Samuel Osborne Barber (March 9, 1910–January 23, 1981) was an American comp… Read Full Bio ↴Samuel Osborne Barber (March 9, 1910–January 23, 1981) was an American composer of classical music, best known for his Adagio for Strings.
He was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and began to compose at the age of seven. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia before becoming a fellow of the American Academy in Rome in 1935. The following year he wrote his String Quartet in B minor, the second movement of which he would arrange, at Arturo Toscanini's suggestion, for string orchestra as Adagio for Strings, and again for mixed chorus as Agnus Dei.
He tended to avoid the experimentalism of some other American composers of his generation, preferring relatively traditional harmonies and forms until late in his life. Most of his work is lushly melodic and has often been described as neo-romantic, though some of his later works, notably the Third Essay and the Dance of Vengeance, display a masterful use of percussive effects, modernism, and neo-Stravinskian effects.
His songs, accompanied by piano or orchestra, are among the most popular 20th-century songs in the classical repertoire. They include a setting of Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach, originally written for string quartet and baritone, the Hermit Songs on anonymous Irish texts of the 8th to 13th centuries, and Knoxville: Summer of 1915, written for the soprano Eleanor Steber and based on an autobiographical text by James Agee, the introductory portion of his novel A Death in the Family. Barber possessed a good baritone voice and, for a while, considered becoming a professional singer. He made a few recordings, including his own Dover Beach.
His Piano Sonata, Op. 26 (1949), a piece commissioned by Richard Rodgers and Irving Berlin, was first performed by Vladimir Horowitz. It was the first large-scale American piano work to be premiered by such an internationally renowned pianist.
Barber composed three operas. Vanessa, composed to a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti (his partner both professionally and personally), premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. It was a critical and popular success, and Barber won a Pulitzer Prize for it. At the European premiere it met with a chillier reception, however, and is now little played there, although it remains popular in America.
Barber produced three concertos for solo instruments and orchestra. The first was for violin. The second was for cello. And the third and last was for piano.
The Violin Concerto was written in 1939 and 1940 in Sils-Maria, Switzerland and Paris. The work was premiered by violinist Albert Spalding with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy on February 11, 1941. The concerto soon entered the standard violin and orchestral repertoire.
The Cello Concerto was completed in 1945. It was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the Russian cellist Raya Garbousova who premiered it on April 5, 1946. The following year the work won Barber the New York Music Critics' Circle Award.
The Piano Concerto was composed for and premiered by pianist John Browning, on September 24, 1962, with Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center, New York. The work was met with great critical acclaim. It won Barber his second Pulitzer Prize in 1963 and the Music Critics Circle Award in 1964. John Browning played the piece over 500 times in his career, securing its place in the repertoire.
Barber also wrote a virtuosic work for organ and orchestra, Toccata Festiva, for the famed organist E. Power Biggs in the early 1960s. The New York Philharmonic commissioned an oboe concerto, but Barber completed only the slow central Canzonetta before his death.
Among his purely orchestral works, there are two symphonies (1936 and 1944), the overture The School for Scandal (1932), three essays for orchestra (1938, 1942 and 1978), and the late Fadograph of a Yestern Scene (1973). There are also large-scale choral works, including the Prayers of Kierkegaard (1954), based on the writings of the Danish existential theologian, Søren Kierkegaard, and The Lovers (1971), based on Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair, by Pablo Neruda.
In addition to the sonata, his piano works include Excursions Op. 20, Three Sketches, Souvenirs, and various other single pieces.
Never a prolific composer, Barber wrote much less after the critical failure of his opera Antony and Cleopatra. This had a libretto by film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli, and had been commissioned to open the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1966. The opera was more favorably received in 1975 presented in the intimate setting of the Juilliard School with the partnership and stage direction of Gian-Carlo Menotti, and was subsequently recorded.
He died in New York City in 1981.
He was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and began to compose at the age of seven. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia before becoming a fellow of the American Academy in Rome in 1935. The following year he wrote his String Quartet in B minor, the second movement of which he would arrange, at Arturo Toscanini's suggestion, for string orchestra as Adagio for Strings, and again for mixed chorus as Agnus Dei.
He tended to avoid the experimentalism of some other American composers of his generation, preferring relatively traditional harmonies and forms until late in his life. Most of his work is lushly melodic and has often been described as neo-romantic, though some of his later works, notably the Third Essay and the Dance of Vengeance, display a masterful use of percussive effects, modernism, and neo-Stravinskian effects.
His songs, accompanied by piano or orchestra, are among the most popular 20th-century songs in the classical repertoire. They include a setting of Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach, originally written for string quartet and baritone, the Hermit Songs on anonymous Irish texts of the 8th to 13th centuries, and Knoxville: Summer of 1915, written for the soprano Eleanor Steber and based on an autobiographical text by James Agee, the introductory portion of his novel A Death in the Family. Barber possessed a good baritone voice and, for a while, considered becoming a professional singer. He made a few recordings, including his own Dover Beach.
His Piano Sonata, Op. 26 (1949), a piece commissioned by Richard Rodgers and Irving Berlin, was first performed by Vladimir Horowitz. It was the first large-scale American piano work to be premiered by such an internationally renowned pianist.
Barber composed three operas. Vanessa, composed to a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti (his partner both professionally and personally), premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. It was a critical and popular success, and Barber won a Pulitzer Prize for it. At the European premiere it met with a chillier reception, however, and is now little played there, although it remains popular in America.
Barber produced three concertos for solo instruments and orchestra. The first was for violin. The second was for cello. And the third and last was for piano.
The Violin Concerto was written in 1939 and 1940 in Sils-Maria, Switzerland and Paris. The work was premiered by violinist Albert Spalding with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy on February 11, 1941. The concerto soon entered the standard violin and orchestral repertoire.
The Cello Concerto was completed in 1945. It was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the Russian cellist Raya Garbousova who premiered it on April 5, 1946. The following year the work won Barber the New York Music Critics' Circle Award.
The Piano Concerto was composed for and premiered by pianist John Browning, on September 24, 1962, with Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center, New York. The work was met with great critical acclaim. It won Barber his second Pulitzer Prize in 1963 and the Music Critics Circle Award in 1964. John Browning played the piece over 500 times in his career, securing its place in the repertoire.
Barber also wrote a virtuosic work for organ and orchestra, Toccata Festiva, for the famed organist E. Power Biggs in the early 1960s. The New York Philharmonic commissioned an oboe concerto, but Barber completed only the slow central Canzonetta before his death.
Among his purely orchestral works, there are two symphonies (1936 and 1944), the overture The School for Scandal (1932), three essays for orchestra (1938, 1942 and 1978), and the late Fadograph of a Yestern Scene (1973). There are also large-scale choral works, including the Prayers of Kierkegaard (1954), based on the writings of the Danish existential theologian, Søren Kierkegaard, and The Lovers (1971), based on Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair, by Pablo Neruda.
In addition to the sonata, his piano works include Excursions Op. 20, Three Sketches, Souvenirs, and various other single pieces.
Never a prolific composer, Barber wrote much less after the critical failure of his opera Antony and Cleopatra. This had a libretto by film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli, and had been commissioned to open the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1966. The opera was more favorably received in 1975 presented in the intimate setting of the Juilliard School with the partnership and stage direction of Gian-Carlo Menotti, and was subsequently recorded.
He died in New York City in 1981.
Agnus Dei Op. 11
Samuel Barber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Lamb of God,
Who took the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
The Lamb of God,
Who took the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
The Lamb of God,
Who took the sins of the world,
Grant us peace.
Who took the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
The Lamb of God,
Who took the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
Who took the sins of the world,
Grant us peace.
The lyrics of Samuel Barber's song "Agnus Dei, Op. 11" are deeply rooted in Christian theology. The opening line, "The Lamb of God," refers to Jesus Christ, who is often referred to as the Lamb in the Bible. The following line, "Who took the sins of the world," alludes to the Christian concept of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, in which he is believed to have taken upon himself the sins of all humanity. The repeated plea for mercy is a common theme in Christian liturgy and seeks forgiveness for the sins committed. The final line, "Grant us peace," goes beyond asking for mercy, reaching for a divine intercession to bring peace and healing to a broken world.
Line by Line Meaning
The Lamb of God,
The chosen one of God, who willingly came to earth in the form of a lamb.
Who took the sins of the world,
He bore the burden of human sins upon himself, sacrificing his own life for the salvation of humanity.
Have mercy upon us.
We humbly ask for forgiveness and mercy from the compassionate and merciful Lamb of God.
Grant us peace.
We pray for inner peace and tranquility, which can only be attained through the forgiveness and grace of the Lamb of God.
Writer(s): [anonymous], Samuel Barber
Contributed by Eliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@bfbdesk
The music is dominated by a melody, first presented by the soprano,
which begins on a long note and then undulates in even rhythm and diatonic steps, a melisma of two measures on the words "Agnus Dei". The other voices enter half a measure later on a chord,
move to a different chord in measure 2 and sustain it throughout the
measure, while the soprano holds its first note through measure one and
moves only after the supporting chord has changed to a tension. A
similar pattern follows in measures 5 to 8 on the words "qui tollis
peccata mundi" (who takes the sins of the world), moving down on
"peccata mundi". The repetition of the call "Agnus Dei" is set as variation of the beginning, intensified by upward leaps of fifths and octaves,
and by the solo soprano reaching the highest note of the piece, C-flat.
Then the alto takes over the melody, marked "più f[orte] sempre
espressivo" (somewhat stronger and always expressive), while the soprano
sings "miserere nobis" (have mercy on us) for the first time on a counter-melody. In measure 28, the bass takes over the melody, marked "p cresc.
molto espressivo" (soft but growing, very expressive), while the three
upper undivided voices sing "dona nobis pacem" (give us peace) the first
time. In measure 35, the tenor takes over the melody, all parts are
marked "with increasing intensity", soon the soprano gets the melody,
interrupted by the alto moving in octaves, then finally the soprano
leads to the climax on the words "dona nobis pacem", ending in long
chords, fortissimo, in extremely high register for all parts, followed by a long general break. After the silence, a slow succession of chords, repeating "dona nobis pacem" in homophony in very low register, modulates to distant keys such as C major and F major. After another silence, a kind of recapitulation begins with the soprano and tenor singing the melody in unison
on "Agnus Dei ... dona nobis pacem", while alto and bass counter with
"miserere nobis". In the final line, the alto broadens the beginning of
the melody to a last "dona nobis pacem", marked "mf molto espr. sost."
(medium strength, very expressive and sustained), while the other parts
end on a very soft "miserere nobis", marked "morendo" (dying)
@renehommes115
my Brother choose this beautiful music for his funeral two weeks ago. He didn't care for religion or sexual preferences, he just wanted to live. It wasn't ment to be, he died of cancer at the age of 43. Hope you found your peace.
@roxannewood8995
when words fail, music doesn't.
@christinelangton661
This is the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Recently my mother was dying in hospital and I played it softly in the background telling her the angels were holding out their hands waiting to take her home to God. I go to pieces every time I hear it.
@Grabacr50
Beautiful. Regardless of your religion or beliefs, you simply can't deny that this is a truly beautiful song.
@aperson1234567891098
I like the Oxford New College Choir version better. You should try it.
@gwiltl
Why are people bringing up religion? It is merely a song.
@Grabacr50
The Agnus Dei is a sacred symbol of Christianity, that's why.
@mjalmond1
+aperson1234567891098 Took your advice and agree/
@jasaa1
A brilliant rendition of this piece. The human voice is said to be the most expressive instrument of music, and it shows here.
@MK6XX
What a tear jerker this song is ! So sad but so beautiful at the same time. This is definately a true work of art.