【賽謬爾·巴伯】（Samuel Barber,1910-1981）
　1910年3月9日生於賓夕法尼亞州西切斯特(West Chester)的一個具有良好音樂環境的家庭。十來歲時,巴伯曾在當地教堂中任管風琴師,並就學於西切斯特中學。1926年,巴伯中學畢業,但早在1924年,他已同時就學於費城柯蒂斯音樂學校,在這裡,他學習鋼琴、作曲、歌唱和指揮。1928年,巴伯因一首小提琴奏鳴曲而首次獲得哥倫比亞大學巴恩斯獎,這使他得以首次出國旅行,訪問了意大利等歐洲國家。1933年,巴伯以他的第一部由較大型樂隊演奏的序曲《造謠學校》再次榮獲巴恩斯獎,1935年又獲得了美國的羅馬獎,1935與1936年兩次獲普利策旅行獎金。1935至1936年間,他又一次赴歐洲旅行。
　　當巴伯逗留在馬焦雷湖(Lake Maggiore)時,他拜見了指揮家托斯卡尼尼。此後,他來到羅馬,在"美國研究院"從事作曲。在這段時期,巴伯寫出足以證實他有旺盛的創作天才的作品,其中以《第一交響曲》最為著稱。這是一部單樂章交響曲,由羅馬奧古斯特奧樂隊於1936年12月13日首演,次年又在奧地利薩爾茨堡音樂節上演出,這是該音樂節第一次演奏美國人的作品。此後,巴伯又分別於1936年和1937年寫出了《弦樂柔板》和《第一樂隊散文》,這兩部作品在1938年被著名意大利指揮家托斯卡尼尼(A。Toscanini, 1867-1957)選中,成為他指揮美國全國廣播公司交響樂隊演出的最初兩部美國作品。
　　1938年,巴伯離開戰雲密布的歐洲,回到美國,在柯蒂斯音樂學校教授作曲與配器,並繼續從事音樂創作,寫出了《第二樂隊散文》和合唱作品《秒表與軍械圖》等作品。1943年4月,巴伯應徵入伍,在美國空軍中服役。他應約為空軍寫了《第二交響曲》。巴伯在戰爭年代創作的作品還有《小提琴協奏曲》(1939-1940年)、《摩羯宮協奏曲》(1944年)和《大提琴協奏曲》(1945年,曾獲1947年紐約音樂評論界獎)等。
　　戰爭結束後巴伯隱退在紐約州基梭(Kisco)山的寓所(他把這一寓所稱之為"摩羯宮"),和他的同學、歌劇作家梅諾蒂(G。C。Menotti,1911- )同住。巴伯在這裡寫出了芭蕾舞劇《米狄亞》(原名《蛇蠍心腸》),還寫了《bE調鋼琴奏鳴曲》。
　　五十年代以後,巴伯把他的創作重心移到了歌劇與聲樂作品上,而此後所寫的器樂作品只有《鋼琴協奏曲》(1962年)聞名於世,勛伯格認為這部協奏曲與普羅科菲耶夫的鋼琴作品相提並論,該曲還獲得了普利策獎。巴伯的第一部歌劇《萬涅薩》完成於1957年,歌劇腳本是梅諾蒂寫的。巴伯的另一部歌劇《安東尼與克莉奧佩特拉》(1965-1966年)是應大都會歌劇院之約而寫的,腳本源出於莎士比亞的同名劇作。
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Adagio for Strings, op. 11
by
Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings amply demonstrates two principles: Some of the greatest ideas are essentially quite simple, and not everything popular is junk.

He originally wrote it as the second movement of a string quartet in 1936, but within two years arranged it for string orchestra. In this form, it became not only his most popular work, but also an unofficial American anthem of mourning, played after the deaths of Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy.

The two versions, string quartet and string orchestra, make their own separate effect. The string quartet version, as you would expect, is intimate and occurs in the context of other movements. Not surprising for an artist with wide literary interests, Barber found initial inspiration in a passage from Vergil's Georgics describing how a rivulet gradually becomes a large river. Although the idea doesn't limit the Adagio's emotional meaning, you can see how it influences the overall shape of the work--a long arch beginning quietly, gradually building to an overwhelming climax, and winding down to a quiet end. Barber constructs the long-lined, spiralling theme from musical sequence--that is, a group of notes is repeated slightly higher (as in this case) or lower. Sequence is the most elementary form of variation, and most composers learn to use it sparingly. Barber builds an entire piece from it.

Composers like Aaron Copland, William Schuman, Roy Harris, and Ned Rorem--not all of them sympathetic to Barber's music in general--look at this work and shake their heads, wondering how he pulled it off. They fall back on phrases like "finely felt," "poetic," "nothing phoney," "a love affair." There's no real complication to the Adagio, no technique or unusual turn of harmony that holds the secret of its success. One cannot even pick one passage over another, any more than you can say one point makes the beauty of an arch. This is a masterpiece.

-- copied from http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/barber/adagio.html