BARBER-COCKED FOR THE TREETOPS

THE USE BY FILM DIRECTOR OLIVER STONE OF CLASSICAL COMPOSER SAMUEL BARBER'S COMPOSITION "ADAGIO FOR STRINGS" IN "PLATOON" HAS MADE IT BY FAR
THE MOST FAMILIAR PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY.THOUGH
MANY MAYNOT EVEN BE AWARE OF BARBER'S NAME-THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE THE MUSIC IMMEDIATLY IF YOU WERE TO PLAY IT FOR THEM-WHAT'S MORE IS THAT I'M SURE THAT THEY WERE VERY MOVED BY THIS AMAZING MUSIC WHEN THEY SAW THE MOVIE "PLATOON".
THAT'S A VERY POWERFUL TESTAMENT TO THE INTENSE POWER OF BARBERS
MUSIC.THAT EVEN WHEN IT IS ONLY BEING USED AS THE BACKGROUND MUSIC IN A
FILM-IT STILL HAS THE POWER TO MOVE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE-IN A VERYSPECIFIC AND MEMORABLE WAY.
SAMUEL BARBER WAS BORN IN WORCHESTER,NEW YORK IN 1910.HE WAS A
CHILD PRODIGY;WRITING HIS FIRST PIANO COMPOSITION AT THE AGE OF EIGHT.
HE STUDIED SINGING,PIANO AND COMPOSITION AT THE CURTIS INSTITUTE AND
HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A CLASSICAL COMPOSER-AND SPENDING TIME
STUDYING AND COMPOSING IN ROME.HIS WORK WAS CHAMPIONED BY THE GREAT
CONDUCTOR TOSCANINI.THOUGH BARBER HAD FALLEN INTO OBSCURITY TO SOME
DEGREE BY THE TIME OF HIS DEATH IN 1981-THE USE OF HIS MUSIC IN FILM HAS
BROUGHT ABOUT A WELL DESERVED RESURGENCE OF INTEREST IN HIS IMPRESSIVE
BODY OF WORK. P. HOLLY 3/16/2007