Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers
Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This classic disc has been the prime recommendation for Barber's short orchestral pieces since the early 1960s. Remastered onto CD for the first time, and with the addition of some other items conducted by Thomas Schippers, it sounds better than ever. All of Barber's music is blessed with the virtues of impeccable craftsmanship, tunefulness, and, above all, brevity. Although a Romantic by temperament, Barber had the gift of being able to fit a lot of emotional impact into a very small space. The famous Adagio for Strings and the Second Essay actually sound much bigger than they are, but they don't go on a second too long--which means you can play them again right away! You'll want to. --David Hurwitz
Amazon.com
The most beautiful recording ever made of the Adagio for Strings is at last on CD, thoughtfully coupled with some of the other recordings the young Thomas Schippers made for Columbia Masterworks--of the music of Barber and others--between 1960 and 1965, at the start of his all-too-brief career. Although he was never on personal terms with Barber, Schippers had the ability to put Barber's music across in just the right way, with the perfect blend of energy and lyricism, toughness and warmth, and, above all, the feeling that its sentiment was real, yet ineffably contained. The performance of the New York Philharmonic (in the Adagio, as well as in the Second Essay for Orchestra, the Overture to the School for Scandal, Andromache's Farewell, and Medea's Dance of Vengeance) is aglow with inspiration, and the sound is exceptionally vivid, with a palpable sense of presence and space. --Ted Libbey
Customer Reviews
an exceptional recording!
this is an absolutely phenomenal collection of compositions recorded by thomas schippers during his regrettably short career. there is not a false note among the offerings. for me, "medea's meditation and dance of vengeance" is the highlight of the disc. however, all of the other pieces are at a similar plane of all-around excellence both from performance and recording standpoints.
all in all, a disc to own, treasure, and play again and again!!
A Perfect Barber Disc
I own many cds of Samuel Barber, and of all of them, this is my favorite.
I can't think of a single complaint, except perhaps that the inclusion of small pieces by three other composers was somewhat unnecessary, and broke the mood of the Barber.
There are several must-have CDs of Sam Barber's music, and this one is at the very top. I consider this to be the best single CD of his music, though you will no doubt need a supplement or two.
This CD contains the famous Adagio for Strings, op.11, the scena "Andromache's Farewell," the Intermezzo from his opera 'Vanessa,' Medea's Meditation & Dance of Vengeance, the School for Scandal overture, and a very powerful Second Essay for Orchestra.
A newer release from Sony containing orchestral and chamber works duplicates the performance of this Adagio, but both CDs are different and are must-haves.
As for the music itself, how can you not be moved by Martina Arroyo's spellbinding singing in "Andromache's Farewell," or the Bartokian "Medea's Dance"? or the the great sadness of this Adagio, which is perhaps the best there is. Thomas Schippers and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra play Barber as true believers in his greatness. Barber deserves the title as The Greatest American Composer. Perhaps a title like that is subjective, but Barber's greatness is not.
A sparkling remaster
This disc showcases a spectrum of talent from the young Schippers before his tragic death. However, contrary to the other reviews, this is not the best version of the "Adagio" that I have ever heard. The other tracks on the disc are a nice complement and some are hard to find on CD. All in all, a decent buy.
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