Video and Audio Resources:

Three excerpts from the amazing piano recital of Lilia Boyadjieva, organized by the Capricorn Society on the 02/12/2010 in Paris (Théâtre Adyar) : Interludes I and II, Nocturne op.33 and Ballade op.46.

 

 

 

The Brandywine Singers, from West Chester, perform three choral works by Barber in a birthday-celebration concert (13th March 2010).
Sure on This Shining Night - Under the Willow Tree - Heaven-Haven

During the European tour of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra in June 2009, Anny Hwang performs the Piano Concerto op.38 (Jin Wang conducting).
I. Allegro appassionato (1e partie / 2e partie) - II. Canzone - III. Allegro molto

The French Debussy Quartet plays the last two movements of the String Quartet op.11.

Two violonists for one concerto ! Itzhak Perlman trades his bow for a baton and conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in the Violin Concerto, featuring the up-and-coming virtuoso Giora Schmidt.
I. Allegro - II. Andante - III. Presto, moto perpetuo

Three days after the 9/11/2001, during the last concert of the Londonian Prom’s, Leonard Slatkin and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra perform the Adagio for strings in a tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks.

The French Accentus Chorus, conducted by Laurence Equilbey, performs a very moving Agnus Dei, the choral transcription of the Adagio for Strings. The neon-tubes-and-concrete atmosphere is optional...

American pianist James Tocco plays the Ist, IIIrd and IVth movements of the Excursions cycle.

From the first act of Vanessa, the famous aria of Erika, "Must the Winter Come So Soon ?", sung by the mezzo-soprano Frederica Von Stade (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Conlon, 1992).

The Violin concerto in an enthralling interpretation by Anne Akiko Meyers and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Slovenia, conducted by George Pehlivanian.

The wonderful Hermits Songs sung by the English soprano Helen Semple, with the pianist Polina Gerasimenko. (Last two songs missing.) London, St-Martin-in-The-Fields, February 20th 2009.
Songs I-IV - Songs V-VIII

Splendid transcription of Wondrous Love - Variations on a Shape-Note Hymn for organ and viola di gamba, by and with Cathryn Wilkinson and Philip W. Serna.

Extracts from the 2001 production of Vanessa at the Monte-Carlo opera house. Kiri Te Kanawa sings the leading role while Rosalind Elias, who created the role in 1958, plays, this time, the Baroness.
Act I - Act II - Act III - Act IV

Leontyne Price sings « Give me my Robe » (the final air of Antony and Cleopatra) in concert on October 5th, 1985 at the Lincoln Center, with the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Jorge Mester.

The Bulgarian pianist Lilia Boyadjieva performs two excerpts from the Excursions, the Nocturne as well as Fresh from West Chester, an early unpublished cycle.

The soprano Carolyn Sampson and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan perform the moving Knoxville, Summer of 1915, at the University of Minnesota.

The 2nd Essay for orchestra directed by Joseph Silverstein leading the Utah Symphonic Orchestra.

Biographical Resources:

« Samuel Barber » on Wikipedia.

« Samuel Barber » on Classissima.

« Barber, a Composer Between Two Worlds », an article by the Capricorn Society for American Center France, the hub for franco-american exchange of the US Embassy.

Official website of the music publisher Schirmer, with a beautiful commemorative text by Paul Wittke, Barber’s personal editor.

The website of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

"Echoes of Ireland" : details of the Barber Festival organized by Nóta à Dublin le 9 mars 2010.

A website dedicated to violinist Iso Briselli recounting the amazing genesis of the Violin Concerto.

An overview of Barber's chamber music by his American biographer Barbara B. Heyman for Chamber Music America.