Adagio for Strings

"Adagio for Strings" is a work for string orchestra, arranged by the American composer Samuel Barber from his first string quartet. It is by far Barber's most popular piece.

Genesis

Barber's "Adagio for Strings" originated as the second movement in his String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11, composed in 1936. In the original it follows a violently contrasting first movement, and is succeeded by a brief reprise of this music.

In January 1938 Barber sent the piece to Arturo Toscanini. The conductor returned the score without comment, and Barber was annoyed and avoided the conductor. Subsequently Toscanini sent word through a friend that he was planning to perform the piece and had returned it simply because he had already memorized it. [cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6427815|title=The Impact of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings'|publisher=National Public Radio|accessdate=2006-12-05] It was reported that Toscanini did not look at the music again until the day before the premiere. [cite book
title=Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music
isbn=0195090586
pages=p. 167
year=1992
first=Barbara B
last=Heyman
location=New York
publisher=Oxford University Press
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=d725IcUMfl0C&pg=PA167&vq=%22the+day+before+the+performance%22&dq=barber+string+quartet&sig=FmXN7-ntq9GEhXXSytRd_pCVd_Y ] The work was given its first performance in a radio broadcast by Arturo Toscanini with the NBC Symphony Orchestra on November 5, 1938 in New York.

The composer also transcribed the piece in 1967 for eight-part choir, as a setting of the "Agnus Dei" ("Lamb of God"). It has since become renowned as a masterwork of the modern choral repertory.Fact|date=September 2008

Analysis

Listen
filename=Adagio for Strings-Samuel Barber.ogg
title=Adagio for Strings
format=OggThe piece uses an arch form, employing and then inverting, expanding, and varying a stepwise ascending melody.

The long, flowing melodic line moves freely between the voices in the string choir; for example, the first section of the Adagio begins with the principal melodic cell played by first violins, but ends with its restatement by violas, transposed down a fifth. Violas continue with a variation on the melodic cell in the second section; the basses are silent for this and the next section. The expansive middle section begins with cellos playing the principal melodic cell in mezzo-soprano range; as the section builds, the string choir moves up the scale to their highest registers, culminating in a fortissimo-forte climax followed by sudden silence. A brief series of mournful chords serve as a coda to this portion of the piece, and reintroduces the bass section. The last section is a restatement of the original theme, with an inversion of the second piece of the melodic cell, played by first violins and violas in unison; the piece ends with first violins slowly restating the first five notes of the melody in alto register, holding the last note over a brief silence and a fading accompaniment.

Popularity and influence

The recording of the 1938 world premiere, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Orchestra, was selected in 2005 for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the United States Library of Congress. [cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/nrpb-2005reg.html|title=The National Recording Registry 2005|publisher=Library of Congress|accessdate=2007-04-27]

In 2004, Barber's masterpiece was voted the "saddest classical" work ever by listeners of the BBC's "Today" program, ahead of "Dido's Lament" from "Dido and Æneas" by Henry Purcell, the "Adagietto" from Gustav Mahler's 5th symphony, "Metamorphosen" by Richard Strauss and "Gloomy Sunday" as sung by Billie Holiday. [ [http://www.pristineclassical.com/LargeWorks/Orchestral/PASC080.php PASC080: Toscanini - The 1938 Barber Première Concert ] , [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/arts/saddestmusic_20040506.shtml "Today" search for the world's saddest music] and its [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/arts/saddestmusic_vote.shtml shortlist] ]

The piece was played at the funerals of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Prince Rainier of Monaco. It was also performed in 2001 at a ceremony at the World Trade Center to commemorate the thousands lost there in the September 11, 2001 attacks. "Adagio for Strings" was also part of the program of the Last Night of the Proms that year, in contrast to the event's usual atmosphere.

"Adagio for Strings" may be heard on many film, TV and video game soundtracks. Notable among these is Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning film "Platoon", [ [http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0053462/ IMDB listing of films using music by Barber, almost exclusively the Adagio] ] and David Lynch's 1980 Oscar-nominated film "The Elephant Man". It is also used in several episodes of "The Simpsons" in scenes lampooning sadness and destruction. Likewise, it was used in a similar manner in an episode of Seinfeld in which Frank Costanza reflects on when he served in the Army as a cook in Korea, making the soldiers sick from his food, in a parody of the emotional portrayal of devastation in "Platoon". It is also heard in "The Pick of Destiny" when Kyle gives Jack a guitar, in "Lorenzo's Oil," and in the landmark PC - RTS game Homeworld. Prominent in the film "Amelie" where it is used to devastating effect. It is used as opening music in the film version of Kafka's "The Trial".

The version of the piece performed by London Symphony Orchestra was, for a time, the highest selling classical piece on iTunes.cite web| url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1741085,00.html|title=Big demand for classical downloads is music to ears of record industry|work=Guardian Unlimited]

Several modern artists have arranged the work for the Electronic dance music genre, such as William Orbit, Ferry Corsten and Tiësto. In addition, the crossover quartet bond remixed Adagio for Strings for their 2004 album Classified, retaining the original song name for their track.

Audio

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/rams/sadmusic2.ram BBC.co.uk Sample from the BBC]
* [http://www.modern-strings.de/sound/download.php4?p=barber modern-strings.de MP3 from the Modern-Strings]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6427815 NPR special] on the selection of the 1938 broadcast debut of "Adagio for Strings" to the 2005 National Recording Registry
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Samuel+Barber/_/Adagio+for+Strings%2C+Op.+11?autostart Listen] to a sample at last.fm

References