Samuel Barber at 100: The Composer's Reputation Keeps Rising

Even people who don't know Samuel Barber's name probably know his music.

That's because one of his pieces, "Adagio for Strings," continues to be widely performed. We remember it from the soundtrack of Oliver Stone's movie, Platoon. As NPR puts it, "It's become, in a way, our national music of mourning."

In honor of Barber's 100th birthday, NPR did a report on the composer's life and music, noting that Barber's reputation has risen in the years since his death.

The NPR story, with audio and some of Barber's music, is here.