Die traurigste Musik der Welt - "Adagio for strings" von Barber
·13 min·1 clip
Why did a BBC poll crown Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings the saddest piece of music ever written?
The episode opens by positioning Barber's Adagio for Strings as perhaps the most famous funeral music of the last century, used at the services of figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. It cites a BBC poll where it won over 50% of votes as the saddest music ever. The host then delves into the piece's history, explaining it began as the slow movement of a string quartet Barber wrote while living in Europe in the 1930s. Despite being conservative for its time amid trends like twelve-tone music, it caught the attention of famed conductor Arturo Toscanini. Barber sent Toscanini two pieces, including an orchestral arrangement of this Adagio, and after a year's wait, Toscanini agreed to perform both. The 1938 premiere, when Barber was just 28, was a success, with Toscanini praising it as 'semplice e bella' (simple and beautiful). Its use at Roosevelt's 1945 funeral cemented its popularity. The episode then analyzes the musical reasons for its sadness: it uses only strings, with a simple, elongated melodic line that moves slowly upward. The accompanying voices create constant, unresolved tension through long-held notes that move independently. A dramatic moment occurs around six minutes in, where all voices rise to a high, screeching peak before a pause and a return to the dark chords. The piece's rapid fame made it a 'one-hit-wonder' that overshadowed Barber's other works like operas and symphonies; Barber later expressed a wish that other pieces be played. He even created a choral version, Agnus Dei, 30 years later. The Adagio has inspired various adaptations, from organ renditions to an electronic remix by William Orbit. Notably, it was not played at Barber's own 1981 funeral. The episode concludes by noting its enduring status as a 20th-century musical monolith that defies trends, reflecting Barber's philosophy of simply doing his own thing rather than chasing stylistic novelty.
