Samuel Barber (1910-1981) is one of the most outstanding American composer in twentieth-century. His music has great astringency in harmony, but the basic tonality remains secure. In addition, there are also literary allusions in the works.“Excursions, Op. 20” was completed between 1942 to 1944. Jeanne Behrend (1911-1988), who was promoting piano music of American composers, had pressed Barber to write a piece for piano. Therefore, Barber put the regional American idioms with their rhythmic characteristics and folk material into the piece.

The first piece is a boogie-woogie in rondo form, containing ostinato “walking bass” figurations, interrupted by five-, three-, or seven-beat measures. Also, lots of syncopations and sixteen notes are in the right hand part. The second piece, “in slow blues tempo” is a binary form. Barber used a lot of blue notes and swing rhythms in this piece. The third piece is a set of variations on the cowboy ballad “The streets of Laredo”. Particularly, Barber used the rhythms of seven against eight, six against five, four against three, and so on. The fourth piece, is a ternary form in a barn dance with the ragtime style. Accompaniments of far distance shows in right and left-hand parts, and also with the flowing melody.

Each piece has their character of American music in twentieth-century. This study consists of the background of American keyboard music in twentieth-century, Barber’s biography and the analysis of “Excursions, Op. 20” to the understanding of the composer’s intention and conception of this composition.