Essay On Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber Samuel Barber was one of the most distinguished composers in 20th century America. He was an American composer of piano, opera, choral, and orchestral music. Barber is generally associated with being a Romantic composer. Over his lifetime, Barber wrote over one hundred songs along with his major compositions. Also in his career, he won two Pulitzer Prize’s. His lyrical and compositional uniqueness and ability is still astonishing to this day. He had a natural ability to write songs with complete ease. Barber was one of the greatest American composers to ever live. Samuel Osborne Barber was born March 9, 1910, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He was born into a very good life, his family was a very distinguished American family,
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His first orchestral work, an overture to The School for Scandal, was composed in 1931. In 1935, he was awarded the American Prix de Rome and received the Pulitzer traveling scholarship when he was 25 years old. This allowed him to study abroad in 1935–1936. In 1938 his most famous famous piece, Adagio for Strings was performed by the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. He then served in the US Army Air force from 1942-1945. Barber won two Pulitzer Prizes. The first one was in 1958 for his opera Vanessa, which was presented by the Metropolitan Opera. The second in 1962 for his Piano Concerto, first performed by John Browning. In 1966, Barber started to go downhill with is music. He was asked to write an opera for the grand opening of the new opera house. It was titled Antony and Cleopatra, and it turned out to be his greatest failure. After that, he started to have problems with alcohol and depression. Not only that, but towards the end of his life he spent a lot of time in the hospital for cancer treatment. Samuel Barber died at the age of 70 of cancer in 1981 in New York City. He was buried next to his mother in Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Barber was one of the greatest American composers to ever walk the earth. Although the end of his life may not have been as heroic as some, his whole life before that was nothing less than amazing.
His first orchestral work, an overture to The School for Scandal, was composed in 1931. In 1935, he was awarded the American Prix de Rome and received the Pulitzer traveling scholarship when he was 25 years old. This allowed him to study abroad in 1935–1936. In 1938 his most famous famous piece, Adagio for Strings was performed by the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. He then served in the US Army Air force from 1942-1945. Barber won two Pulitzer Prizes. The first one was in 1958 for his opera Vanessa, which was presented by the Metropolitan Opera. The second in 1962 for his Piano Concerto, first performed by John Browning. In 1966, Barber started to go downhill with is music. He was asked to write an opera for the grand opening of the new opera house. It was titled Antony and Cleopatra, and it turned out to be his greatest failure. After that, he started to have problems with alcohol and depression. Not only that, but towards the end of his life he spent a lot of time in the hospital for cancer treatment. Samuel Barber died at the age of 70 of cancer in 1981 in New York City. He was buried next to his mother in Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Barber was one of the greatest American composers to ever walk the earth. Although the end of his life may not have been as heroic as some, his whole life before that was nothing less than amazing.