Adagio for Strings

Barber first wrote this piece as a movement of his string quartet and then shortly afterwards scored it for string orchestra. The orchestral version has been used in many film and television soundtracks. This arrangement for organ is by William Strickland and was eventually published on the encouragement of Barber.

The whole piece has been described as "like the hesitant climbing of stairs". The large dynamic range of the organ allows the player to ascend gradually to the huge heights of the climax of the piece and then to whisper its echo.