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IV. Excursions, Op. 20, No. 1–Allegro
by Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber was said to compose piano music with "an extremely natural feeling" for the instrument (in pianist Vladimir Horowitz's opinion, he was the only American composer to do so). The four-piano "bagatelles" Excursions, Op. 20, created from 1942-1944, embrace the American cultural roots current in the 1940s. Its elements of boogie-woogie, blues, theme and variations on a cowboy song, and hoedown are not typical of Barber's generally more classical style. The first piece depicts the hustle and bustle of the city with catchy, tricky rhythms, jazzy playfulness, and machine-like drive.
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