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.
Barber: Agnus Dei
Samuel Barber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Dona nobis pacem.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Dona nobis pacem.
The lyrics of Samuel Barber's song Agnus Dei are in Latin and are taken from the Catholic liturgy. The words themselves are a prayer for mercy, forgiveness, and peace. The phrase "Agnus Dei" translates to "Lamb of God" and is a reference to Jesus Christ. The first line, "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi," means "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." This line captures the essence of the Christian belief that Jesus's death on the cross was an act of sacrifice that cleansed humanity of its sins. The second line, "Miserere nobis," means "have mercy on us." This is a plea for forgiveness and a recognition of human fallibility.
The third and final line, "Dona nobis pacem," translates to "grant us peace." This line is a request for peace in a world that is often chaotic and violent. It is a recognition of the difficulty of achieving peace but suggests hope that it is possible through the grace of God.
Overall, Barber's Agnus Dei is a powerful expression of human vulnerability and the desire for redemption, mercy, and peace. The words and the music convey a deep sense of emotion and longing that is both personal and universal.
Line by Line Meaning
Agnus Dei,
Lamb of God,
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Who takes away the sins of the world,
Miserere nobis.
Have mercy on us.
Dona nobis pacem.
Grant us peace.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Histoire et Chansons, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Samuel Barber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@raffaelecipriano9785
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@annshannon3657
@@pollybarnes4703 He crossed the threshold at midnight. I am in the joy that comes with glimpses of the immense release, unbound light and joy that are forever his now, never to fade. Celebrating -- with all who knew and were privileged to love him -- the inordinate triumph of his life and soul. I am not sad; I need no condolences. I am happy for him. Any tears and sorrow come and go with a bittersweet awareness at the mystery of how all of that beauty stands in bold contrast, and yet is inextricably part of, the conundrum and sorrows of the human condition that we who are left behind still live at the effect of.
He is in ecstasy beyond our imagining, free at last in the immense magnitude of his purified soul.
Well done, Dearest Brother! What a triumph your life has been.
We celebrate as you claim the radiance and lightness of being that is your soul, who you truly are and always were. As you move into endlessly deepening streams of Divine revelation and delight, we know you will be blessing us, guiding us, if we only hold our hearts open to you and the grace you seek to share. WE LOVE YOU.
Go, Go, Go with all our love. Go freely into the great, welcoming light of your true home.
@TheMissing62
Latin
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
dona nobis pacem.
English
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.
@VlaamsRadiokoor
--- July 2023: enjoy our newest video, The Blue Bird by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford ---https://youtu.be/9uO38pPO_Co
11 million views, wow ❤🤩😮 Thank you all for your beautiful comments, emails and letters, they all mean a lot to us! They have inspired us to create more videos, so check out our channel for a whole new series of a capella gems under our label Vocal Fabric! Bedankt, merci, thank you, hvala, kiitos, shukran, mahalo, efharisto, grazie, arigato, takk, gracias, obrigado, spasibo, komsahamnida, dankie, aitäh, salamat, danke, toda raba, xie xie, tapadh leibh, tack ❤ You can now also enjoy our recording of Agnus Dei (in 3D immersive sound) on streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play:
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@raffaelecipriano9785
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@marleneveliz8372
Una interpretación maravillosa que transporta.
@ClausKobitzsch
O8
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⁹
@juanjosecameansantos6259
El cordero se convirtió en un depredador
@malcolmgray5515
just lost my wife to Covid, I first kissed her 29/6/60, she was 15 and 2 days, we have been inseparable ever since, she was a Lamb of God.
@VlaamsRadiokoor
We are so sorry for your loss, Malcolm. We hope music will bring you some comfort in these difficult times.
@mattjohnson9962
Malcolm Gray: Sorry for your loss. May the Lord be with your wife.
@marcosmohandas
minhas condolências meu amigo :(