Samuel Barlow
Encyclopedia
Samuel L. M. Barlow was a Harvard-educated American composer
, pianist
and art critic
.
, Samuel Latham Mitchell Barlow was the son of Peter Townsend Barlow
, a noted N.Y. City Magistrate and the former Virginia Louise Matthews, a sister of author, Brander Matthews
. Barlow was named after his paternal grandfather, a prominent Wall Street
attorney and his older brother Edward Mitchell, after their maternal grandfather, a successful merchant. Edward Mitchell Barlow died in 1901 at the young age of thirteen.
Samuel Barlow graduated with the Harvard Class of 1914 and went on to attend the Institute of Musical Art (Juilliard School
) in New York City, studying under Percy Goetschius
and Franklin Robinson, and later in Paris with Isidor Philipp
at the Paris Conservatoire and Ottorino Respighi
at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
in Rome
. During this time Barlow’s music studies were put on hold while he served as a lieutenant with US Army Intelligence during the First World War.
and served as the first chairman of the New York City Community Chorus, that beginning in 1917 presented free concerts on Sunday afternoons at Central park
.
In 1935 Barlow became the first American composer to have an opera presented at the Opéra-Comique
in Paris when the opera house staged his one-act work Mon Ami Pierrot. The opera was based on the life of Jean-Baptiste Lully
and used a French-language libretto
by Sacha Guitry
. The opera was well received and he was awarded the prestigious Légion d'honneur
for his achievement. The following year the Philadelphia Orchestra
under Leopold Stokowski
performed his Concerto for Magic Lantern and Symphony Orchestra, Barlow's adaptation of the French children's story, Babar the Elephant
. In 1937 Barlow contributed music to the Broadway Musical Amphitryon
starring Alfred Lunt
and Lynn Fontanne
. Barlow composed one other opera, Amanda, which was never performed, and a number of orchestral and chamber music pieces.
His compositional style was conservative for his day, and he once stated that he wrote "tunes that wouldn't shock Papa Brahms
." However, his music was innovative in its frequent exploration of new performance techniques and practices; including the use of slide projections for his adaptation of Babar.
Barlow lived much of his life in New York City where he promoted classical music in various civic and professional organizations for several decades; among them was the, of which he was the first chairman. He was also a regular contributor to the journal Modern Music, published by the American League of Composers
and in the 1950s served as the President of the board of the American Opera Society
.
broker. Barlow's only child, Audrey Townsend, was born to this union the following year. Their marriage ended eight years later in Paris when Evelyn was granted a divorce on grounds of abandonment. On May 10, 1928 Barlow married Aimee Ernesta Drinker, the former wife of Ambassador William C. Bullitt, Ernesta was the daughter of Sturgis Drinker, one-time president of Lehigh University
, and a member of a family that could trace their Philadelphia roots back to the time of William Penn
. As a child her beauty caught the eye of her aunt, painter Cecilia Beaux
, and became the subject of a number of her paintings. After her divorce from Ambassador Bullitt she changed her name to Ernesta Beaux and later wed Samuel Barlow at her aunt's New York residence. At the time of their marriage Ernesta was a interior decorator and would go on to become well known on the national lecture circuit and as a writer commenting on a number of different social issues of the day, including, over the war years
, drafting women for national service.
along the Mediterranean midway between Nice
and Monaco
. Èze
occupies a pinnacle of rock some 1,400 feet (427 meters) above Cape Ferrat on the French Riviera
. On a clear day one could view from the terraces of Èze, the peaks of Corsica
to the south and virtually all the Riviera westward toward Toulon
. After inquiring with the village mayor, Barlow received permission to purchase a dozen or so houses that were no more than crumbling masonry still clinging to the cliff’s side. Over the next few years Barlow built on that site a picturesque estate that blended in with the surrounding architecture and soon became not only a family retreat but also a Mecca for artisans and intellectuals.
on September 19, 1982. He was survived by his daughter, Mrs. Audrey Orndorff. Ernesta Barlow had passed away the year before at the age of 89.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and art critic
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
.
Early life
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Samuel Latham Mitchell Barlow was the son of Peter Townsend Barlow
Peter Townsend Barlow
Peter Townsend Barlow was an American jurist who served as a New York City Magistrate for nearly two decades.-Early Life and Career:...
, a noted N.Y. City Magistrate and the former Virginia Louise Matthews, a sister of author, Brander Matthews
Brander Matthews
James Brander Matthews , was a U.S. writer and educator. Matthews was the first U.S. professor of dramatic literature.-Biography:...
. Barlow was named after his paternal grandfather, a prominent Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
attorney and his older brother Edward Mitchell, after their maternal grandfather, a successful merchant. Edward Mitchell Barlow died in 1901 at the young age of thirteen.
Samuel Barlow graduated with the Harvard Class of 1914 and went on to attend the Institute of Musical Art (Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
) in New York City, studying under Percy Goetschius
Percy Goetschius
Percy Goetschius won international fame in the teaching of the theory of composition.-Life:Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Goetschius was the piano pupil of Robert E. H. Gehring, a prominent teacher of that era. Goetschius was the organist of the Second Presbyterian Church from 1868–1870 and of the...
and Franklin Robinson, and later in Paris with Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp was a French pianist, composer, and distinguished pedagogue of Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris.-Biography:...
at the Paris Conservatoire and Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, based in Italy.It is based at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, and was founded by the papal bull, Ratione congruit, issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints prominent in Western...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. During this time Barlow’s music studies were put on hold while he served as a lieutenant with US Army Intelligence during the First World War.
Career
Early in his career, Samuel Barlow taught at Settlement schools, contributed to the publication North American ReviewNorth American Review
The North American Review was the first literary magazine in the United States. Founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others, it was published continuously until 1940, when publication was suspended due to J. H. Smyth, who had purchased the magazine, being unmasked as a Japanese...
and served as the first chairman of the New York City Community Chorus, that beginning in 1917 presented free concerts on Sunday afternoons at Central park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
In 1935 Barlow became the first American composer to have an opera presented at the Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
in Paris when the opera house staged his one-act work Mon Ami Pierrot. The opera was based on the life of Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
and used a French-language libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Sacha Guitry
Sacha Guitry
Alexandre-Pierre Georges Guitry was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the Boulevard theatre.- Biography :...
. The opera was well received and he was awarded the prestigious Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
for his achievement. The following year the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
under Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
performed his Concerto for Magic Lantern and Symphony Orchestra, Barlow's adaptation of the French children's story, Babar the Elephant
Babar the Elephant
Babar the Elephant is a French children's fictional character who first appeared in Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff in 1931 and enjoyed immediate success. An English language version, entitled The Story of Babar, appeared in 1933 in Britain and also in the United States. The book is based on...
. In 1937 Barlow contributed music to the Broadway Musical Amphitryon
Amphitryon
Amphitryon , in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis.Amphitryon was a Theban general, who was originally from Tiryns in the eastern part of the Peloponnese. He was friends with Panopeus....
starring Alfred Lunt
Alfred Lunt
Alfred Lunt was an American stage director and actor, often identified for a long-time professional partnership with his wife, actress Lynn Fontanne...
and Lynn Fontanne
Lynn Fontanne
Lynn Fontanne was a British actress and major stage star in the United States for over 40 years. She teamed with her husband Alfred Lunt.She lived in the United States for more than 60 years but never relinquished her British citizenship. Lunt and Fontanne shared a special Tony Award in 1970...
. Barlow composed one other opera, Amanda, which was never performed, and a number of orchestral and chamber music pieces.
His compositional style was conservative for his day, and he once stated that he wrote "tunes that wouldn't shock Papa Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
." However, his music was innovative in its frequent exploration of new performance techniques and practices; including the use of slide projections for his adaptation of Babar.
Barlow lived much of his life in New York City where he promoted classical music in various civic and professional organizations for several decades; among them was the, of which he was the first chairman. He was also a regular contributor to the journal Modern Music, published by the American League of Composers
League of Composers
The League of Composers/International Society for Contemporary Music is a society whose stated mission is "to produce the highest quality performances of new music, to champion American composers in the United States and abroad, and to introduce American audiences to the best new music from around...
and in the 1950s served as the President of the board of the American Opera Society
American Opera Society
The American Opera Society was a New York City based musical organization that presented concert and semi-staged performances of operas between 1951 and 1970...
.
Marriage
Samuel L. M. Barlow married Evelyn Harris Brown on April 25, 1916 at New York City. Evelyn, a noted diseuse who had performed on both sides of the Atlantic, had previously been married to Herbert Pomeroy Brown, a Wall StreetWall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
broker. Barlow's only child, Audrey Townsend, was born to this union the following year. Their marriage ended eight years later in Paris when Evelyn was granted a divorce on grounds of abandonment. On May 10, 1928 Barlow married Aimee Ernesta Drinker, the former wife of Ambassador William C. Bullitt, Ernesta was the daughter of Sturgis Drinker, one-time president of Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, and a member of a family that could trace their Philadelphia roots back to the time of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
. As a child her beauty caught the eye of her aunt, painter Cecilia Beaux
Cecilia Beaux
Cecilia Beaux was an American society portraitist, in the manner of John Singer Sargent. She was a near contemporary of better-known American artist Mary Cassatt and also received her training in Philadelphia and France...
, and became the subject of a number of her paintings. After her divorce from Ambassador Bullitt she changed her name to Ernesta Beaux and later wed Samuel Barlow at her aunt's New York residence. At the time of their marriage Ernesta was a interior decorator and would go on to become well known on the national lecture circuit and as a writer commenting on a number of different social issues of the day, including, over the war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, drafting women for national service.
Barlow Chateau at Èze
In the early 1920s Samuel Barlow fell in love with a charming medieval village discovered one day while vacationing in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
along the Mediterranean midway between Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
and Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. Èze
Èze
Èze is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes département in southeastern France, not far from the city of Nice.-History:The area surrounding Èze was first populated around 2000 BC as a commune situated near Mount Bastide. The earliest occurrence of the name "Èze" can be found in the maritime books of...
occupies a pinnacle of rock some 1,400 feet (427 meters) above Cape Ferrat on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
. On a clear day one could view from the terraces of Èze, the peaks of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
to the south and virtually all the Riviera westward toward Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. After inquiring with the village mayor, Barlow received permission to purchase a dozen or so houses that were no more than crumbling masonry still clinging to the cliff’s side. Over the next few years Barlow built on that site a picturesque estate that blended in with the surrounding architecture and soon became not only a family retreat but also a Mecca for artisans and intellectuals.
Death
Samuel Latham Mitchell Barlow passed away at the age of 90 at the Springfield Retirement Residence in Wyndmoor, PennsylvaniaWyndmoor, Pennsylvania
Wyndmoor is a census-designated place in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,498 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
on September 19, 1982. He was survived by his daughter, Mrs. Audrey Orndorff. Ernesta Barlow had passed away the year before at the age of 89.
Works
Partial- 3 Songs from the Chinese (voice and ensemble, 1924)
- Vocalise (1926)
- Alba (symphonic poem, 1927)
- Ballo Sardo (ballet, 1928)
- Circus Overture (1930)
- Piano Concerto (1931)
- Scherzo (string quartet, 1933)
- Spanish Quarter (piano, 1933)
- Mon ami Pierrot (opera, 1934)
- Biedermeier Waltzes (1935)
- Babar (symphonic concerto, 1936)
- Amanda (opera, 1936)
- Aphitryon 38 (incidental music, 1937)
- Leda (1939)
- Sousa ad Parnassum (1939)
- Conversation with Tchekhov (piano trio, 1940)
- Jardin de La Notre (piano)