Concerto, Op.22 for cello and piano by Samuel Barber
Edited by Raya Garbousova. Published by Schirmer
Samuel Barber (1910-81) was an American composer known for his lyrical neoromantic music. Though he used 20th century techniques, he was strongly informed by music of the past, included by Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven, and composers of the Baroque and Renaissance eras. He wrote in all classical genres and collaborated on operas with his colleague and life partner, Gian Carlo Menotti. He is perhaps best known for his gorgeous "Adagio for Strings".
Barber wrote his Cello Concerto, Op.22 (1945) for Russian expat cellist Raya Garbousova and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, on a commission from its director, Serge Koussevitzky. He tailored the work to her considerable technical skill-as such, it remains a formidable challenge for cellists today. Yet it is one of his overlooked masterpieces, a communicative work of striking contrasts, between romantic lyricism and vivacious energy. Master level, Grade 6.
