@greatestmusiccomposer: In the summer of 1936, 26-year-old Samuel Barber sat down in Europe with his partner, the composer Gian Carlo Menotti, and wrote a string quartet. Its second movement would outlive everything else he ever wrote. Two years later, Barber sent an orchestral arrangement of that movement to Arturo Toscanini — the most famous conductor alive, and notoriously dismissive of American composers. Toscanini sent the score back without a single comment. Barber was furious, certain he'd been rejected. Then came the real answer: Toscanini had returned it because he'd already memorized it by heart, and planned to conduct it himself. On November 5, 1938, Toscanini premiered the Adagio for Strings live on national radio — one of the only American works he ever performed. It became something more than a concert piece. It was played after the death of Franklin Roosevelt. Jacqueline Kennedy had it performed on national radio the weekend after JFK was assassinated. It played again after September 11th. A country now reaches for these same eight minutes every time it needs to grieve together. 💬 Did you know this is often called America's unofficial anthem of mourning? Tell me in the comments. 🎼 Samuel Barber — Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (1936/1938) 🎹 Follow @greatestmusiccomposer for the stories behind the greatest music ever written. #barber #adagio #orchestra #classicalmusic #strings

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Saturday 18 July 2026 12:45:33 GMT