Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber
Author: Barbara B. Heyman
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 665
Release: 2020-02-20
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0190863730
GET BOOK

Download Samuel Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Samuel Barber (1910-1981) is one of the most admired and honored American composers of the twentieth century. An unabashed Romantic, largely independent of worldwide trends and the avant-garde, he infused his works with poetic lyricism and gave tonal language and forms new vitality. His rich legacy includes every genre, including the famous Adagio for Strings, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, three concertos, a plethora of songs, and two operas, the Pulitzer prize-winning Vanessa, and Antony and Cleopatra, the commissioned work that opened the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in 1966. Generously documented by letter, sketches, autograph manuscripts, and interviews with friends, colleagues, and performers with whom he worked, this ASCAP-Award winning book is still unquestionably the most authoritative biography on Barber, covering his entire career and interweaving the events of his life with his compositional process. This second edition benefits from many new discoveries, including a Violin Sonata recovered from an artist's estate, a diary Barber kept his seventeenth year, a trove of letters and manuscripts that were recovered from a suitcase found in a dumpster, documentation that dispels earlier myths about the composition of Barber's Violin Concerto, and research of scholars that was stimulated by Heyman's work. Barber's intimate relations are discussed when they bear on his creativity. A testament to the lasting significance of Romanticism, Samuel Barber stands as a model biography of an important musical figure.

The Saddest Music Ever Written

The Saddest Music Ever Written
Author: Thomas Larson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 185
Release: 2010-09-15
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1605982008
GET BOOK

Download The Saddest Music Ever Written Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

An exploration of the cultural impact of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, the Pieta of music, and its enigmatic composer. "Whenever the American dream suffers a catastrophic setback, Barber’s Adagio plays on the radio.” —Alex Ross, author of The Rest is Noise In the first book ever to explore Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, music and literary critic Thomas Larson tells the story of the prodigal composer and his seminal masterpiece: from its composition in 1936, when Barber was just twenty-six, to its orchestral premiere two years later, led by the great Arturo Toscanini, and its fascinating history as America’s secular hymn for grieving our dead. Older Americans know Adagio from the funerals and memorials for Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy, Albert Einstein, and Grace Kelly. Younger Americans recall the work as the antiwar theme of the movie Platoon. Still others treasure the piece in its choral version under the name Agnus Dei. More recently, mourners heard Adagio played as a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Barber’s Adagio is truly the saddest music ever written, enrapturing listeners with its lyric beauty as few laments have. The Adagio’s sonorous intensity also speaks of the turbulent inner life of its composer, Samuel Barber (1910-1981), a melancholic who, in later years, descended into alcoholism and severe depression. Part biography, part cultural history, part memoir, The Saddest Music ever Written captures the deep emotion Barber’s great elegy has stirred throughout the world during its seventy-five-year history, becoming an icon of our national soul.

Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber
Author: Wayne Wentzel
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1135271828
GET BOOK

Download Samuel Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

An annotated reference guide to Barber's life, works and achievements, it will prove valuable for anyone seeking information on him.

Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber
Author: Barbara B. Heyman
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 597
Release: 2012-04-23
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0199744645
GET BOOK

Download Samuel Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

An indispensable resource on Samuel Barber's complete oeuvre-more than 100 published and nearly twice as many unpublished compositions-with an abundance of information on song texts, first performances, genesis of composition, duration, revisions, editions, arrangements, selected discography of historical and contemporary recordings, and detailed description of the hundreds of holograph manuscripts, sketches, drafts, and significant publisher's proofs founded in libraries and private collections throughout the United States. Illuminating quotations drawn from Barber's letters and diaries will be of special interest not only to scholars but conductors, composers, performers, and the general music enthusiast.

The Adagio of Samuel Barber

The Adagio of Samuel Barber
Author: Wayne Clifford Wentzel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 644
Release: 2013-01-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9781881913627
GET BOOK

Download The Adagio of Samuel Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

It is probably safe to contend that the reception history of Adagio for Strings (1934) by American composer Samuel Barber (1910-1981) is unmatched. It has, of course, achieved canonical status in the three versions prepared by its composer--for string quartet, string orchestra, and mixed chorus. In addition, its broad appeal to classical music lovers as well as to members of the general public has resulted in an array of transcriptions and arrangements. But what becomes ultimately compelling is the spectrum of social contexts where this music is heard and been enthusiastically embraced: in the discotheque and on the modern dance stage, at the movie theater and on television, during memorial services and demonstrations of patriotism, at rock concerts and the circus, in therapy sessions and scientific research, at figure-skating competitions and other sporting events, at weddings and funerals, and on the Internet. In 2011 over 29,000 hits for Adagio for Strings could be found on YouTube alone. There are fascinating connections to poetry and fiction, paintings and sculpture, ring tones and crossword puzzles. Wayne Wentzel's study of this beloved work represents the most exhaustive consideration to date. He not only provides a well documented account of its birth and infancy but its adolescence--when it moved beyond the expected concert setting--and its maturity--when it became a pervasive feature of Western culture in both its cultivated and popular realms. Musical analysis and references to a host of testimonials and assessments are bolstered by discographical and bibliographical reports. Professor Wentzel concludes the volume with thoughtful speculation on the meaning of Barber's masterpiece and wrestles with inevitable and yet controversial questions: Is it American? Is it sad? Is it gay? And, after more that seventy-five years, is it trite?--Publisher description.

Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber
Author: Barbara Heyman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 597
Release: 2011-02-09
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0199837953
GET BOOK

Download Samuel Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Samuel Barber: A Thematic Catalogue of the Complete Works is the first publication to list the entire musical output of Samuel Barber, one of the most beloved and frequently performed American composers. In this exhaustive study, renowned Barber biographer Barbara Heyman chronologically lists and details hundreds of core repertory and the most recently published works, as well as numerous works previously unknown and unpublished. Each entry includes information about first performances, commissions, and the circumstances and inspiration of the composition; the texts of songs; a musical extract containing the opening measures of each work, movement, or major aria; duration, revisions, editions, arrangements, and a select discography of historical and contemporary performances. The descriptions of manuscript sources provide details about the hundreds of holograph manuscripts, sketches, drafts, and significant publisher's proofs with Barber's corrections. Entries are enhanced by Heyman's extensive commentary, which draws from Barber's correspondence, interviews, and diaries. Useful appendices to the catalogue comprise a register of works by genre; an alphabetical directory of works; an index of first lines of vocal works; a listing by nationality of authors and translators of texts set by Barber; and a comprehensive discography. This thematic catalogue is an invaluable guide for musicians, scholars, and students, providing an essential foundation for any serious study of Barber and his music.

The Fortunes of Francis Barber

The Fortunes of Francis Barber
Author: Michael Bundock
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2015-03-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300213905
GET BOOK

Download The Fortunes of Francis Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This compelling book chronicles a young boy’s journey from the horrors of Jamaican slavery to the heart of London’s literary world, and reveals the unlikely friendship that changed his life. Francis Barber, born in Jamaica, was brought to London by his owner in 1750 and became a servant in the household of the renowned Dr. Samuel Johnson. Although Barber left London for a time and served in the British navy during the Seven Years’ War, he later returned to Johnson’s employ. A fascinating reversal took place in the relationship between the two men as Johnson’s health declined and the older man came to rely more and more upon his now educated and devoted companion. When Johnson died he left the bulk of his estate to Barber, a generous (and at the time scandalous) legacy, and a testament to the depth of their friendship. There were thousands of black Britons in the eighteenth century, but few accounts of their lives exist. In uncovering Francis Barber’s story, this book not only provides insights into his life and Samuel Johnson’s but also opens a window onto London when slaves had yet to win their freedom.

65 Songs

65 Songs
Author: Richard Walters
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2010-06-01
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1480320455
GET BOOK

Download 65 Songs Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

(Vocal Collection). In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Barber, this major new edition includes newly edited and engraved editions of the complete contents of Collected Songs and Ten Early Songs (1994), plus many previously unpublished early songs. Manuscripts from the Library of Congress and other sources were consulted for all songs. The edition includes extensive historical information about each song, a lengthy and insightful article about Barber, and facsimiles of selected manuscripts. Songs published during the composer's lifetime (In chronological order of publication): Three Songs, Op. 2 : The Daisies; With rue my heart is laden; Bessie Bobtail * Three Songs, Op. 10: Rain has fallen; Sleep now; I hear an army * Four Songs, Op. 13: A Nun Takes the Veil; The Secrets of the Old; Sure on this shining night; Nocturne * Two Songs, Op. 18: The queen's face on the summery coin; Monks and Raisins * Nuvoletta, Op. 25 o Melodies passageres, Op. 27: Puisque tout passe; Un cygne; Tombeau dans un parc; Le clocher chante; Depart * Hermit Songs, Op. 29: At Saint Patrick's Purgatory; Church Bell at Night; St. Ita's Vision; The Heavenly Banquet; The Crucifixion; Sea-Snatch; Promiscuity; The Monk and His Cat; The Praises of God; The Desire for Hermitage * Despite and Still, Op. 41: A Last Song; My Lizard (Wish for Young Love); In the Wilderness; Solitary Hotel; Despite and Still * Three Songs, Op. 45: Now have I fed and eaten up the rose; A Green Lowland of Pianos; O boundless, boundless evening. Songs published posthumously : 1 First published in this edition; 2 First published in Samuel Barber: Ten Early Songs (1994); 3 First published in Samuel Barber: Ten Selected Songs (2008): Ask me to rest 1 * Au claire de lune 1 * Beggar's Song 2 * Fantasy in Purple 1 * In the dark pinewood 2 * La nuit 1 * Love at the Door 2 * Love's Caution 2 * Man 1 * Mother, I cannot mind my wheel 3 * Music, when soft voices die 1 * Night Wanderers 2 * Of that so sweet imprisonment 2 * Peace 1 * Serenader 2 * A Slumber Song of the Madonna 2 * Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening 1 * Strings in the earth and air 2 * There's nae lark 2 * Three Songs, The Words from Old England: Lady, when I behold the roses 1; An Earnest Visit to His Unkind Mistress Not to Forsake Him 1; Hey nonny no! 3 * Two Poems of the Wind: Little Children of the Wind 1; Longing 1 * Two Songs of Youth: I never thought that youth would go 1; Invocation to Youth * Watcher s 1 * Who carries corn and crown 1

Britten and Barber

Britten and Barber
Author: Daniel Felsenfeld
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2005
Genre: Music
ISBN: 9781574671087
GET BOOK

Download Britten and Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

(Amadeus). The second title in the Amadeus Press Parallel Lives series, this volume examines the lives and work of two giants of 20th century music. Both composers influenced countless others, and their works are performed often in today's concert and opera houses. Felsenfeld gives us a penetrating look into the lives of these two extraordinary men, helping us get to know them and therefore better understand their music. In clear, concise language he examines their major works, helping us to understand their genius and power, which is illustrated by the accompanying full-length CD. The author points out parallel developments in Britten and Barber's lives and careers. Both came of age in a time of war, a time of political and artistic unrest and upheaval, and both were celebrities in their own time. Both wrote primarily and most successfully for the voice, but neither became ghettoized as a strictly vocal composer, and both were possessed of a flawless compositional technique, with a fluency that bordered on wizardry. Finally, both were prolific, involved musical presences on the world stage. The accompanying full-length CD from Naxos Records includes six complete pieces.

Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber
Author: Howard Pollack
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Total Pages: 565
Release: 2023-04-04
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0252054059
GET BOOK

Download Samuel Barber Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A pivotal twentieth-century composer, Samuel Barber earned a long list of honors and accolades that included two Pulitzer Prizes for Music and the public support of conductors like Arturo Toscanini, Serge Koussevitzky, and Leonard Bernstein. Barber’s works have since become standard concert repertoire and continue to flourish across high art and popular culture. Acclaimed biographer Howard Pollack (Aaron Copland, George Gershwin) offers a multifaceted account of Barber’s life and music while placing the artist in his social and cultural milieu. Born into a musical family, Barber pursued his artistic ambitions from childhood. Pollack follows Barber’s path from his precocious youth through a career where, from the start, the composer consistently received prizes, fellowships, and other recognition. Stylistic analyses of works like the Adagio for Strings, the Violin Concerto, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 for voice and orchestra, the Piano Concerto, and the operas Vanessa and Antony and Cleopatra, stand alongside revealing accounts of the music’s commissioning, performance, reception, and legacy. Throughout, Pollack weaves in accounts of Barber’s encounters with colleagues like Aaron Copland and Francis Poulenc, performers from Eleanor Steber and Leontyne Price to Vladimir Horowitz and Van Cliburn, patrons, admirers, and a wide circle of eminent friends and acquaintances. He also provides an eloquent portrait of the composer’s decades-long relationship with the renowned opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti. Informed by new interviews and immense archival research, Samuel Barber is a long-awaited critical and personal biography of a monumental figure in twentieth-century American music.