Samuel Barber Born: 9 March 1910, West Chester, PA Died: 23 January 1981, New York, NY

(U.S. Opera Home Page)

• Vanessa, opera in 4 acts (15 January 1953, NY Met)
• A Hand of Bridge, chamber opera in one act (c. 10"); (17 June 1959, Spoleto, Italy) [one act]
• Antony and Cleopatra, opera in 3 acts; libretto by Franco Zeffirelli, after the play by William Shakespeare (16 September 1966, NY Met)
• Antony and Cleopatra [rev.] (1975; NY, Julliard)

Samuel Barber, aggressively reactionary in all his works, had both of his full-length operas premiered by the always conservative Metropolitan Opera. His first two operas, the Pullitzer Prize-winning Vanessa and the often-overlooked chamber opera A Hand of Bridge had their librettos by Barber's long-term companion, the composer Gian Carlo Menotti.

Antony and Cleopatra. Spoleto/Badea 1992. New World Records NW322/23/24-2.

A Hand of Bridge, on 3 American One-Act Operas. Adairondack Chamber Orchestra/Smith 1998. Compact disc: Premier PRCD 1009.

A Hand of Bridge, on Music of Samuel Barber. Symphony of the Air/Golschmann 1999. Compact disc: Vanguard OVC 4016.

Vanessa. Steber/Gedda/Elias/Tozzi/Resnik, Metropolitan Opera/Mitropoulos. Compact disc: RCA Red Seal ARL2-2094

"He has come, he has come! . . . Do not utter a word" from Vanessa, on I Want Magic! American Opera Arias Renee Fleming 1998. Compact disc: Polygram 460567.

"Must the winter come so soon" from Vanessa, on Voce di Donna, Denyce Graves 1999. Compact disc: RCA 63509.

"Give me my robe" from Antony and Cleopatra, on Opera Gala, Alessandra Marc; Dallas Symphony/Litton 2000. Compact disc: Delos 3240.

"He has come, he has come! . . . Do not utter a word" from Vanessa, on The Essential Leontyne Price: Great Opera Scenes Leontyne Price 1998. Compact disc: BMG/RCA Victor 68158.

"He has come, he has come! . . . Do not utter a word" from Vanessa, on Leontyne Price: The Prima Donna Collection. Compact disc: Price, New Philharmonia/Santi, 1978; (Also on LP Prima Donna, Vol. 4, RCA ARL1-2529)

"Give me my robe" from Antony and Cleopatra, on The Essential Leontyne Price: Her Greatest Roles Leontyne Price 1998. Compact disc: BMG/RCA Victor 68154.

"Give me some music" from Antony and Cleopatra, on The World So Wide, Dawn Upshaw 1998. Compact disc: Nonesuch 79458.