Samuel Osmond Barber II (1910 - 1981) was an American composer who composed a piece called Adagio for Strings. The piece is frequently played at funerals and times of mourning, but not many know that the piece’s origins and the composer’s intentions are not all that mournful.
One may assume that this piece was composed specifically for a funeral or something of the sorts. But in fact, the piece is an arrangement of the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11, which was the only music for string quartet that Barber ever composed. The string quartet was first performed in 1936, but because the final movement underwent several revisions and rewritings, the final version of the quartet did not premiere until 1943. However, by 1938, Barber had arranged the second movement of the quartet as its own piece for a string section instead of a quartet. Since the Adagio had a mostly positive critical reception after its debut, the piece completely overshadowed the original. Here is the video for the full quartet:
Though the Adagio movement was not originally written to be played at funerals, the piece clearly evokes both pathos and catharsis from its listener. The piece is not flashy or virtuosic, but, as music critic Olin Downes puts it, the Adagio is simply “honest music.” Perhaps it is the honesty that exudes from the piece that makes the piece appropriate for funeral processions. However, the first time that I heard a recording of this piece, I did not think that the piece was a particularly sad piece of music. It was sombre and despondent of course, but not as mournful as many saw it. The music has these swells of intensity that did not seem mournful to me at all. The piece is in a minor key, but that does not necessarily mean that the piece is about sadness.
However, the piece is quite the iconic funeral theme, being used for the funerals of Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco, as well as in the broadcast of the announcement of many passings, like for Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy. In addition, the Adagio was played during the Last Night at the Proms in 2001 in the wake of 9/11. I am in no way disrespecting anyone’s choice for funeral/mourning music, as that is none of my business. But I am on the fence about using classical music for purposes that completely delve out of the intentions of the composer.
As pathetic (as in evoking pathos) as the Adagio for Strings is, it would be wrong to assume that everyone would see the piece as an adequate fit for a funeral. According to Thomas Larson, the author of The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, he says that Barber was not a fan of the attention that Adagio received. Apparently, Barber rarely spoke about the second movement and became annoyed when asked about it. Concerning the performance of the piece in honour of JFK that was broadcasted on the radio after his assassination, Barber merely said, “They always play that piece. I wish they’d play some of my other pieces.”
Of course, an artist or composer does not have control of the reception of their content once it has been released. A composer’s intentions are not the most important things to please when performing a piece of music. But, now knowing about Barber’s sentiments about the piece, and knowing that DJ Tiësto made an electronic arrangement of Adagio for Strings does make me cringe a bit and probably makes Mr. Barber roll around in his grave. Sure, it’s not a funeral, but I’m not sure if playing his music at a raver is much of an improvement. Here is a link to the arrangement in case you are curious.
So that was the story behind Barber’s Adagio for Strings. To end on a lighter note, I’ll respect Barber’s wishes and end the article with a link to another piece of his called Nocturne Op. 33. It has some more interesting harmonies and a very disjunct melody. I haven’t listened to many nocturnes in my life, but this one might become a new favourite.
Sources:
http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/93875-barbers-adagio-saddest-piece-ever/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adagio_for_Strings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quartet_%28Barber%29
