Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is a work for voice and orchestra (or chamber orchestra) from 1947 by American composer Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981). The text is from a 1938 short prose piece by James Agee. Although the piece is traditionally sung by a soprano, it may also be sung by tenor. This beautiful piece is a poetic evocation of life in a hot summer as seen from the perspective of a small boy. The work is in one movement, and is described in detail in its Wikipedia entry. The average playing time is 16 minutes (AllMusic). I came across this gem when exploring Dawn Upshaw's discography in the early nineties after attending a recital by her in Chicago. It was my first encounter with Barber other than his famous Adagio for strings - many more compositions followed though. My version is by Dawn Upshaw and the Orchestra of St. Luke's under David Zinman on a Nonesuch CD.
