“With a tense melodic line and taut harmonies, the composition is considered by many to be the most popular of all 20th-century orchestral works,” NPR Music. Adagio for Strings, was written by Samuel Barber in 1936. Originally written as the second movement of Barbers String Quartet, Op. 11, Adagio for Strings has been used frequently in times of mourning. The beauty of this piece is the strong emotions that it invokes from those that hear it. Written during a time, when the world was in a terrible depression, Adagio for Strings seems to fit the mood of the era.
Samuel Barber was an American composer of orchestral and piano music. At a young age, he knew he had a calling to be a composer rather than an athlete. He attempted to write his first …show more content…
Many people could not see a way out of this horrific time. In 2010, Johanna Keller of the New York Times wrote the piece creates “an uneasy, shifting suspension as the melody begins a stepwise motion, like the hesitant climbing of stairs.” This could easily be compared to the climate in the 1930’s. With the world economy being at rock bottom, the people had a large uphill battle to get back to a good life. With the threat of another war on the horizon, continuing up those “stairs,” meant more fighting for a world’s population that was already weakened by the years of instability. It was unlike many of the other forms of music during this time that would try to create a pleasant and euphoric feeling. Other popular music of the time tried to overshadow the great sadness of the time.
Adagio for strings has been the most enduring work for Barber. It has been performed on many occasions of mourning such as the during the radio announcement of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and during the funerals of Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco. It has also been used in movie scores such as, Platoon and Lorenzo’s Oil. The piece’s ability to stir emotions deep within a person, makes it a valuable and memorable work of
Samuel Barber was an American composer of orchestral and piano music. At a young age, he knew he had a calling to be a composer rather than an athlete. He attempted to write his first …show more content…
Many people could not see a way out of this horrific time. In 2010, Johanna Keller of the New York Times wrote the piece creates “an uneasy, shifting suspension as the melody begins a stepwise motion, like the hesitant climbing of stairs.” This could easily be compared to the climate in the 1930’s. With the world economy being at rock bottom, the people had a large uphill battle to get back to a good life. With the threat of another war on the horizon, continuing up those “stairs,” meant more fighting for a world’s population that was already weakened by the years of instability. It was unlike many of the other forms of music during this time that would try to create a pleasant and euphoric feeling. Other popular music of the time tried to overshadow the great sadness of the time.
Adagio for strings has been the most enduring work for Barber. It has been performed on many occasions of mourning such as the during the radio announcement of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and during the funerals of Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco. It has also been used in movie scores such as, Platoon and Lorenzo’s Oil. The piece’s ability to stir emotions deep within a person, makes it a valuable and memorable work of