Samuel Barber Adagio For Strings

After listening to all three clips, my favorite would have to be Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Personally, I think that this is one of his saddest pieces in which the subtle chromatic harmonies, atonal melodies emphasize the sad/mournful moods. Whenever I hear this piece, I always associate it with themes of grief, tragedy, and hopelessness. It’s fascinating how Barber used the strings in terms of the instrument’s timbre and texture (for example: in terms of the string quartet, the viola and the violin). Also, I think that this piece started out with a B flat and slowly transitions throughout the piece, creating a suspenseful/uneasy feeling for the listeners (the changing harmonies which results in dissonances and tension). Overall, I
agree that Barber’s music has a longing that touches on sadness and loneliness and sounds colorful and beautiful at the same time (when I listened to Appalachian Spring by the populist composer, Aaron Copland, he tended to use more catchy tunes and familiar themes from American folk songs, creating an exciting mood).