Adagio for Strings

Adagio for Strings
Carl Van Vechten · Public domain · source
Name	Adagio for Strings
Composer	Samuel Barber
Caption	Samuel Barber in 1944
Genre	Classical music
Form	Adagio
Key	B-flat minor
Composed	1936
Premiered	1938
Duration	~8 minutes

Contents

Adagio for Strings is an orchestral work arranged by Samuel Barber from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11, and first performed under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. Widely regarded as a quintessential expression of 20th‑century American lyricism, it has been performed by orchestras such as the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. The work gained prominence through performances, recordings, and adaptations involving figures like Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Slatkin, Seiji Ozawa, and Gustavo Dudamel.

Background and composition

Barber composed the original second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11 in 1936 while associated with institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music and influenced by composers including Jean Sibelius, Antonín Dvořák, Johannes Brahms, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and contemporaries like Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky. The score was arranged for string orchestra at the suggestion of colleagues and was championed by conductors linked to ensembles such as the NBC Symphony Orchestra and venues such as Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. Barber’s circle included performers and patrons like Gioacchino Rossini (historical influence), Ralph Vaughan Williams, Paul Hindemith, Eugene Ormandy, William Schuman, and administrators from the Library of Congress and the Metropolitan Opera.

The piece, set in B‑flat minor, unfolds as an arching single movement notable for its long, unfolding melodic line and gradual dynamic build culminating in a climactic high point before subsiding. Analysts have compared its harmonic language and orchestration to that of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (in lineage), and to the expressive models of Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Franz Schubert, and Edward Elgar. Performances emphasize string techniques associated with leaders and concertmasters from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic; conductors such as Arturo Toscanini, Bruno Walter, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Zubin Mehta, and Carlo Maria Giulini have highlighted tempi and rubato variations akin to practices in the Vienna Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The work’s texture relies on sustained legato, dynamic shading, suspension resolution patterns, and cadential prolongation found in the repertory of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Liszt.

The orchestral version premiered in 1938 on NBC radio with Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra at the invitation of personalities connected to David Sarnoff and broadcast institutions in New York City. Early critical responses involved commentators writing for publications associated with critics like Virgil Thomson, Olin Downes, George Bernard Shaw (historical reference), and institutions such as the New York Times, the London Philharmonic, and the Academy of Music. The piece was quickly adopted by ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy and later programmed by Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic and at events linked to the Tanglewood Festival and the Avery Fisher Hall legacy.

Notable recordings include Toscanini’s 1938 broadcast performance preserved in collections alongside studio versions by Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic, Seiji Ozawa with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Béla Bartók (influence on string writing), and later interpretations by Gustavo Dudamel and Valery Gergiev. Arrangements and adaptations have been produced for chorus by composers and ensembles connected to Samuel Barber and choral directors at institutions such as the Juilliard School and the Royal College of Music. Popular transcriptions include versions for string quartet, brass choir promoted by conductors in the Royal Albert Hall tradition, and electronic adaptations by artists associated with labels and producers in Hollywood film scoring circles and festivals like Glastonbury (cultural crossover).

The work has been used in commemorations and state events associated with figures and institutions such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, United Nations memorials, and broadcasts from venues like Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. Filmmakers and directors such as William Friedkin, Oliver Stone, Michael Mann, Anthony Minghella, and Paul Schrader have employed the piece or its arrangements in motion pictures and television productions, while record labels and producers linked to RCA Victor, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, and EMI Classics have issued landmark recordings. The work’s adaptations have appeared in films and programs that led to renewed interest from audiences frequenting festivals and institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, BBC Proms, Metropolitan Opera House, and cinematic events associated with the Academy Awards.

Category:Compositions by Samuel Barber Category:Orchestral works