Samuel Barber (1910-1981), an American composer who enjoyed much success in his lifetime with the concert-going public, was not as highly regarded by his more avant-garde colleagues as his very fine craftsmanship and melodic gifts would warrant. This two-fold perception existed because the innately conservative nature of his style that pleased large concert audiences seemed outdated to his more adventurous colleagues. Since his death, his reputation has become more widely established.
He enjoyed early success, which began shortly after he completed his studies at Curtis Institute of Music. The fact that his aunt, Louise Homer, was a famous singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera gave him a ready entrée, that is, built-in connections with famous musicians, many of whom commissioned him to write works for them.
His First Essay for Orchestra was premiered in 1938 by the NBC Orchestra under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. Another work of Barber’s, the Adagio for Strings, was performed on the same concert; it is better known than the Essay, but in many ways the Essay seems to portend more of what was to be Barber’s future direction.
Even though Barber was only 28 at the time of the First Essay’s premier, it already shows a mature command of the orchestra and of the compositional craft. As is the case with all of Barber’s music, it also certainly displays an uncommonly beautiful sense of line. Along with the Adagio, it is one of Barber’s works that has become a regular part of the orchestral repertoire.
You can buy an MP3 download of the First Essay for Strings here:
