As an unapologetic Neo-Romantic, Samuel Barber received his fair share of criticism from the more progressive contingent of the musical elite in America. His lyrical, traditionally tonal style is much in evidence in the Symphony No. 1. Written in Rome in 1935 and 1936, the Symphony No. 1 became the first American work performed at the Salzburg Festival in 1937. This piece is in one complete movement with four primary episodes or sections. The dynamic opening theme is the glue for the entire symphony, appearing in nearly every section. While lush and lyrical, Barber avoids sentimentality due to a certain angularity that inhabits his melodic structure. Rounding out the initial "exposition" are secondary and closing themes. A scherzo-like development section, almost contrapuntal in nature, appears about eight minutes into the work. The scope of the piece is sweeping and dramatic, with a muscular intensity marked by brutal rhythms.

Most of the material is treated in a developmental fashion giving the work a restless, searching feeling. About twelve minutes into the symphony, a typical "Barberesque" theme emerges in the oboe over sustained strings, the most extended and contrasting melody thus far (note the excruciatingly beautiful English horn solos in The School for Scandal Overture and Symphony No. 2). A majestic climax leads to the finale, a powerful passacaglia (a type of variation from the Baroque period built on a specific melodic or harmonic pattern) based on an augmented version of the first theme with short, rapid fragments of that same theme in the trumpets. Throughout, there is barely a glimmer of major tonality until the final seconds, yet the symphony still ends in minor. The work is weighty and substantial, yet, never pessimistic as it alternates between high drama and profound lyricism. Barber, a master at orchestration, expertly manipulates the idiomatic possibilities of each instrument as well as their inherent tone colors. Unlike contemporaries such as Aaron Copland, Barber did not develop a style that could be called typically "American" in sound. His is a more universal symphonic approach similar to the late symphonies of the Finnish Jean Sibelius (especially No. 7, also in one movement) and the British Sir William Walton. Samuel Barber's ability for sustained intensity, accessible lyricism, and subtle Romanticism (all key elements in his extremely popular Adagio for Strings) has made him one of America's most admired and enduring composers.

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