Samuel Osmond Barber (1910 - 1981)

Born 9 Mar 1910 in West Chester, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 23 Jan 1981 at age 70 in New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

Samuel Barber is Notable.

Samuel Barber entered with the first class of The Curtis Institute, studying composition with Scalero, piano with Vengerova and conducting with Reiner. He also studied voice with Gorgoza and gave recitals as a baritone, later traveling to Vienna to study voice. Barber’s aunt was Metropolitan Opera contralto Louise Homer; his uncle was the composer Sidney Homer , who guided young Barber’s development and offered much sage advice.

Barber’s early successes included a national broadcast of his own music on February 4 1935 on WJZ, and performances by Toscanini of the Adagio for Strings. He completed the Symphony in One Movement while on a Rome Prize from the American Academy, 1935–7.

Barber's first opera Vanessa (1956–57) received the Pulitzer Prize. Antony and Cleopatra was commissioned for the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. It was premiered at the opening of the Met on September 16, 1966. Barber’s catalogue includes two symphonies, concertos for violin, cello and piano—the last of which received a second Pulitzer Prize—and three Essays for orchestra. Barber made distinctive contributions to nearly every repertoire, including ballet (Medea), song (Hermit Songs), piano solo (Piano Sonata) and chamber music (String Quartet and Cello Sonata).

Barber's will provided for a burial plot next to his own, reserved for composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti, Barber's partner for most of his adult life. Further, the will said that if Menotti chose not to be buried in Oaklands Cemetery (he is buried near his last home in Scotland), a stone should be placed on the empty plot and inscribed with the words "To The Memory Of Two Friends."

Sources

• Heyman, B. (2001). Barber, Samuel. Grove Music Online. Retrieved 28 Dec. 2019
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Barber
• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFTY-KFH : 3 February 2021), Saml O Barber in entry for Leroy Barber, 1920.
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRSF-HM5 : 7 January 2021), Samuel Barber, Jan 1981; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8288/samuel-barber: accessed March 4, 2024), memorial page for Samuel Barber (9 Mar 1910–23 Jan 1981), Find A Grave: Memorial #8288, citing Oaklands Cemetery, West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

See also:

• Samuel is mentioned in the book 'BOOSEY & HAWKES: THE PUBLISHING STORY' written by Helen Wallace.'Boosey & Hawkes, the Publishing Story' by Helen Wallace-1