Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber 1910-81, American composer, b. West Chester, Pa. Barber studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. His music is lyrical and generally tonal; his later works are more chromatic and polytonal with striking contrapuntal elements. Among his outstanding works are a setting of Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" for voice and string quartet (1931); an overture to The School for Scandal (1931); Adagio for Strings (1936); two symphonies (1936, 1944); Capricorn Concerto for flute, oboe, and trumpet (1944) and a piano concerto (1962; Pulitzer Prize); a ballet, Medea (1946); Knoxville: Summer of 1915, for soprano and orchestra (1947), derived from a segment of James Agee's novel A Death in the Family; a modern oratorio, Prayers of Kierkegaard (1954); and two operas, Vanessa (1957; Pulitzer Prize) and Antony and Cleopatra (1966), commissioned to open the new Metropolitan Opera House.

Bibliography: See biography by N. Broder (1954).

Barber, Samuel (1910–81) US composer. He composed chamber music, notably Dover Beach (1931) for voice and string quartet, two symphonies, a piano concerto (1962), and three operas including Vanessa (1958) and Antony and Cleopatra (1966). His style, initially quite romantic, became increasingly dissonant. He won two Pulitzer Prizes for music.

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