From Funerals To Festivals, The Curious Journey Of The 'Adagio For Strings'
How did Samuel Barber's stirring, lush work for strings — music that has become America's semi-official music of mourning — morph into a beloved and endlessly remixed dance floor anthem?
This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem.
Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music in the world. It's become America's semi-official music for mourning, used at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's funeral and after JFK's assassination. But somewhere along the way, it went from an anthem of sadness to one of joy.
The Barber Adagio has been recorded dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Three of those have been made by conductor . "This piece starts just with a single, very long melodic line in the violins," Slatkin explains, "which then goes over to the violas and then goes over to the cellos.
