Composer of the Month 4/2010: Samuel Barber   (selected by Peter van Dessel / Belgium)

USA 12.9.1997 Samuel Barber was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania on March 9th, 1910. He started to compose at the age of seven years and made up his mind to become a composer when he was nine. Barber studied of at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and became a member the American Academy of Rome in 1935. In 1936 he wrote his "Quartet in B major". The second movement he arranged for string orchestra, first perfomed as "Adagio for Strings" under Arturo Toscanini in 1938. The the popularity of the Adagio outshines the rest of Barber's works. However, he is noted as one of the most talented American composers of the 20th century. Barber avoided the experimentalismus of some other composers of his generation and preferred traditional harmonies and forms. Samuel Barber died in New York on January 23rd, 1981. His birthday came up again for the 100th time in March 2010. The video shows Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" performed as a ballet Yelena Yevteeva and Eldar Aliev dancing in a choreography by Oleg Vinogradov. Music: Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater St. Petersburg conducted by Victor A. Fedotov. More composers in the members only section