgeous), his Piano Concerto, Piano Sonata and Second Essay. 

His symphony, School of Scandal Overture, and other smaller piano works a nice, though only worth the investment if you really want to get to know Barber. 

And I have yet to hear his operas, but some day! I also need to get more familiar with his songs.


----------



## Vazgen

Barber's _Summer Music_ for wind quintet is one of my favorite compositions of all time. Just a beautiful, evocative, nostalgic piece of music.






-Vaz


----------



## Lunasong

Very much appreciate and favour this piece^^. I've heard it several times in passing on the radio and each time think, What is that? and look it up on the playlist. I like how it changes its many moods from languid to energetic to nostalgic to pensive to lyrical, much like a summer's day. Barber makes effective use of the different tones and characteristics of the instruments, and each gets a chance to shine.

The ending....??? Well, sometimes, like a summer's day, the fun is cut short.


----------



## PetrB

As if there is not TONS of egregiously self-indulgent tonal music. Take Bruckner just for starters, Lol.

Now to the actual subject: Barber
Knoxville Summer of 1915 ~ a true masterpiece. I urge anyone who has not listened to do so.

Violin concerto: wonderful although now MASSIVELY overexposed:

Piano concerto: another masterly piece and one helluva concerto, the original debut recording with John Browning, for whom the piece was written, and the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell is, to my ears, yet to be surpassed. (The middle movement "Canzone" is a reworking of a piece by the same title originally for flute and piano; there is a violin + version as well, another example of his masterly ability to compose an extended 'floating' line. The concerto movement and the original are reworked enough that 'owning' both does not seem redundant.)

Capricorn Concerto: Flute, oboe and Trumpet; orchestra
...a wonderful snappy neoclassical piece, sadly some critic ignorantly slammed Barber for 'imitating Stravinsky' (hear for yourself to prove that critic had no real ear) and this discouraged Barber from writing again in this vein.





I'm a bit surprised the 'Cello concerto is not more often either performed or aired....

Of the solo piano music I like best the four Excursions

Summer Music ~ for woodwind quintet, is very fine.

Reincarnations ~ A cappella chorus-- Wonderful and generally too little known.
I. Mary Hynes: II. Anthony O'Daly; III The Coolin'
with all due respect, to give a notion of the music, an honors choir performance


----------



## millionrainbows

I'm a big fan of Samuel Barber, and my favorite work by him is the Sonata Op.26. Described above by Sid James as being 12-tone, there may be traces of that, but I see it as being tonal, and using extended chromatic techniques. There are versions by Horowitz, Van Cliburn, John Browning, and others.

I love his Violin Concerto next.

We've all heard the Adagio for Strings, but fewer have heard the String Quartet Op.11 from which it is drawn. I suggest the Emerson SQ _American Originals._


----------



## Neo Romanza

I really enjoy Barber's music. I've really come to appreciate the concerti of piano and cello (already love the _Violin Concerto), but I have also come to appreciate Summer Music, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, all the Essays for orchestra, and both symphonies._


----------



## millionrainbows

Yeah, I really like Summer Music. I always play it every year, to usher-in Summer.


----------



## QuietGuy

I've always enjoyed his orchestral works (particularly Essay #3); Vanessa; Knoxville; and the song/chorus Sure on This Shining Night - a perfect setting of that Agee poem.


----------



## hpowders

I like his piano concerto; a little less conservative than the violin concerto.


----------



## Neo Romanza

It seems _Prayers of Kierkegaard_ doesn't get enough love, but I think it's a great work. BTW, what is everyone's favorite performance of the _Cello Concerto_? Mine is Gastinel/Brown/CBSO on Naive. An absolutely stunning performance and gives Poltera, Ma, and Kirshbaum a run for their money.


----------



## Neo Romanza

Another thing I absolutely love about Barber is none of his music outstays it's welcome. It always seems to be the perfect duration. I could be wrong here but didn't he compose the shortest opera in history (_Hand of Bridge_)?


----------



## Neo Romanza

hpowders said:


> I like his piano concerto; a little less conservative than the violin concerto.


Have you heard the _Cello Concerto_?


----------



## nightscape

Neo Romanza said:


> Have you heard the _Cello Concerto_?


Love the Cello Concerto. His Cello Sonata is magic as well. I'm a fan of Christian Poltera's performance of both pieces.


----------



## hpowders

Neo Romanza said:


> Have you heard the _Cello Concerto_?


No. Not yet. Recommending it?


----------



## PetrB

hpowders said:


> No. Not yet. Recommending it?


Barber's _'Cello Concerto_ is a very fine work, (one guy's opinion, of course) comfortably walking a line between romantic / modern and neoclassical.

I repeat recommend many works listed in this thread:
_Piano concerto_ (the premiere recording w John Browning, George Szell, Cleveland orchestra)

_Excursions_, four short pieces for piano. (I'd go, again, for the John Browning recording)

...adding the maybe not yet mentioned _Capricorn Concerto_, for Trumpet, Oboe, Flute and orchestra. This is Barber's only markedly neoclassical piece, which upon its premiere was reviewed (inaccurately, I think) as Barber trying to write like Stravinsky, which it is so not at all like. The review had Barber (regrettably, imo) dropping further investigating this particular vein, at least as directly as in this piece at any rate, ever again  
...fairly pithy, running a little over 15 minutes 





_Reincarnations_ is a three-piece acappela work, mighty fine, still available in the recording from which I first heard them, along with another nice set of pieces, William Schuman's _Carols of Death_
http://www.amazon.com/American-Triptych-Beginning-Carols-Reincarnation/dp/B00185RFB8/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1395788619&sr=1-8&keywords=samuel+barber+reincarnations

I still think _Knoxville, summer of 1915_ is his greatest masterpiece.


----------



## Neo Romanza

hpowders said:


> No. Not yet. Recommending it?


Yes, I heartily recommend the _Cello Concerto_! For performances, Gastinel/Brown, Kirshbaum/Saraste, and Poltera/Litton will do nicely.


----------



## Neo Romanza

nightscape said:


> Love the Cello Concerto. His Cello Sonata is magic as well. I'm a fan of Christian Poltera's performance of both pieces.


I agree the Poltera/Litton performance is top-notch as is Poltera's performance of the _Cello Sonata_. Have you heard the Gastinel/Brown performance of the CC on Naive? This gets my top recommendation.


----------



## Neo Romanza

hpowders said:


> I like his piano concerto; a little less conservative than the violin concerto.


I love both works. For the _Piano Concerto_ I prefer Browning/Slatkin on RCA and for the _Violin Concerto_ it's Hahn/Wolff that gets my top recommendation.


----------



## Neo Romanza

Here's the _Andante Sostenuto_ movement from the _Cello Concerto_ with Anne Gastinel on cello and Justin Brown conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra:






Enjoy! If you like what you hear, then get the recording! As I've mentioned many times already, the Gastinel/Brown performance is my favorite performance of this concerto on record.


----------



## hpowders

Very beautiful. Thank you. I'm interested.


----------



## Neo Romanza

hpowders said:


> Very beautiful. Thank you. I'm interested.


Glad you enjoyed it. That movement is gorgeous indeed.

My own view on Barber:

For me, Barber is easily the greatest American composer. Besides the obvious accessibility of his music, there is something much deeper happening under the surface. There's much pain and heartbreak. There's also a sense of yearning, but not without that glimpse of hope. The optimism, and pessimism, are also what makes Barber's music 'human.' Earth-bound in a sense but with vast walls of smoke. Uncertainty for what tomorrow brings seems to underline a lot of his music. Enigmatic, but extremely telling in it's direct emotional expression.


----------



## Vaneyes

Cello Concerto - Ma/Zinman
Piano Concerto - Joselson/Schenck
Violin Concerto - Shapira/Sanderling
Cello Sonata - Poltera/Stott
Piano Sonata - Hamelin


----------



## millionrainbows




----------



## Vaneyes

I'm always pleased to see, that the longer a discussion of Barber, the less likelihood of a Copland comparison of some sort. Barber stands on his own two feet well. Mostly because of the chances he was willing to take.

Barber, the forgotten neo-romantic? That's probably the case with many. But not the case with many, also. His stature should continue to grow, for those who need something a little stronger in American Classical.

For those interested,a related Guardian article from 2010. :tiphat:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/18/samuel-barber


----------



## millionrainbows

Yes, I consider Barber more modernist than most would, mainly for that Op. 26 Sonata. He wrote it for Horowitz, didn't he? The Van Cliburn got a hold of it, and now Evgeny Kissin. Wow, what a legacy getting passed on!

[SUP]From WIK:[/SUP]History
In 1950, the League of Composers, a society aimed at promoting new American works, met for the twenty-fifth anniversary of its inception. Samuel Barber set to work writing a piano sonata for the occasion, and requested Vladimir Horowitz perform it. His demands were met, and the work was received with overwhelming critical acclaim.[1]

Structure
The sonata is in four movements, and usually takes twenty minutes to perform:

1.Allegro energico
2.Allegro vivace e leggero
3.Adagio mesto
4.Fuga: Allegro con spirito

Though extremely difficult to execute, the sonata is much more than a virtuosic showpiece. Barber integrated many 20th century musical ideas into the sonata, including extended chromaticism and tone rows. The first movement begins with a raucous theme, presented in both clefs. Barber's unique use of tone row patterns is immediately prevalent, and it is through these patterns that the contrapuntal and thematic material is developed. The movement ends like it begins, rather abruptly.

The second movement serves somewhat as a scherzo and is far more tonally centered than the first. The opening motif is repeated throughout the entire movement in a variety of patterns and keys, often shifting semi-tonally. Almost as effortlessly as it starts, the second movement drifts off into the third with a high arpeggio.

Like the first movement, the thematic material in the third is presented through tone rows and chromatic figures. The third movement builds up tension through its use of highly dissonant chord progressions, and is much darker than the second.

The final movement is an intense fugue, utilizing a jarring, simplistic theme throughout. Though technically a four-voice fugue, certain passages introduce as many as six voices. The fugue is very difficult to perform, and ends bombastically.


----------



## PetrB

Vaneyes said:


> I'm always pleased to see, that the longer a discussion of Barber, the less likelihood of a Copland comparison of some sort. Barber stands on his own two feet well. Mostly because of the chances he was willing to take.
> 
> Barber, the forgotten neo-romantic? That's probably the case with many. But not the case with many, also. His stature should continue to grow, for those who need something a little stronger in American Classical.
> 
> For those interested,a related Guardian article from 2010. :tiphat:
> 
> http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/18/samuel-barber


Whether Barber is anyone's particular political music movement flavor of the month or not, his music 'says something,' and it most often sounds spontaneous enough. The romantic element (what I like about his 'romanticism') is always quite infused and 'informed,' (zOMG, I used 'informed) with modernist language and gestures (as per first half of 20th century modern.)

The fact he was a perfectionist and a meticulous craftsman also marks his works out as pretty damned fine.

Other than 'place' in the lexicon of somewhat popular American composers, I can not for the life of me see or hear any semblance to Copland in any of Barber's works.


----------



## clavichorder

I always love that Violin Concerto. I am looking to know more of his works.


----------



## Pugg

The Knoxville was my first ever recording of Barber, everyone had his adagio but as a voice lover I came to Steber who sung the world première conducted by Mr. Barber himself.

I love that disc so much.:tiphat:


----------



## Birdsong88

Samuel Barber is a wonderful composer. I have listened to nearly all of his works. Now I need to find the works that I have not heard yet.


----------



## R3PL4Y

My first exposure to Barber was when I played the first essay in a youth orchestra. Even though I only had 13 notes in the whole piece, it still strongly made me want to delve deeper into his music. It is unfortunate that so many people are only aware of a single one of his compositions.


----------



## Pugg

R3PL4Y said:


> My first exposure to Barber was when I played the first essay in a youth orchestra. Even though I only had 13 notes in the whole piece, it still strongly made me want to delve deeper into his music. It is unfortunate that so many people are only aware of a single one of his compositions.


That's not true, sometime just one thing springs to mind, just like yours


----------



## Xenakiboy

That piano Concerto has had quite a few plays in my house! :tiphat:


----------



## Pugg

His opera Vanessa in our house


----------



## starthrower

clavichorder said:


> I am looking to know more of his works.


I picked up this nifty little box for under 20 dollars. The sound blows away all my other Barber recordings, and for the most part I'm happy with the performances. The piano concerto may not be the best performance, but there's also a fine CD on RCA featuring John Browning, the pianist it was written for. And I like the old Vox recording, because I heard it first.


----------



## Pat Fairlea

I really like Barber's music, and I'm impressed by a composer who can move between, for example, the jagged intensity of 'Medea' and the warm romanticism of his lovely violin concerto. A particular favourite is his suite 'Excursions':


----------



## Avey

Pat Fairlea said:


> ... a composer who can move between, for example, the jagged intensity of 'Medea' and the warm romanticism of his lovely violin concerto. ...


Well said, he's got variety without doubt.


----------



## millionrainbows

I heard the violin concerto the other night on the radio, and it brought me to tears. That is truly a beautiful statement, so lyrical, with such pathos.


----------



## Xenakiboy

millionrainbows said:


> I heard the violin concerto the other night on the radio, and it brought me to tears. That is truly a beautiful statement, so lyrical, with such pathos.


Well I know know what I'll be listening to after I put Scriabin on later! :tiphat:


----------



## Xenakiboy

Just a thought from the music I have heard from Mr Barber. For some reason, the way he blends many moods and dynamics into his works remind me a lot of Schnittke for some reason (kinda obvious)


----------



## Pugg

Eleanor Steber: Knoxville Summer of 1915 by Samuel Barber


----------



## starthrower

Love Knoxville! Just ordered Kathleen Battle's recording. Also have Sylvia McNair. And I love the Leontyne Price recording with Barber himself at the piano.


----------



## Pugg

starthrower said:


> Love Knoxville! Just ordered Kathleen Battle's recording. Also have Sylvia McNair. And I love the Leontyne Price recording with Barber himself at the piano.


And no Steber, he wroth it for Eleanor


----------



## starthrower

Pugg said:


> And no Steber, he wroth it for Eleanor


Too much vibrato. I love the playing, even though I've never heard of Dumbarton Oaks Orchestra.


----------



## millionrainbows

Xenakiboy said:


> Well I know know what I'll be listening to after I put Scriabin on later! :tiphat:


My other favorite by Barber is the Piano Sonata Op. 26.


----------



## Simon Moon

Even though I tend to listen to more "thorny" composers of 20th century, I love Barber.

His piano concerto (with Browning) is possibly one of my top 10 pieces.

Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance gets regular play at my house.


----------



## 13hm13

This video has been around YouTube for over 10 yrs, and gets overlooked:
Barber - Sonata, 4th Movt - Stephen Beus






It's the best performance of the Barber Sonata I know. Unfortunately, YT has only the last mvt.

Beus released his CD around this time. I don't own the CD, but the sample on Amazon are fantastic!
.


----------



## Pugg

Dover beach not to be forgotten.


----------



## 13hm13

*On You Tube!!*

In person...

200 years of Woodwinds featuring the Philadelphia Wind quintet
This Show features interview with Samual Barber, followed by a performance of Summer music






-----------
-----------

Camera Three: Happy Birthday, Samuel Barber! (67th, in 1977)






This program, filmed in Samuel Barber's NYC apartment, was aired to celebrate his 67th birthday. James Tocco is the host and during the program he interviews Barber and performs the fugue from Barber's Piano Sonata (8:47). Other contents include a performance of the slow movement from Barber's String Quartet (American String Quartet) (15:08), his song Sleep Now (Hinds/Barber) (22:35) and the Hesitation Tango from Souvenirs (Barber/Tocco) (25:23). (1977)


----------



## Pat Fairlea

13hm13 said:


> This video has been around YouTube for over 10 yrs, and gets overlooked:
> Barber - Sonata, 4th Movt - Stephen Beus
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's the best performance of the Barber Sonata I know. Unfortunately, YT has only the last mvt.
> 
> Beus released his CD around this time. I don't own the CD, but the sample on Amazon are fantastic!
> .


All I can say to that is "Bloody hell!".

Would love to hear Beuys playing Ives.....


----------



## 13hm13

*Samuel Barber: Serendipitous Discoveries (Library of Congress)*

Published on Jul 24, 2013
Barbara Heyman discussed the life and music of American composer Samuel Barber (1910-1981), focusing on how inscriptions and quotations on primary source material reveal striking aspects of his compositional approach. Heyman shed light on recent discoveries including Barber's music manuscripts, sketches and correspondence. The Library of Congress is the preeminent repository for manuscripts by Barber. The composer's Hermit Songs, op. 29 were commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge and premiered in the Coolidge Auditorium with Barber at the piano and soprano Leontyne Price.


----------



## millionrainbows

Interesting, thanks for posting. Elizabeth Sprague Coolige also sponsored Schoenberg's 4th (?) String Quartet.


----------



## Pugg

*Samuel Osborne Barber* II (West Chester (Pennsylvania), 9 maart 1910 - New York, 23 januari 1981)


----------



## Guest

I started reading this thread from the beginning, it sure got off the rails fast. I skipped to the end.

I recently listened to Barber's Piano Concerto for the first time and found it mesmerizing. Such a huge range of expression in one piece. The opening passage for piano conveys such intensity with so many thematic nuggets to be developed. Then the sublime slow movement, and the finale, as craggy and intense as the first movement. I wonder why it has attracted to few performers. Perhaps technical difficulty is an obstacle. Barber is one of the composer that I really must find more time to listen to.


----------



## starthrower

The piano concerto was the first piece I heard by Barber. And I was fortunate that my first exposure to it was at a concert with John Browning at the piano playing with the Syracuse Symphony. I've collected three recordings on Vox, RCA(Browning) and the Naxos recording in the Marin Alsop box. The Alsop set is an inexpensive way to acquire a nice collection of Barber's orchestral music.


----------



## Guest

I’ve got about a dozen discs of Barber in my collection but haven’t found time to listen to most of it. I have very positive notes for a recording of the cello sonata, but I haven’ gotten t most of the orchestral music yet. I’ve got some Slatkin/St Louis, Zinman/Baltimore, Jarvi/Detroit, and various chamber music discs and solo piano discs I should spend some time on.

Hearing John Browning play the piece live must have been a thrill. I have the first recording, John Browning/Szell and it is extremely impressive.


----------

