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Second Essay, op. 17 (1942)
| composer |
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) |
| performers |
Utah Symphony
Joseph Silverstein, conductor |
| publisher |
G. Schirmer (ASCAP)http://www.schirmer.com
|
| label |
Pro Arte 241
|
| duration |
11:19 |
Barber's three Essays for orchestra all suggest a musical analogy to a literary form in which a subject is analyzed or explored with a certain narrow focus. The Second Essay demonstrates this by stating an initial theme at the outset and developing it into two related themes, all of which are woven tightly together throughout the piece.
Samuel Barber's (1910-1981) much-performed body of work is known principally for its lyricism. From the well-known Adagio for Strings (1936) to the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Vanessa (1956) to the scores of art songs he composed, Barber's music is melodic and often steeped in the forms and harmonic language of the late 19th century. However, his use of a wide range of techniques from medieval to modern music amounted to a very personal compositional style, about which he has said:
"[When] I'm writing for words, then I immerse myself in those words, and I let the music flow out of them. When I write an abstract piano sonata or a concerto, I write what I feel. I'm not a self-conscious composer ... It is said I have no style at all, but that doesn't matter. I just go on doing, as they say, my thing. I believe this takes a certain courage." (Barber)
Born and raised in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Barber began composing both vocal and instrumental music at seven years of age. His music-making was encouraged by his aunt and uncle, contralto Louise Homer and composer Sidney Homer, and with piano lessons from William Hatton Green. He enrolled in the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at age 14, studying piano with George Boyle and Isabelle Vengerova, voice with Emilio de Gorgorza, and composition with Rosario Scalero. He also studied conducting and voice in Vienna with John Braun. During his decade of work at Curtis he met composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti, with whom he would develop a lifelong personal and professional relationship.
It was after Barber graduated in 1934 that he began to gain international attention, winning the Rome Prize in 1935 and having new orchestral works premiered in the US and Europe. The NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini broadcast his Essay for Orchestra (1937) and Adagio for Strings in 1938. Barber then taught composition at the Curtis Institute for a few years, and served in the US Army Airforce from 1942 to 1945. From the mid-1940's on, he spent much of his time composing at 'Capricorn', the home he shared with Menotti in Mt. Kisco, New York.
Of the many commissions Barber received throughout his career were those from choreographer and dancer Martha Graham, Irving Berlin and Richard Rodgers for the League of Composers, the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and three commissions for the opening of Lincoln Center in New York. Barber's other honors included two Pulitzer Prizes, the Henry Hadley Medal, and the Gold Medal for Music from the American Academy and Institute for Arts and Letters.
related websites
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/barber_bio.html
Founded in 1940, the Utah Symphony Orchestra became recognized as a leading ensemble through the efforts of Maurice Abravanel, its music director from 1947 to 1979. During his tenure, the ensemble made first recordings of works by Varèse, Milhaud, Gottschalk, Honegger, and Satie, as well as the first complete cycle of Mahler symphonies. The orchestra has continued its commitment to modern music under the direction of Joseph Silverstein (1983-1998) and Keith Lockhart (1998-present) with premieres and recordings of works from the United States. Recordings of the Utah Symphony can be found on the Allegretto, Angel, Intaglio, London, MCA Classics, Vanguard Classics, and Vox Box labels.
related websites
http://www.utahsymphony.org
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