Happy belated birthday, Samuel Barber.

A young Samuel O. Barber

A very happy belated birthday to one of America's greatest composers, Samuel Osborne Barber!  He would be 99 years of age.

Samuel Barber was born on March 9th, 1910 in West Chester, PA.  The family home at 107 Church St. still stands and is just blocks from West Chester University.  Barber is the composer of the famous "Adagio for Strings," which many people know from the movie "Platoon" and other films.  In addition, Barber won Pulitzer Prizes for both his opera "Vanessa," and his incredible piano concerto.

 

While Barber was born and raised in the rural and conservative West Chester, he was schooled in music at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.  He was one of the first students to walk through Curtis' doors in 1924 and excelled as a student in piano, voice, and composition.  It was here that he met his great friend, partner, and collaborator Gian Carlo Menotti.  Barber's composition teacher at Curtis, Rosario Scalero, had great influence on the work of the young composer.  Samuel Barber's music is unabashedly tonal and lyrical.  He had an uncanny ability to relate to the heart and soul of the listener through his music.

Gian Carlo Menotti & Barber

Samuel Barber was a quiet, thoughtful man who stayed true to his musical convictions in an age of wild musical experimentation.  While his relationship with Menotti became strained over the years, the two reconciled before his death.  Barber died at the age of 71 on January 23rd, 1981 in New York.  He is buried at the Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester with his parents and beloved sister.  There is an empty plot next to Barber's that was reserved for Menotti, but when the composer died in 2007 he was instead buried in Scotland. 

I should have written this for first article because of my personal relationship with his music, but I did not think of it at the time.  Samuel Barber's music has served as a great inspiration for me throughout my life, and to have lived so close to the childhood home of one of the greatest composers our country has produced was just an amazing experience.  In fact, I just took my wife to see his grave just a few weeks ago for the first time.  I try to get there once a year or so to play some music, and clear away the leaves and grass...and just to say "hi."

Happy birthday, Samuel Barber!