Barber program kicks off DSO's year-long centennial tribute

Along with Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber was probably the most performed living American composer in the middle of the 20th Century, and several of his works remain beloved concert hall staples. Yet Detroit Symphony Orchestra music director Leonard Slatkin asked an intriguing question in spoken remarks from the stage Thursday: Why does Barber's star burn less brightly today, especially compared with others in the native-born pantheon, from Copland to Bernstein, Gershwin and Charles Ives?

Read full article Share article