THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

29-William Orbit-Adagio for Strings-(Ferry Corston Remix.)

1999-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 3.57. The songs composer was born in 1910, and wrote this piece of music in 1936, had he lived long enough I wonder if he would have loved or hated this rendition?

‘Adagio for Strings’ was written as a Classical piece of music by Samuel Barber as part of his larger work ‘String Quartet, Op. 11.’ between 1935-1936, the piece was written to be performed by only a ‘String Orchestra. ‘Adagio for Strings’ was performed for the first time on November 5, 1938, by the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, (1867-1957) conducting the ‘NBC Symphony Orchestra’ in a radio broadcast from the ‘NBC Studio 8H’ in New York City. ‘Adagio for Strings’ has been performed at many historical occasions, including being broadcast over radio at the announcement of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in 1945. It was also played at the funeral’s of Albert Einstein in 1955, and performed in a national radio broadcast following the funeral of assassinated President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Samuel Osmond Barber was born on March 9th, 1910, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States, he died of cancer on January 23rd, 1981, at the age of 70. Barber is remembered as one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th Century. The American music critic Donal Henahan (1921-2012) said,’Probably no other American composer has ever enjoyed such early, such persistent, and such long lasting acclaim.’

William Orbit was born William Mark Wainwright on December 15th, 1956, in Palmers Green, Enfield, London, England. One of his first major breakthroughs in music came in 1990 when working under the name ‘Bassomatic,’ he scored his first chart hit in the UK with ‘Fascinating Rhythm,’ which reached Number 9. William Orbit has an extensive list of production work for others including four Albums by Madonna, and also Albums by the likes of U2, Blur, and Robbie Williams, he has also released 12 solo studio Albums between 1987-2022. In 1995 Orbit released his sixth solo studio Album ‘Pieces in a Modern Style,’ the Album was withdrawn from sale almost immediately because certain tracks hadn’t received the correct clearance, these tracks were replaced with others when the Album was re-issued in 2000. ‘Pieces in a Modern Style’ is William Orbit’s interpretation of ‘Classical Music,’ as well as Barber, Orbit also covers the work of other composers including Ludvig van Beethoven, (1770-1827) and Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759.)

William Orbit’s version of ‘Adagio for Strings’ is very true to Barber’s original, and it goes without saying that both versions would comfortably get a place in this countdown, but it is the truly outstanding Ferry Corsten ‘Dance Remix’ that I have chosen. Ferry Corsten was born on December 4th, 1973, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, he is one of the leading pioneers in the genres of ‘Trance,’ and ‘Progressive House Music.’ Corsten has issued six studio Albums between 2003-2017, and remixed hundreds of tracks, he has also had hit singles in Europe using the names ‘System F,’ and ‘Gouryella.’

‘Adagio for Strings’ started out life as a very sombre, but emotionally gripping piece of music, but then 63 years later it was transformed into an uplifting dance anthem. I wonder what Samuel Barber would have made of seeing thousands of young people under one roof, with their hands in the air, dancing in a trans like state to his ‘Adagio for Strings.’ Starting out life in 1936, and having every generation since listen in awe, this song has gone from ‘Classical Music,’ to classic ‘Dance Music.’