Since the 1938 recording, the
Adagio for Strings has frequently been heard throughout the world, and it was
one of the few American pieces to be played in the Soviet Union during the Cold
War.
The Adagio for Strings has been
performed on many public occasions, especially during times of mourning. It
was:
Broadcast over radio at the
announcement of Franklin D. Roosevelt's death
Broadcast on television at the
announcement of John F. Kennedy's death
Played at the funeral of Albert
Einstein
Played at the funeral of Princess
Grace of Monaco
Broadcast on BBC Radio several
times after the announcement of the death of Princess Diana
Performed at Last Night of the
Proms in 2001 at the Royal Albert Hall to honor the memory of the victims of
the September 11 attacks
Played during the 2010 Winter Olympics
opening ceremony in Vancouver; the fatal crash of the luger Nodar
Kumaritashvili on the same day added to the performance's emotional affect.
Played at the state funeral of
Canadian Jack Layton, the New Democratic Party Leader
Played in Trafalgar Square, on
January 9, 2015, by an ensemble of 150 string players led by Thomas Gould of
the Aurora Orchestra following the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo.
Played at the National University
of Singapore for the state funeral of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore on 29 March
2015
Played by the Brussels
Philharmonic on March 25, 2016 in front of the Brussels Stock Exchange
following the 2016 Brussels bombings earlier that week.
Played at the National University
of Singapore for the state funeral of S. R. Nathan in Singapore on August 26,
2016
Played in Blonia Park in Kraków
on July 29, 2016, as the background music for the 12th Station of the Stations
of the Cross during World Youth Day 2016.
Played in Central Park in New
York City on June 15, 2016, for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.
Played at the televised memorial
in Manchester, England on May 23, 2017, for the victims of the Manchester Arena
bombing.
Played at the digital European
Concert by Berlin Philharmonie on May 1, 2020, for the victims of the
Coronavirus victims.
Adagio for Strings is the final
song on the 2010 Peter, Paul and Mary compilation album Peter Paul and Mary,
With Symphony Orchestra. Mary Travers had requested that Adagio for Strings be
played at her memorial service.
The Adagio for Strings was one of
John F. Kennedy's favorite pieces of music. Jackie Kennedy arranged a concert
the Monday after his death with the National Symphony Orchestra; they played to
an empty hall. The concert was broadcast by radio.
Barber knew about these memorial occasions. He
did a radio interview about it with WQXR and said, "They always play that
piece. I wish they'd play some of my other pieces."
In 2006 a recorded performance of
this work by the London Symphony Orchestra was the highest-selling classical
piece on iTunes.