Music

Samuel Barber’s Capricorn Concerto for flute, oboe and trumpet with strings is an important though seldom performed work. The concerto is teeming with performance choices that are indicative of both historical and contemporary influences. At present, there are limited resources available to performers regarding Capricorn. The first section of this study presents an historical and contextual examination of Capricorn both in terms of Barber’s own compositional output and that of his influences and contemporaries. The second section includes a performance analysis of the work, while the third section includes an analysis of existing recordings. Implications for the performer are outlined in last section. The guide provides performers with pertinent background, analytical and performance information in order to facilitate informed, high-level performance. i