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North American Works Directory Listing
| Composer: |
Samuel Barber
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| Composer Bio: |
Samuel Barber's music, masterfully crafted and built on romantic structures and sensibilities, is at once lyrical, rhythmically complex, and harmonically rich. Born 9 March 1910 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Barber wrote his first piece at age 7 and attempted his first opera at age 10. At the age of 14 he entered the Curtis Institute, where he studied voice, piano, and composition. Later, he studied conducting with Fritz Reiner.
At Curtis, Barber met Gian Carlo Menotti with whom he would form a lifelong personal and professional relationship. Menotti supplied libretti for Barber's operas Vanessa (for which Barber won the Pulitzer) and A Hand of Bridge. Barber's music was championed by a remarkable range of renowned artists, musicians, and conductors including Vladimir Horowitz, John Browning, Martha Graham, Arturo Toscanini, Dmitri Mitropoulos, Jennie Tourel, and Eleanor Steber. His Antony and Cleopatra was commissioned to open the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in 1966.
Barber was the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including the American Prix de Rome, two Pulitzers, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His intensely lyrical Adagio for Strings has become one of the most recognizable and beloved compositions, both in concerts and films ("Platoon," "The Elephant Man," "El Norte," "Lorenzo's Oil").
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| Librettist: |
Franco Zeffirelli
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| Other Artistic Personnel: |
Thomas Schippers (Conductor)
Franco Zeffirelli (Director/Set Designer)
Alvin Ailey (Choreographer)
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| Original Cast: |
Leontyne Price (Cleopatra)
Justino Diaz (Antony)
Rosalind Elias (Charmian, servant to Cleopatra)
Belén Amparan (Iras)
Jess Thomas (Octavius Caesar)
Mary Ellen Pracht (Octavia)
Ezio Flagello (Enobarbus)
John Macurdy (Agrippa)
Andrea Velis (Mardian)
Clifford Harvuot (Clown)
Paul Franke (Messenger)
Lorenzo Alvary (Soothsayer)
Robert Nagy (Lepidus)
Russell Christopher (Maecenas)
Gene Boucher (Dolabella)
Robert Goodloe (Thidias)
Louis Sgarro (Decretas)
Raymond Michalski (Alexas)
Ron Bottcher (Scarus)
Dan Marek (Captain)
Gabor Carelli (Soldier of Caesar)
Robert Schmorr, Edward Ghazal, Norman Scott (Guards)
Norman Giffin (Demetrius)
Lloyd Strang (Canidius)
John Trehy (Soldier of Antony)
Paul De Paola, Luis Forero (Watchmen)
Peter Sliker (Sentinel)
Bruce Scott (Eros)
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| Premiere Date: |
September 16, 1966
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| Producing Company: |
Metropolitan Opera
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| Description: |
Antony leaves Egypt and his mistress, the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. He returns to Rome and is pressed to marry Octavia, the sister of Caesar. When Antony chooses Cleopatra instead, Caesar declares war and defeats Antony. Antony, hearing that Cleopatra has died with his name on her lips, falls on Eros's sword. An attendant to Cleopatra enters and informs Antony that the queen is still alive. As he dies from his wound, he begs to be taken to Cleopatra, where he bids her farewell. Cleopatra, realizing that she is a captive of Caesar, sends for a poisonous asp, concealed in a basket of figs. She and her two handmaidens die when bitten by the snake.
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| Character List (Major): |
Antony(bar)
Anobarbus(b)
Iras(cont)
Chamian(mz)
Cleopatra(s)
Caesar(t)
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| Character List (Minor): |
Maecenas(non-singing)
Agrippa(b)
Messenger(t)
Dolabella(bar)
Eros(t)
Thidias(t)
Eunuch(non-singing)
Octavia(non-singing)
Alexas(b)
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| Bit Parts: |
Soothsayer(b)
First Guard(bar)
Second Guard(t)
Third Guard(b)
Fourth Guard(b)
First Soldier(b)
Second Soldier(b)
Soldier of Caesar(bar or b)
Guardsman(non-singing)
Rustic(bar or b)
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| Reviews: |
Chicago Tribune, John von Rhein, 10-27-91; The New Yorker, 10-21-91; USA Today, David Patrick Stearns, 10-14-91; The Star (Kansas City), Michael Fleming, 10-6-91; The New York Times, Edward Rothstein, 9-29-91; Chicago Sun Times, Wynne Delacoma, 9-27-91; The New York Times, Tim Page, 11-4-84; The New York Times, Bernard Holland, 5-30-83; The New Yorker, Andrew Porter, 2-24-75; The New York Times, Donal Henahan, 2-8-75; The New York Times, Donal Henahan, 12-11-71; The New York Times, John Gruen, 10-3-71; The New York Times, Emily Coleman, 9-11-66; The New York Times Magazine, Howard Klein, 8-28-66; The New York Times, Theodore Strongin, 5-7-64 (announcement of Met's plans)
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| Chorus: |
SSATB Chorus
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| Orchestration: |
2 fl(picc), 2 ob(Eng Hrn), 2 cl(bcl), 2 bsn(cbn) - 4 hrn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn, 1 tba - timp, 5 perc - hp, pf, cel - str / alternate: 2 fl(afl, pic) 2 ob(Eng Hrn), 2 cl(bcl), 2 bsn(cbn) - 4 hrn, 2 tpt, 3 tbn - timp, 5 perc - hp, pf, cel - str
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| Ballet/Dance: |
Ballet
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| Musical Style: |
Through-composed; use of recurring motives; exotic orchestral timbres; driving rhythms; sensuous and soaring lyrical melodies; some declamation; unusual instrumental combinations; tonally-based with a rich harmonic language
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| Contact: |
G. Schirmer, Inc.
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| Address: |
257 Park Avenue South, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10010
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| E-mail Address: |
pm@schirmer.com
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| Phone: |
212-254-2100
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Schedule of Performances Listings
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What is OPERAAmerica.org?
Spring 2013 Magazine Issue
- Letter from the President/CEO
- Of One: The Quest for Asian Fusion in the Opera House
- Vancouver: Where Nature Nurtures Art
- Inheriting the Wind
- My First Time
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From Airport:
The easiest way to reach the OPERA America offices is to get a cab at the airport. Cost is $40-45 (not including tip).
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JFK -
Take the AirTrain ($5 - approx. 15 minutes) to the Jamaica Street Station and transfer to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).
Take the LIRR to Penn Station ($12 - approx. 35 minutes). See Penn Station directions below.
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LaGuardia -
Take the M60 Bus to the Hoyt Ave/31st Street. Get on the
 or  Train and take that to 42nd/Times Square Station.
Follow the Times Square Station directions below.
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Newark - Take the New Jersey Transit train to Penn Station ($15 - approx. 45 min). See
the Penn Station Directions below.
From Penn Station/Madison Square Garden:
Leave the station through the 7th Avenue/33rd Street exit and walk south for four blocks. The building is on the right hand side.
From Grand Central Station:
Take the  Train to the 42nd/Times Square station and transfer to the  Train.
Take the Train to the 28th Street stop and walk north on 7th Avenue.
The building is on the same block as the train stop.
From 42nd Street/Times Square:
Take the Train to the 28th Street stop and walk north on 7th Avenue.
The building is on the same block as the train stop.
For more detailed directions, most up-to-date pricing or to specify a different starting location, please visit the MTA Web site.
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