Samuel Barber - Prayers of Kierkegaard, Op. 30 (1954)

Samuel Osborne Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. He is one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century: music critic Donal Henahan stated that "Probably no other American composer has ever enjoyed such early, such persistent and such long-lasting acclaim."

Prayers of Kierkegaard, for soprano, alto and tenor ad lib, chorus & orchestra, Op. 30

1. O Thou Who art unchangeable (0:00)
2. Lord Jesus Christ, Who suffered all life long (4:43)
3. Father in Heaven, well we know that is Thou (7:39)
4. Father in Heaven! hold not our sins up against us (12:27)

Carmen Pelton, soprano
Nannette Soles, mezzo-soprano
Richard Clement, tenor
Atlanta Symphony and Chorus conducted by Robert Shaw

Description by Chris Boyes [-]
Samuel Barber's Prayers of Kierkegaard (1954) is a one-movement cantata written for orchestra, mixed chorus, soprano solo, with incidental tenor and contralto solos. The text for the piece is taken from the written prayers and sermons of the Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard. Barber, commenting on Kierkegaard, regarded him as "a major literary figure and an exciting but enigmatic intellectual force." Kierkegaard extolled the idea that each individual, through their personal relationship with God, should discover their true identity and existence.

Barber had many motivating factors leading him to the composition of this religious work. In December 1950, Barber was in Rome to witness a performance of Menotti's Piano Concerto. On Christmas Eve, the composer visited a small church and heard a performance of a Gregorian Mass by about 60 Benedictine monks. Barber adored the "simplicity and sincere style" of the music, which carries over into the music of Prayers of Kierkegaard. Also, Barber's interest in the solitary life of the monastery can be seen in this work, which directly followed his Hermit Songs (1953), a work based on poems written by ancient monks. The religious theme of the composition was also important at this point in Barber's life, as he was questioning his own faith. Another factor contributing to the serious nature of the piece was the nearness to death of Sidney Homer, Barber's uncle and artistic mentor.

This work had actually been commissioned 12 years previous to its composition in 1942 by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. Sergey Koussevitzky, longtime conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, created this foundation, in memory of his late wife, to commission new works annually. Barber's piece would be dedicated to the memory of Sergey and Natalie Koussevitzky. Barber did not begin composition on the piece until May 1953, completing it in January of the following year. Prayers of Kierkegaard was first performed on December 3, 1954, at Symphony Hall by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Charles Münch. Leontyne Price, having just performed Hermit Songs for Barber, was chosen as the soprano soloist. Barber was not happy with this opening performance, nor was he pleased with the following performance of the piece, in New York City. Only at a later presentation of the work at a festival in Vienna, did the composer hear his music aptly performed.

This work is admirable in that the composer has successfully melded aspects of medieval music into his usual blend of lush, Romantic sound and twentieth-century musical tendencies. The one-movement piece is approximately 20 minutes in length. Prayers of Kierkegaard can be divided into four contrasting sections. The first section opens with an original, unaccompanied incantation for male chorus. The chant is written in the Dorian mode, often used in medieval liturgy. This work powerfully represents the somber subject matter addressed. Prayers of Kierkegaard appropriately ends in tranquility through a chorale featuring the entire performing force of soloists, orchestra, and full chorus.