Symphony in One Movement (Barber)

Samuel Barber's Symphony in One Movement (Op. 9) was completed 24 February 1936. It was premiered by Rome's Philharmonic Augusteo Orchestra under the baton of Bernardino Molinari on 13 December 1936. It lasts around 21 minutes. The title given in the printed score of the work is First Symphony (in One Movement),Template:Sfn and the uniform title is Symphonies, no. 1, op. 9.

History

Barber commenced his work on the symphony in August 1935 and completed the work at the Anabel Taylor Foundation in Roquebrune in the French Alps. It was dedicated to his long-time companion Gian Carlo Menotti.Template:Sfn It received its American premiere by the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Rudolf Ringwall, on January 21 and 23, 1937, and it was performed three times on March 24 of the same year at Carnegie Hall, played by the New York Philharmonic–Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Artur Rodziński.Template:Sfn Rodziński was a strong promoter of Barber's work, and he also conducted the Vienna Philharmonic's performance of the symphony at the opening concert of the 1937 Salzburg Festival. It was the first performance of a symphonic work by an American composer at the festival. The symphony is also featured on the first LP recording produced by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 1974 under the direction of Kenneth Schermerhorn.

Analysis

The symphony is a condensed one-movement version of a classical four-movement symphony and is modeled after Sibelius' Symphony No. 7.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The work is divided into four sections:

1. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Allegro molto
3. Andante tranquillo
4. Con moto

In the program notes for the New York premiere Barber explained:

Barber made some revisions to the work in 1942–43. The revised version was first performed 18 February 1944 by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter, who also conducted the New York Philharmonic in the work the following month and recorded it with the orchestra for Columbia Records in January, 1945.

Allegro non troppo

Main theme (mm. 2–4)

<score sound="1">

 \relative c { \clef treble \key e \minor \time 6/4 \tempo "Allegro ma non troppo" 4 = 66 r16 e8. e'8.[ fis16--] d4 \times 2/3 { b8 e4-- } a,2 \fermata \time 4/4 e'4 c8.( a16) fis2 fis8( e') c8.( b16) g( fis8.~ fis4) }

</score>

Lyrical second theme (mm. 29–31)

<score sound="1">

 \relative c { \clef bass \key e \minor \time 6/4 \tempo "Tempo I, without dragging" 4 = 66 \partial 8*1 e8 ais( b cis e) \clef treble a4( g8[ fis)] cis( e4 g8) \time 4/4 fis4( d8.) d16 e4.( c'8) \time 3/2 b4( g8 d) b2 }

</score>

Closing theme (mm. 61–64)

<score sound="1">

 \relative c { \clef treble \key e \minor \time 4/4 \tempo "Tempo I" 4 = 66 \partial 8*1 fis8 g( d) cis( e) fis4 b,8( cis) e( dis) b( d) cis4 b8( cis) \time 3/2 e( dis) b( d) cis( b) d( b) g2 \time 4/4 fis1 }

</score>

Scherzo

First theme in diminution (mm. 138–42)

<score sound="1">

 \relative c { \clef treble \key bes \major \time 6/8 \tempo "Allegro molto" 4. = 152 \partial 8*1 bes8 bes' bes bes bes c aes f f f f bes ees, c c c c f bes, ces des f ees aes bes ges ces ces, ces ces ces }

</score>

Andante tranquillo

Second theme (mm. 437–445)

<score sound="1">

 \relative c' { \clef treble \key fis \major \time 4/4 \tempo "Andante tranquillo" 4 = 63 \partial 4*1 b( eis fis gis b e2 d4 cis gis b2) d4( cis2 a4. a8 b2. fis'4 eis2 cis4 gis \time 3/2 cis,1) }

</score>

Passacaglia

First theme (mm. 522–27)

<score sound="1">

 \relative c { \clef bass \key e \minor \time 3/4 \tempo "Con moto" 4 = 100 e,2. e'2( fis4) d2( b4) e2. a,2( fis4) b2. e, }

</score>

References

Sources

• Barber, Samuel. 1943. First Symphony (in One Movement). G. Schirmer's Edition of Study Scores of Orchestral Works & Chamber Music 32. New York: G. Schirmer.
• Heyman, Barbara B. 1992. Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music. New York: Oxford University Press. Template:ISBN.
• Pollack, Howard. 2000. "Samuel Barber, Jean Sibelius, and the Making of an American Romantic". The Musical Quarterly 84, no. 2 (Summer) 175–205.

Further reading

• Friedewald, Russell Edward. 1957. "A Formal and Stylistic Analysis of the Published Music of Samuel Barber". PhD diss. Ames: Iowa State University.
• Tawa, Nicholas E. 2009. The Great American Symphony: Music, the Depression, and War. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. Template:ISBN.

External links

• National Symphony Orchestra program notes