Essay for Orchestra (Barber)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Samuel Barber's Essay for Orchestra (op. 12), completed in the first half of 1938, is an orchestral work in one movement. It was given its first performance by Arturo Toscanini with the NBC Symphony Orchestra on November 5th, 1938 in New York in a radio broadcasted concert where also the composer's Adagio for Strings saw its first performance. It lasts around 8 min. The essay is now known as the First Essay for Orchestra after Barber wrote his Second Essay for Orchestra in 1942.

Barber visited Toscanini several times in 1933 and the world famous conductor told Barber that he would like to perform one of his works. This was a great honor for the young composer, particularly because Toscanini rarely performed works neither by contemporary nor American composers. Only in 1938 presented Barber his Essay to the conductor.

The Essay is abstract and non-programmatic. It resembles but is not equivalent to a first movement of a symphony.