Editing Adagio for Strings (section)

== Notable usage ==
The recording of the world premiere in 1938, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the [[NBC Symphony Orchestra]], was selected in 2005 for permanent preservation in the [[National Recording Registry]] at the United States [[Library of Congress]].<ref>{{ cite web | url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2005reg.html | title=The National Recording Registry 2005 | publisher=[[Library of Congress]] | access-date=April 27, 2007}}</ref> Since the 1938 recording, the ''Adagio for Strings'' has frequently been heard throughout the world, particularly in times of mourning. It was one of the few American pieces to be played in the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Cold War]].<ref name="allmusic"/> Barber voiced misgivings with the piece's ubiquity, saying in a 1978 interview, "They always play that piece. I wish they'd play some of my other pieces."<ref name = Wise>{{cite web | url=https://www.wqxr.org/story/93875-barbers-adagio-saddest-piece-ever/ | title=WQXR Features Barber's ''Adagio'': The Saddest Piece Ever? | date=September 8, 2010 | access-date=August 30, 2012|last = Wise|first = Brian}}</ref>

Notable invocations or performances of the piece include, chronologically:
* Broadcast over radio at the announcement of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s death (1945).<ref name=masterworks/>
* Played at the funeral of [[Albert Einstein]] (1955).{{sfn|Heyman|1992|p=196}}
* Performed by the [[National Symphony Orchestra]] in a national radio broadcast following the funeral of assassinated President [[John F. Kennedy]] (1963).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Saddest Song |url=https://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/tag/jfk-adagio-for-strings/ |website=pophistorydig.com |access-date=December 4, 2020}}</ref> The piece was one of Kennedy's favorites.<ref name = Wise/>
* Conducted by [[Leonard Bernstein]] at four consecutive [[New York Philharmonic]] concerts in memory of Samuel Barber shortly after Barber's death (1981).<ref>{{cite web|title=Concert Program|date=January 29, 1981|publisher=[[New York Philharmonic]]|access-date=March 18, 2021|url=https://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/88c26de2-bc0a-445b-8014-a1cca686850a-0.1/fullview#page/1/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name=Larson />
* Played at the funeral of [[Grace Kelly|Princess Grace of Monaco]] (1982).<ref name=masterworks>{{ cite book | last=Lee | first=Douglas A. | title=Masterworks of 20th Century Music: The Modern Repertory of the Symphony Orchestra | url=https://archive.org/details/masterworksof20t0000leed | url-access=registration | publisher=[[Routledge]] | year=2002 | isbn=0-415-93846-5}}</ref>
* Played (as Barber's vocal choir arrangement, ''Agnus Dei'') during the introduction cinematic of the video game ''[[Homeworld]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/homeworld-remastered-review | title=Wot I Think: Homeworld Remastered Collection | work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun | date=February 25, 2015 | last1=Co-Founder | first1=Alec Meer | last2=Meer | first2=Alec }}</ref>
* Performed at [[Last Night of the Proms]] in 2001 at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] to honor the victims of the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>{{ cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/tradition-yields-to-compassion-at-last-night-669530.html | title=Tradition yields to compassion | work=The Independent | location=London | first=Anthony | last=Barnes | date=September 16, 2001 | access-date=April 23, 2010 | url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903133236/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/tradition-yields-to-compassion-at-last-night-669530.html |archive-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref>
* Played during the [[2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony]] in Vancouver.<ref name=Larson />
* Played as the final song on the [[Peter, Paul and Mary]] compilation album ''Peter Paul and Mary With Symphony Orchestra: The Prague Sessions'' (2010). [[Mary Travers]] had requested that ''Adagio for Strings'' be played at her memorial service.<ref>{{ cite web | url=http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/events/events-pr.htm | title=Peter, Paul and Mary Soar Again with Symphony Orchestra | date=February 10, 2010 | access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref>
* Played at the state funeral of Canadian [[Jack Layton]], the New Democratic Party Leader (2011).<ref>{{ cite web | url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/310865 | title=In Photos: Canadian NDP Leader Jack Layton's procession, funeral}}</ref>
* Played in [[Trafalgar Square]], on January 9, 2015, by an ensemble of 150 string players led by Thomas Gould of the Aurora Orchestra following [[Charlie Hebdo shooting|the terrorist attack]] on ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/features/news/je-suis-charlie-professional-and-amateur-musicians-remember-victims-of-charlie-hebdo-attacks-with-barbers-adagio-for-strings-in-londons-trafalgar-square | title=Professional musicians joined with amateur performers last night in Trafalgar Square, London, to remember the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.}}</ref>
* Played by the [[Brussels Philharmonic]] on March 25, 2016, in front of the [[Brussels Stock Exchange]] following the [[2016 Brussels bombings]] earlier that week.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/le-brussels-philharmonic-et-le-vlaams-radio-koor-rendent-hommage-en-musique-a-la-bourse-56f56e1b35702a22d5ba4734|title=Music Played after Brussels Attacks|last=Van Den Steen|first=Stephanie|date=March 25, 2016|newspaper=La Libre|at=Video at Bottom, French Language|access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref>
* Played in [[Central Park]] in New York City on June 15, 2016, for the victims of the [[Orlando nightclub shooting]].<ref>{{YouTube|6uRS8O3nT4U|Adagio for Strings for Orlando Victims, in Central Park}}</ref>
* Played at the televised memorial in [[Manchester]], England on May 23, 2017, for the victims of the [[Manchester Arena bombing]].<ref>{{YouTube|nlJ5VAfF8Jc|Vigil Held for Victims of Manchester Attack in UK}}</ref>
* Played at the digital European Concert in the [[Berliner Philharmonie]] by the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] under [[Kirill Petrenko]] on May 1, 2020, for [[Coronavirus victims]].<ref>[https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/concert/53365 "European Concert"] from the [[Berliner Philharmonie]] by the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] under [[Kirill Petrenko]], [[Digital Concert Hall]] {{subscription required}}</ref>
* Performed at [[Last Night of the Proms]] in 2021 at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] on the 20th anniversary of [[September 11 attacks|9/11]], in a new arrangement for chorus and strings.<ref name="FParr"/>
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''Adagio for Strings'' can also be heard on many film and television soundtracks, including ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (1980), ''[[Platoon (film)|Platoon]]'' (1986), ''[[Lorenzo's Oil]]'' (1992), and ''[[Outlander (TV series)|Outlander]]'' (2019).<ref name=nytimes /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/13/694388226/samuel-barber-adagio-for-strings-tiesto-william-orbit-american-anthem |title=Barber's Adagio is Not the Saddest Music in the World|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=February 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/20/outlander-providence-episode-sad-song-adagio-for-strings/ | title=Why 'Outlander' used the saddest song ever to end the penultimate episode | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> More comedic or lighthearted uses of it have appeared in the film ''[[Amélie]]'' (2001) and on episodes of the sitcoms ''[[Seinfeld]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''[[American Dad!]]'', and ''[[South Park]]''.<ref name = Wise/>

=== Adaptations ===
The group [[Era (musical project)|eRa]] included ''Adagio for Strings'' in their 2009 album ''[[Classics (Era album)|Classics]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1808672|pure_url=yes}} | title=Era Classics – Overview | website=Allmusic | access-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref> English rock group [[Muse (band)|Muse]] interpolated ''Adagio for Strings'' on their songs "[[Plug In Baby]]" and "[[Absolution (album)|Interlude]]".

The work is popular in the [[electronic dance music]] genre, notably in [[Trance music|trance]].<ref>{{cite journal | last=Sansone | first=Glen | date=February 14, 2000 | title=William Orbit |journal=[[CMJ New Music Report]]|publisher=[[CMJ]]| page=20}}</ref> Artists, including DJs who have covered it include [[William Orbit]],<ref>{{cite magazine | date=October 10, 2005 | title=Billboard Dance |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=87}}</ref> [[Ferry Corsten]],<ref>{{cite journal | last=Jacks | first=Kelso | date=January 31, 2000 | title=Record News |journal=[[CMJ New Music Report]]|publisher=[[CMJ]]| page=11}}</ref> and [[Tiësto]] ([[Adagio for Strings (Tiësto song)|eponymously titled single]]).<ref>{{Discogs master|38536|Adagio for Strings|type=single}}</ref>