THE STORY BEHIND: Barber's Overture to "The School for Scandal"

Title: The School for Scandal: Overture, op.5

Composer: Samuel Barber (1910-1981)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 26, 2009. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story: From the opening dissonance of Barber’s School for Scandal Overture, a tone is set for not only this particular piece, but for a body of work that would define Barber’s iconic style throughout his prolific career: a lyrical elegance infused with rhythmic energy and brilliant contrasts. 
              

His first large orchestral work, written as a graduation thesis project while he was a student at the newly formed Curtis Institute of Music, School for Scandal Overture earned the 21-year-old Barber a prestigious prize from Columbia University, thus solidifying his standing as a bright new star on the American classical music scene. 
              

Despite its title, School for Scandal Overture was never meant to serve as the opener for a stage production. Instead, it is a complete musical encapsulation of the ribald lampoon of 18^th century British societal norms that is Richard Sheridan’s play of the same name. In Sheridan’s play, a sincere but naive love between two young characters is saved in the nick of time from the salacious designs of their bumbling superiors. Like an Amy Sherman-Palladino script, the pace of Sheridan’s witty dialogue is both rapid and scintillating (“Those who gossip are as important as those who create it”), leaving the audience fairly breathless by the end. Barber, ever the lover of great literature, with tases both refined and eclectic, sought to evoke, in his words, “a musical reflection of the play’s spirit.” After a helter-skelter fanfare in which E-flat minor collides with D major, you will hear an equally exciting exposition, followed by a witty and frenetic musical conversation of imitative counterpoint. The second theme, representing the character of Lady Scandal (not to be confused with Lady Sneerwell!), is introduced by a sentimental oboe. Symphonic sparkle, embellished by sassy figurations which tease the moods and modes on the fly, ensue. Listen also for lovely, lyrical phrases in the strings, balanced by expressive moments for the solo clarinet and English horn. In the coda, the first theme erupts into a sparking fugue and, as is the case in Sheridan’s original, it is all over too quickly. 

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2026 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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