BARBER Samuel (Barber Samuel)

(1910-1981)
Born March 9, 1910 in West Chester (pc. Pennsylvania). He began to study music at the age of six years and already in the first year found signs of composing talents. At thirteen he entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where for nine years was engaged in playing the piano, singing and composition, and also took lessons in conducting with F. Reiner.
During the Second World War, Barber served in the Air Force U.S.. In April 1945 he was elected an honorary member of the Memorial Fund Dzh.Gugenheyma. During the summers of 1947 and 1948 was the musical consultant of the American Academy in Rome

. Among the works, . Barber brought world fame, . can mention Adagio for Strings, . orchestral essay? 1 and? 2, . Keprikornsky Concerto for Flute, . Oboe, . trumpet and strings (Capricorn Concerto), . cello and piano sonatas (sonata for piano first performed by Vladimir Horowitz),
. In the opera Vanessa (Vanessa) revealed a talent as a musical dramatist Barbera.

First Symphony was founded in Rome and performed in the same running B. Molinari (1936), in 1937 the composition was performed at the Salzburg Festival. The premiere of the Second Symphony conducted in 1944, Serge Koussevitzky with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under his own administration in 1948 held the first performance of the Summer Music (Knoxville, . Summer of 1915) for brass quintet, . and in 1946 - Cello Concerto,
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Ballet Medea (also known as Cave of the heart; Medea, Cave of the Heart), commissioned by Martha Graham Barber, still enjoys the highest reputation among his theatrical compositions. Orchestral suite from this ballet was first performed in 1947 in the performance of Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy Y..

In 1964, Barber received a commission for the opera Antony and Cleopatra (Antony and Cleopatra) by Shakespeare, in creating its libretto by the composer collaborated with director F. Zeffirelli. Premiere of this work was marked by the opening of 16 September 1966 a new building in New York 'Metropolitan Opera'

. Throughout his life Barber has received numerous awards and honors, . including the Pulitzer Prize twice (1958 and 1963): the first time the prize was awarded to him for his opera Vanessa, . which also received the award and the critics, in the second - for the piano concerto? 1,
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Expressive nature of musical talent Barbera - mostly romantic, lyrical. That is why during the creative development was not attracted none of the 'systems' that have arisen in the music of 20 in. - Not neo-classical Stravinsky, nor atonalizm nor dodekafoniya Schoenberg. Barber chose their expressive means 19. And on this basis, soon managed to develop a technically perfect style, the main features of which can be regarded as the objectivity and neutrality.

Perhaps only one essay Barbera - Keprikornskom concert (1944) - notably the direct influence of artistic currents of our time, namely the neoclassical Stravinsky. Neoclassicism had a deterrent effect on the romantically intense language Barbera, and the trend for economical treatment of expressive means and culminating characteristic of the mature composer's.

Barber died in New York on January 23, 1981.