Top 5 Favorite Barber Works

Started by Mirror Image, June 09, 2015, 06:43:48 PM

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Mirror Image

June 09, 2015, 06:43:48 PM


Choose your favorite Barber works. One stipulation here is you can only choose one concerto. Have fun! 8)

My own list (in no particular order):

Cello Concerto
Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Essay for Orchestra No. 1
Music for a Scene from Shelley
Cello Sonata

Mr Bloom

#1
June 10, 2015, 06:44:00 AM
Vanessa
Piano concerto
Mélodies passagères
3 songs op.45
Toccata Festiva

springrite

#2
June 10, 2015, 06:47:47 AM
Symphony #1

Violin Concerto

Knoxville, summer of 1915

The Lovers

String Quartet (yes, containing THAT movement)


My wife Vanessa would like me to add an opera... so... that makes six.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

vandermolen

#3
June 10, 2015, 11:23:22 AM
Symphony No.1
Medea Suite
Essay No.2
Knoxville
Cello Concerto
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Ken B

#4
June 10, 2015, 12:22:40 PM
Symphony
Two Essays
Violin Concerto 
Cello Concerto

(I followed John's rule by choosing one concerto for 4th spot and one concerto for 5th spot. Nowhere did I pick two concertos for the same spot.)

Christo

#5
June 10, 2015, 01:23:38 PM
Essay for Orchestra No. 2
Music for a Scene from Shelley / Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Violin Concerto / Cello Concerto
Symphony No. 2
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

Mirror Image

#6
June 10, 2015, 06:16:07 PM
Quote from: Ken B on June 10, 2015, 12:22:40 PM
Symphony
Two Essays
Violin Concerto 
Cello Concerto

(I followed John's rule by choosing one concerto for 4th spot and one concerto for 5th spot. Nowhere did I pick two concertos for the same spot.)

::) Cheater! I said you can only choose one concerto. :)

vandermolen

#7
June 10, 2015, 11:00:48 PM
Quote from: Christo on June 10, 2015, 01:23:38 PM
Essay for Orchestra No. 2
Music for a Scene from Shelley / Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Violin Concerto / Cello Concerto
Symphony No. 2

Interesting that you chose Symphony 2 rather than No. 1.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Christo

#8
June 10, 2015, 11:10:56 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on June 10, 2015, 11:00:48 PMInteresting that you chose Symphony 2 rather than No. 1.

They're both fine, but yes, I have a special liking for the Second. For more than a decade, I only knew 'Night Flight' in de Measham performance, an intriguing dreamlike piece and the slow movement that Barber turned into a seperate composition after having the parts of the whole symphony destroyed. But the first movement, if performed with enough inspiration, is a remarkable piece of music as well, recalling those thrilling days during the 'war years' when Barber was at the air force. Well, I love it.  :)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

Madiel

#9
June 11, 2015, 04:23:11 AM
Um...

Hermit Songs
3 Songs, Op.45
Adagio for Strings
First and Second Essays for Orchestra?

Barber is that very rare thing for me, a composer where I know the songs better than I know anything else. Some years ago I picked up the magnificent set sung by Thomas Hampson and Cheryl Studer with John Browning accompanying, and it's made a very strong impression.

I do have discs of orchestral and chamber music, and I know I like them, but when put on the spot I would find it difficult to pick specific instrumental pieces as favourites.
Every single post on the forum is unnecessary. Including the ones that are interesting or useful.

vandermolen

#10
June 11, 2015, 11:37:43 AM
Quote from: Christo on June 10, 2015, 11:10:56 PM
They're both fine, but yes, I have a special liking for the Second. For more than a decade, I only knew 'Night Flight' in de Measham performance, an intriguing dreamlike piece and the slow movement that Barber turned into a seperate composition after having the parts of the whole symphony destroyed. But the first movement, if performed with enough inspiration, is a remarkable piece of music as well, recalling those thrilling days during the 'war years' when Barber was at the air force. Well, I love it.  :)

Me too Johan. I also had that Measham disc and got to know 'Night Flight' through it. It has a link to Antoine de Saint Exupery, one of my favourite authors - so it is doubly meaningful to me. Like Andrew Schenk, another fine Barber conductor Measham died too young. His LP of Miaskovsky Symphony 21 was my introduction to that great work too.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

#11
May 01, 2018, 01:23:05 PM Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 06:10:20 PM by Mirror Image
Why did I place a stipulation on this thread? I'm crazy to have enforced any stipulation on any thread. Anyway, my list has changed...

(In no particular order)

Piano Sonata, Op. 26
Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24
Cello Concerto, Op. 22
Hermit Songs, Op. 29
Despite and Still, Op. 41

Daverz

#12
May 01, 2018, 02:19:47 PM Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 02:37:06 PM by Daverz
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 10, 2015, 06:16:07 PM
::) Cheater! I said you can only choose one concerto. :)

Also, there are 3 essays.  I assume Ken means the first two.

My 5 selections

Violin Concerto
Medea's yadda yadda yadda
1st and 2nd Essays
Adagio for Strings

I might swap out one of the essays for The School for Scandal Overture.

Sammy

#13
May 01, 2018, 03:12:10 PM
For me, "Knoxville" is the special one.

I'm assuming the works will not be ranked through a poll or game.

San Antone

#14
May 01, 2018, 03:47:47 PM Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 03:55:10 PM by San Antone
Summer Music
Knoxville Summer 1915
Prayers of Kierkegaard
Piano concerto Op.38
String Quartet in B minor

Honorable Mention: Sonata for Piano, op. 26

Mirror Image

#15
May 01, 2018, 05:06:27 PM Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 05:10:23 PM by Mirror Image
Quote from: San Antone on May 01, 2018, 03:47:47 PM
Summer Music
Knoxville Summer 1915
Prayers of Kierkegaard
Piano concerto Op.38
String Quartet in B minor

Honorable Mention: Sonata for Piano, op. 26

A fine list. Prayers of Kierkegaard, in particular, is quite underrated. Have you heard The Lover? This is another work I had thought adding to my favorites, but I can't include everything of course. ;)

Also, I appreciate everyone participating, but no love for the songs? After I heard the DG set (w/ Studer/Hampson/Browning), I realized how incredible these works are. Of course, Barber was a vocalist himself and there's this vocal quality in all of his works, even the orchestral music. Perhaps there's just not many here who are into songs/lieder/mélodies? I could be quite wrong of course (nothing new there). :)

Edit: I see orfeo and Mr. Bloom voted for some of the songs. Sorry, guys! :-[

Mirror Image

#16
May 01, 2018, 05:07:26 PM
Quote from: Daverz on May 01, 2018, 02:19:47 PM
Also, there are 3 essays.  I assume Ken means the first two.

My 5 selections

Violin Concerto
Medea's yadda yadda yadda
1st and 2nd Essays
Adagio for Strings

I might swap out one of the essays for The School for Scandal Overture.

Have you heard the ballet suite to Medea? I wonder what the original is like, Cave of the Heart?

Mirror Image

#17
May 01, 2018, 05:11:07 PM
Quote from: springrite on June 10, 2015, 06:47:47 AM
Symphony #1

Violin Concerto

Knoxville, summer of 1915

The Lovers

String Quartet (yes, containing THAT movement)


My wife Vanessa would like me to add an opera... so... that makes six.

The Lovers is a fantastic work, Paul. Good to see it's on your list. 8)

Daverz

#18
May 01, 2018, 05:16:49 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 01, 2018, 05:07:26 PM
Have you heard the ballet suite to Medea? I wonder what the original is like, Cave of the Heart?

I have the Hanson recording of the suite, so I probably have, but will have to refresh my memory.

I see this recording of Cave of the Heart on Tidal:



https://tidal.com/album/44316010

Sammy

#19
May 01, 2018, 05:20:28 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 01, 2018, 01:23:05 PM
Why did I place a stipulation on this poll?

Where is this poll?  So far, all you've done is make comments on the lists of others.
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