Back to browse
100% Critic Match
Samuel Barber: Absolute Beauty
“A documentary about the composer of the Adagio for Strings”
10.0 / 10• 2017• 2h 10m•NR• English
MusicHistoryDocumentary
Storyline
Known for his mournful "Adagio for Strings," Samuel Barber was never quite fashionable. This acclaimed film is a probing exploration of his music and melancholia. Performance, oral history, musicology, and biography combine to explore the life and music of one of America’s greatest composers. Features Thomas Hampson, Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop and many more of the world's leading experts on Barber's music, with tributes from composers Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and William Schuman. The film was broadcast on PBS, and screened at nine film festivals internationally, with three best-of awards. It was named a Recording of the Year 2017 by MusicWeb International.
Cast & Crew
Thomas Hampson
Self
LeadLS
Leonard Slatkin
Self
Marin Alsop
Self
JC
John Corigliano
Self
JO
Jenny Oaks Baker
Self
What People Are Saying
5.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. H. Paul Moon's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
5.0
“Every frame feels alive. Samuel Barber: Absolute Beauty is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
