A Note on Barber's Adagio

for Dónal Gordon

… Back in autumn 1963

Samuel Barber was alone and driving through

November rain in Iowa or Kansas.

When he turned on his radio he heard

Them playing his Adagio for Strings.

Sick to death of his most famous composition,

He turned the dial through the static

Until once again, and clearly –

The Adagio for Strings. When a third station, too,

And then a fourth, were playing it, he thought

He must be going mad. He turned off the radio

And stopped the car and got out by a fence

Staring at the endless open space in front of him

Where someone on a tractor plowed

On slowly in the rain …

The president had been assassinated

Earlier that day, but Barber didn't know it yet.

He only knew that every station in America was playing

His Adagio for Strings.

He only knew he didn't know

Why he should be responsible for such an ecstasy of grief.

JOHN MATTHIAS

American Music

Samuel Barber asked for croutons to be scattered at his funeral.

From the cortège, as the fresh soil steamed, adagio,

Feldman, Carter, Crumb and all the products of Boulanger

approached to salute and pepper him with their hard pieces.

JOHN GREENING