Thursday Tunes

The majority of people know American composer Samuel Barber for his most famous work, Adagio for Strings, which has been used in many movies and is widely considered the saddest piece of music ever created. Far less well-known is his Symphony No.2, which is a rare example of American military propaganda music.

While serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, Barber was tasked with writing a symphony that would be used for propaganda purposes, presumably bond-raising concerts. It was performed several times, starting in 1944, but Barber eventually ordered it destroyed in 1964. The reasons for this are unknown; some say it was a fit of pique, others that he didn't feel it represented his style very well. We'll never know, but fortunately a few copies survived and were discovered after his death.

The piece has some of the characteristic melancholy of Barber, but it is also possessed of a more Romantic feel, almost Wagnerian in places. Well worth the listen, whether you're a fan of Barber or are simply interested in hearing the only known symphony written expressly for American propaganda use.




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