Adagio For Strings - Legacy

Legacy

The recording of the 1938 world premiere, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra, was selected in 2005 for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the United States Library of Congress. Since the 1938 recording, the Adagio for Strings has frequently been heard throughout the world, and was one of the few American pieces to be played in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Adagio for Strings has been performed on many public occasions, especially during times of sadness. It was:

• broadcast over the radio at the announcement of Franklin D. Roosevelt's death;
• broadcast over the TV at the announcement of John F. Kennedy's death
• played at the funeral of Albert Einstein;
• played at the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco;
• performed at Last Night of the Proms in Royal Albert Hall to commemorate the victims of the September 11 attacks;
• played during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics;
• played at the state funeral of Canadian New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton;

Adagio for Strings is the final song on the 2010 Peter, Paul and Mary compilation album Peter Paul and Mary, With Symphony Orchestra. Mary Travers had requested that Adagio for Strings be played at her memorial service.

The Adagio for Strings was one of John F. Kennedy's favorite pieces of music. Jackie Kennedy had a concert done the Monday after his death with the National Symphony Orchestra and they played to an empty hall. The concert went out on radio. Barber knew about these memorial occasions. He did a radio interview about it with WQXR and said ‘they always play that piece. I wish they’d play some of my other pieces.’

In 2004, listeners of the BBC's Today program voted Adagio for Strings the "saddest classical" work ever, ahead of "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler's 5th symphony, Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss, and Gloomy Sunday as sung by Billie Holiday.

In 2006 a recorded performance by the London Symphony Orchestra was the highest selling classical piece on iTunes.