- Barber composed this concerto in 1939.1
- Generally, Barber’s work is tonal in style, but the finale of this concerto is one of his few forays into modernist dissonance.2
- Barber wrote this concerto in response to a commission from Samuel Fels, a member of the Board of Directors of the Curtis Institute of Music. (Barber had graduated from Curtis in 1934). Fels intended the concerto for his ward, Iso Briselli, but Briselli rejected the finished work for unknown reasons (some scholars believe it was too difficult for him to play).3
- Barber had to search for a new performer for his concerto, but eventually it premiered in Philadelphia on February 7, 1941, performed by violinist Albert Spalding, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy.4
- Barber wanted to write the concerto in Europe, but after working on it in Switzerland and Paris, Barber had to cut his trip short due to the outbreak of WWII.5
Sources
- Barbara B. Heyman, “Barber, Samuel,” Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press (2001), accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000001994.
- Ibid.
- Megan Francisco, “Program Notes: Barber Violin Concerto,” Seattle Symphony, accessed January 12, 2021, https://seattlesymphony.org/watch-listen/beyondthestage/program-notes-barber-violin-concerto.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
Cut IDs
22500 41193 45144 45151 18568 20017