Barber: Knoxville, Summer 1915 

My favorite version, for a few reasons. I love the clarity of Upshaw's delivery but also because of how the timbre reflects not just the text but the setting and the story. She doesn't sound overly European in her performance and she comes across as young and impressionable, like the character who is telling the story.

One of the most beautiful poems ever written , along with the most beautiful music and voice. PURE MAGIC

One of my favourite recordings of one of my favourite pieces. The summer following my father's death I went alone to Europe for the first time. One of the books I took with me was James Agee' s A Death in the Family. The prologue to that novel is the basis of this text.

I absolutely ADORE this!!! 😀😀😀😊😊😊😍😍😍 I regularly listen to heavy metal/ rock and lots of 80s pop stuff, but whenever I'm driving in the country with big open fields and American decor here in upstate NY, I pop this on and it makes my drive SO much more peaceful and thought-provoking

Who could top this? Dawn Upshaw is perfect. I have heard just about every version and this one shines the brightest. Upshaw's interpretation is the most sympathetic to the words and music - as previously remarked. The whole performance and orchestration is divine.

one of the most beautiful works ever

Upshaw understands so deeply Agee's text. And she evokes time, place, home -- with such depth and yet such a simplicity and clarity of interpretation. A perfect culmination of writer, singer, and conductor. Zinman's pace is right for every word; even the silences sing.

Heartbreakingly beautiful. I wept.

Dawn Upshaw has the perfect voice for these lovely songs. Bravo!

This sublime work is and always be sacred to me. It’s inexpressible beauty breaks my heart and makes me cry. It rivals Barber’s other masterpiece, the Adagio for Strings

One of my favorite works of American Classical music. A total masterpiece

We vibing to this rn in 2021

This music is truly great, and her voice and understang of the words, and the singing. I am not an American by passport but by heart.

It hurts my heart to think that had our conductor not chosen this piece, I may never have come across it. art this wonderful deserves to be shared with everyone and anyone.

Couldn't disagree more about Upshaw's "indifference". I find hers the least mannered and most natural of all. Let's celebrate that we have so many renditions for different hearts.

Upshaw’s voice sound more innocent than any of the others. My first choice.

This is the recording I have. Absolutely love it. First heard Dawn Upshaw when I bought the award-winning recording of Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 with Zinman. Just georgous. I just loved her voice.

Achingly beautiful. Dawn Upshaw is perfection!

It's so beautiful it hurts slightly

Meant to add that your choice of photos is superb. Most evocative of an era, a nation and a culture now practically lost.

I had this beautiful piece as an aural analysis on my AP Music Theory exam this morning. I knew I just had to look it up after I heard it; the vocal work--especially on this version--is superb!

What a genius Barber was. One of the best of the 20th century. He died a very depressed man at the end of his life.

Great pictures for the music. They really add to the mood.

ONE OF THE LOVLEYESSOPRANOS EVER. THERE IS NOTHING DAWN UPSHAW CANT SING.THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES

(From Wikipedia) Here is the background to the text: 1915 was a significant year for James Agee. He was six. It was the last year his family was intact; his father died in an automobile accident in 1916, and the remaining family members left Knoxville, never to return. According to Agee, it was the point around which his life began to evolve (Aiken,[page needed]). After Barber and Agee met, Barber noted that the two had much in common (Keller). "We are talking now of summer evenings in Knoxville, Tennessee in the time that I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a child."...

Performed this in college and was humming it today.... so looked this up. Great performance!

heart wrenching

The American masterpiece - i love it

Upshaw has such a elegant Voice for this 6:12 is always my favorite part she has a way of warming your heart with those notes

This is fantastic, and wonderfully put together . . Thanks for putting it up here ..

Thanks for the wonderful selection of period pictures to complement this beautiful piece.

The Seattle Festival Orchestra has just performed this with Megan Chenovick; I had never even heard of this piece until our orchestra received it. It's a stunning piece. If you're one of those people who think that JSBach's Ste. Matthaus Passione is about as good as it gets (like me), well: Knoxville is not going to displace that, but it's going to crawl into your top five. Who knew that Barber had this in him? I didn't. The Adagio for Strings is gorgeous, but Knoxville is astounding. If you've never heard this, you need to. It really is that good. Barber also re-scored this for piano and tenor, and Russell Thomas will bring your to your knees with his performance.

It is unbelievable to difference in her tone here vs. her work in 'Winter Morning Walks' with Maria Schneider. What a versatile singer.

I love Leontyne Price singing this. She was one of Barber's favorite sopranos.

Yes, this is exquisite -- but Agee must be given equal credit with Barber -- his wonderful mood and language so closely followed by Barber's music, phrase by phrase. Paul Willen

So beautiful

I actually prefer this to Steber. Dawn Upshaw makes what she sings her own - Gorecki's Third particularly. And this recording is lovely.

After I discovered that the singer was singing in English I discovered a beautiful song! Absolutely gorgeous. Sounds a bit like Bartok with a swing.

Kathleen Battle sings this beautifully too.

Love the photgraphs from days gone by.

Yes this the best

^_^ Beautiful!

I had this piece too!! Luckily one of my classmates found what the name of this song was because it is amazing! By any chance, does anyone know what the piece with the baritone singer and brass is called? (it was on the test)

0:54-1:07 goosebumps everytime

Knoxville, Summer of 1915 (Music of Barber, Menott, Harbison and Stravinsky), Dawn Upshaw, soprano; David Zinman conducting Orchestra of St. Luke's

This is so delicious.

Dawn Upshaw is second only to Steber in this piece.

This is Steber's piece. Upshaw comes in at a close second. Unfortunately, the orchestra/voice balance is awry. Might be the download. But, everyone. Do yourself a musical favor, listen to Steber.

I continue to gravitate to Steber's classic account. And her conductor surpassed Zinman here in execution. Surprisingly Upshaw sounds too clinical, almost indifferent. As for Price, avoid. Too arch.

she races through the final statement...totally misses the point of the work...

Dawn Upshaw is completely overrated a mediocre voice and I'm being generous. How the hell did she ever make the Met? Terrifying