Barber's Hermit Songs are written without time-signatures, a technique that enhances their flexibility of phrasing and word-setting, allowing the stresses to derive from the words.
Composition History
The Hermit Songs, a group of ten settings of medieval Gaelic or Latin poems, were dedicated to Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, an American patroness of contemporary music, who granted Barber a scholarship to complete the work.
Performer Biography
Gerald Finley, the baritone on this recording, began his singing career as a chorister in Ottawa, Canada, before continuing his musical studies in the UK and New York.
Composer Biography
Samuel Barber, known for his orchestral music, actually wrote vocal music for the larger part of his output and even considered becoming a professional singer.
Notable Performances
The premiere of Barber's Hermit Songs was given by a young and then-unknown soprano Leontyne Price, with the composer himself at the piano.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Barber had a lifelong enthusiasm for Celtic, especially Irish, literature and identified strongly with Ireland, considering himself an 'Irishman in spirit'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Barber possessed a highly developed literary sense, constantly reading poetry and unfailingly selecting high-quality texts from various traditions.
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