Book Description
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was one of the most important and honored American composers of the twentieth century. Writing in a great variety of musical forms--symphonies, concertos, operas, vocal music, and chamber music--he infused his works with poetic lyricism and gave tonal language and forms new vitality. His rich legacy includes such famous compositions as the Adagio for Strings, the orchestral song Knoxville: Summer of 1915, three concertos, and his two operas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Vanessa and Antony and Cleopatra, a commissioned work that opened the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. Generously documented by letters, sketchbooks, original musical manuscripts, and interviews with friends, colleagues and performers with whom he worked, this is the first book to cover Barber's entire career and all of his compositions. The biographical material on Barber is closely interspersed with a discussion of his music, displaying Barber's creative processes at work from his early student compositions to his mature masterpieces. Heyman also provides the social context in which this major composer grew: his education, how he built his career, the evolving musical tastes of American audiences, his relationship to musical giants like Serge Koussevitzky, and the role of radio in the promotion of his music. A testament to the significance of the new Romanticism, Samuel Barber stands as a model biography of an important American musical figure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Servicable biography of this great American composer
Being a fan of (some of) Barber's music, I was interested in finding out more about him. I suspect an academic will find this book satisfying - it goes through his works in scholarly detail - but I found it uncompelling. I think the main problem is that Barber was not a particularly interesting guy - you will find no juicy tidbits here. Where this could have been interesting is delving into his personal life - but it doesn't venture there. I was disappointed. By the way my favourite Barber works are adagio for strings (of course), violin concerto, and the school for scandal overture.

Well Done
Well, I thought the book was a respectable mix of biographical information and analysis, not too much of one or the other.It is organized (roughly) by opus number, meaning one can find virtually all the information about a specific work condensed in a particular section--with the overall outline being chronological.This structuring is easy and accessible.

Theory hogs, like me, may want a few more examples--but if so, we're just being greedy.The author's analyses of the works are well-done, cursory without being useless.She neither fawns over her subject, nor butchers him.Perhaps a bit more biographical information would be nice--Barber's love life is always touched upon at tangents, never explained.But maybe such information is simply not to be found.

The esoteric nature of the subject precludes me from recommending it generally--but for anyone with the slightest interest in Mr. Barber, this is certainly one of the best resources out there.

And what do we say of Samuel?Reactionary, fuddy-duddy?Snobbish European turning his back on his American home, or a manwho simply recognizes good music when he hears it?Or, like Brahms, a fusion of past and present who only appears conservative when compared with the silly extremists?I lean towards the latter.

Barber enjoyed Brahms, and there's a similarity stapling the two together here.Both took a rich harmonic and modern language, Brahms with his soup of pivot chords and chromatic thirds, Barber with his polychords, changing meters, and quartal implications, reinvigorating ideas and forms that some describe as depleted.And both were, in some sense, fearless.Now of course neither was immune to public opinion--the failure of Anthony and Cleopatra cracked off a bit of Barber's heart--but nevertheless, we find two men who by and large did not care to defend their artistic choices.Barber wrote music of lyrical melodic line when the flavor de jure was prickly textures or avant-garde nonsense.

I have no opinion on whether or not that was the right decision; but I bestow the highest respect on Barber's intense drive for perfection.71 years he lived, and left behind a paucity--but a paucity of perfection.The concertos are jewels!The songs are staples (or should be)!Barber forced and tempered his creations: many works were revised after the first performance--and, which is to be respected all the more--usually made shorter by it.Excess notes deleted, and tight statements left behind.

This book honors that aspect of him well, and I'm glad to have gotten to know him through it.

FANTASTIC book!!!
I'm currently researching Barber for my Masters Thesis.This is the best book available currently on Barber.The variety of information and sources she offers is excellent.In addition to the biographical information, Heyman presents each of his pieces in reference to certain time periods of his life and goes on to discuss these pieces in depth.An incredibly valuable resource for me and anyone interested in Samuel Barber.

A great biography!
I read this book with the same excitement that I would a... thriller.It is exciting to find out so much about a manwhose music is among America's best!Barbara Heyman has captured thespirit of Samuel Barber's life and compiled it into a readableorganized format.Be sure to read all of the footnotes/endnotes.They contain some of the most wonderful tidbits of information.Authoritative writing!

As close to a "definitive" study as we're ever likely to see
As a lifelong student of Barber and his music, I was thrilled at the depth and scope of this work.It contains many musical examples and, most tellingly, reveals what music Barber loved and was studying when hecomposed various works.And it doesn't pull any punches in its treatmentof Barber's tendencies toward depression and alcoholism.I spoke toBarbara Heyman a few years ago and she said she was working on a companionvolume but had no firm idea when it might be published.We can only hopeit will be soon! ... Read more

Book Description
Contents: Bessie Bobtail * Church Bell at Night * The Crucifixion * The Daisies * Depart (Departure) * Desire for Hermitage * Despite and Still * Green Lowland of Pianos * The Heavenly Banquet * I Hear an Army * In the Wilderness * A Last Song * Le Clocher Chante * The Monk and His Cat * Monks and Raisins * My Lizard * Nocturne * Now Have Fed and Eaten Rose * A Nun Takes the Veil * Nuvoletta * O Boundless, Boun Evening * The Praises of God * Promiscuity * Puisque Tout Passe * Queen's Face Summery Coin * Rain Has Fallen * Sea-Snatch * The Secrets of the Old * Sleep Now * Solitary Hotel * St. Ita's Vision * St.Patrick's Purgatory * Sure on This Shining Night * Tombeau Dans Un Parc * Un Cygne (A Swan) * With Rue My Heart Laden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent collection of American art songs
Samuel Barber is a fantastic composer, and these songs do not disappoint.If you're interested in some fascinating, beautiful and unexpected American art songs, this is a grand place to start.Not only is the vocal line great, and poetry highly evocative and appropriate, the piano part is beautifully done.I actually bought this to accompany, not to sing, and the accompaniment is complex and quite satisfying for the pianist.Essentially, with these works, the pianist and vocalist are in much more of a partnership than a "soloist/accompanist" relationship.Good stuff.

Samuel Barber
This is a wonderful book with many interesting stars. Barber's compositions have extremely difficult rythym patterns so it is a hard collection to work with. However, they are extremely beautiful and have a nice mix of French and English works.

Barber in the Works
I love singing Samuel Barber works, so this collection is perfect for my vocal library.great for anyone looking for some contemporary vocal solo works.Don't let the difficulty daunt you, they are totally worth learning.

Best Modern Art Song Composer
Samuel Barber balances the voice with the piano perfectly, and creates art songs as interesting as the dramatic most opera. Most composers just make the pianist fill in what the singer can't do, but Barber actually makes both parts interesting without each other. Not many composers can do this well. He also uses very interesting poetry in his works, which makes it even better. Some day Barber will be looked upon in the same way that Bach, or Brahms are upon. ... Read more

Book Description
One Piano, Four Hands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Clean, Crisp Layout for the Master Work
Samuel Barber's only sonata for the piano (sometimes also listed as the "Sonata in e flat minor") is a masterful work of the twentieth century.The four movements are each quite different in style, form, and texture: the first movement is in sonata form while the fourth movement is a four-voice fugue; the second movement is polytonal in parts and almost carnival-like in its short B section, whereas the third and first movements are more romantic, and the fourth is filled with syncopated rhythms and suspensions that make strong references to the jazz music of the era.

The purchaser should probably be forewarned: this is a highly virtuosic work (especially the fourth movement), requiring a very well-developed technique, and because it is relatively dissonant and not always written in a specific key area, it can be very difficult to learn.Needless to say however, it is worth the effort.This is a masterpiece of the 20th century, and an important part of the standard piano repertoire.

The Schirmer edition of this work, listed here, is a clear, easy-to-read score.I have been disappointed with some Schirmer scores in the past, but this one is truly worth every penny.There are no note mistakes in the score, the pages are thankfully spared the clutter of unnecessary ossias and alternate fingerings, and the complex rhythms are presented in a comprehensible way, with appropriate spacings.This is a very good edition of an excellent sonata. ... Read more

Book Description
The second title in the Amadeus Press Parallel Lives series, this volume examines the lives and work of two giants of 20th century music. Both composers influenced countless others, and their works are performed often in today's concert and opera houses. Felsenfeld gives us a penetrating look into the lives of these two extraordinary men, helping us get to know them and therefore better understand their music. In clear, concise language he examines their major works, helping us to understand their genius and power, which is illustrated by the accompanying full-length CD.The author points out parallel developments in Britten and Barber's lives and careers. Both came of age in a time of war, a time of political and artistic unrest and upheaval, and both were celebrities in their own time. Both wrote primarily - and most successfully - for the voice, but neither became ghettoized as a strictly vocal composer, and both were possessed of a flawless compositional technique, with a fluency that bordered on wizardry. Finally, both were prolific, involved musical presences on the world stage.The accompanying full-length CD from Naxos Records includes six complete pieces. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

AVOID THIS BOOK!
Anyone interested in Barber's life and/or music should seek out the amazing bio by Barbara Heyman, Samuel Barber - The Composer and his Music (Oxford U. Press). As a lifelong student of the career & music of Barber, I was appalled to read this book by Felsenfeld. It is FILLED with inaccuracies, half-truths, ambiguities, and similarly misleading statements. And was there ANY attempt at editing the ms? It is likewise filled with errors in usage, punctuation, even vocabulary. The Britten section is equally poor. The recorded music on the attached cd does not fairly represent the composers, either - it's all from the "middle period" of each man and does not properly represent either composer's stylistic breadth. The concept of a brief book introducing these composers to the lay listener, with listening excerpts provided in the package, is a fine one, which makes it doubly sad that a golden opportunity has been botched. If I could give this item "zero stars" or maybe a minus number, I would. AVOID THIS ONE!

A welcome addition to Barber research!!
I was so pleased to find that this book had just come out!I'm researching Barber for a Masters Thesis project and enjoyed the information presented-some that has not been discussed in the handful of books about him.Very interesting to see the similarities between him and Britten.The CD that comes with it is also nice.Well-written and a good read!

But what is on the CD you ask...
Since nearly half of the book is dedicated to the discussion and dissection of Benjamin Britton's and Samuel Barber's compositions, here listed is the music on the accompanying Naxos CD: 1) Britten: Passacaglia (from Peter Grimes); 2) Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (complete); 3) Britten: The Turn of the Screw (Act II: Variation XV, scene 8); 4) Barber: Adagio for Strings; 5) Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915; and 6) Barber: Second Essay for Orchestra. I will offer a review of the book itself after I read it as it just arrived in my mailbox today (July 26, 2005). ... Read more

Book Description
Contents: At St. Patrick's Purgatory * Church Bell at Night * Church Bell at Night * St. Ita's Vision * The Heavenly Banquet * The Crucifixion * Sea-Snatch * Promiscuity * The Monk and His Cat * The Praises of God * The Desire for Hermitage. ... Read more

Book Description
Transcribed for Concert Band by Frank M. Hudson. Other scores available: Orchestra (50339360) and Original Ballet Version - Chamber Ensemble (50481467). Performance Materials available on rental. Duration ca. 13 minutes. ... Read more

Book Description
An annotated reference guide to Barber's life, works and achievements, it will prove valuable for anyone seeking information on him.Wentzel includes a chronology that places Barber's works in context. There is also an annotated bibliography focusing on biographical and critical works on the composer and a select bibliography. ... Read more

Book Description
For voice and orchestra. ... Read more

Book Description
Hennessee provides a biographical overview of the life of Samuel Barber, one of America's foremost composers, as well as comprehensive bibliographical information about his complete oeuvre. The volume consists of four main sections: a brief biography, a complete list of works and performances, a discography, and an annotated bibliography. A complete index of personal and corporate names and titles concludes the volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This Collection contains all the Choral Music by Samuel Barber written and published up to 1969.Copyright 1979 ... Read more

Product Description
Includes A Nun Takes the Veil, Bessie Bobtail, Despite and Still, Hermit Songs, I hear an Army, Melodies Passageres, Monks and Raisins, Nocturne, Nuvoletta, Rain Has Fallen, Sleep Now, Sure on This Shining Night, The Daisies, The Queen's Face on the Summery coin, The Secrets of the Old, Three Songs, With Rue My Heart is Laden ... Read more

Book Description
Previously only available on rental, this new publication of Barber's First Essay (ca. 1930) is a welcome addition to the literature.Set in the original orchestral key, Joseph Levey's arrangement has been performed by several of the most prestigious concert bands.This deserves a serious look for mature groups. ... Read more

Product Description
For piano ... Read more

Book Description
Contents: Excursions, Op. 20 * Sonata For Piano, Op. 26 * Souvenirs, Op. 28 * Nocturne, Op. 33 * Ballade, Op. 46 * Interlude I, Op. Post. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bargain Barber
The complete piano works of Barber at a bargain price.What more do you want? ... Read more

Book Description
Previously only available on rental, this new publication of BarberÕs First Essay (ca. 1930) is a welcome addition to the literature.Set in the original orchestral key, Joseph LeveyÕs arrangement has been performed by several of the most prestigious concert bands.This deserves a serious look for mature groups. ... Read more