Repertoire

Samuel Barber was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1910. His music, which is very lyrical and generally tonal, was snubbed by critics in the 1940s and 50s. At a time when serialism was in vogue, his unabashedly romantic music seemed anachronistic. Now, however, with a Neo-Romantic revival in full swing, his music is being reexamined anew. Among his major compositions are the haunting Adagio for Strings (1936), Knoxville: Summer of 1915 for soprano and orchestra (1947); and the operas Vanessa (1956), for which he won the Pulitzer, and Antony and Cleopatra (1966), which was commissioned to open the Metropolitan Opera House, at Lincoln Center in New York City.

For more information about the life and music of Samuel Barber, check out these other websites:

Samuel Barber — Works

A bibliography of Samuel Barber’s works, limited to those published by the G. Schirmer music publishing company. Fairly complete, and a good place to start.