Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): ‘Sinfonia’ from ‘Juditha Triumphans’; Academia Montis Regalis; Magdalena Kozena, mezzo soprano; Juditha Maria José Trullu, mezzo soprano; Holofernes Marina Comparato, mezzo soprano; Vagaus Anke Herrmann, soprano; Abra Tiziana Carraro, soprano; Alessandro De Marchi, conductor; Naïve Vivaldi Edition OP-30314
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György Ligeti (1923-2006): Violin Concerto; Saschko Gavrilov, violin; Ensemble InterContemporain; Pierre Boulez, conductor; DG 439 808
Jake Heggie (b. 1961): ‘Dead Man Walking’; San Francisco Opera; Patrick Summers, conductor; Erato 86238
Felix Arndt (1889-1918): ‘An Operatic Nightmare’ (Desecration Rag No. 2); Paragon Ragtime Orchestra; Rick Benjamin, conductor; Newport Classics 60039 Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957): ‘The Prince and the Pauper’ film score; National Philharmonic; Charles Gerhardt, conductor; RCA/BMG 0185
Franz Schubert (1797-1828): ‘Rosamunde’ Incidental Music; Chamber Music Orchestra of Europe; Claudio Abbado, conductor; DG 431 655
Aaron Copland (1900-1990): ‘Appalachian Spring’ Suite; New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor; Sony Classical 63082
Edward Elgar (1857-1934): ‘The Dream of Gerontius’; John Shirley-Quirk, baritone; London Symphony Chorus; King’s College Choir, Cambridge; London Symphony Orchestra; Benjamin Britten, conductor; London/Decca 448170
Steve Heitzeg (b. 1959): ‘Nobel Symphony’; Gustavus Orchestra; Warren Friesen, conductor; Gustavus Adolphus 60171-10022
Gabriela Lena Frank (b. 1972): ‘Hilos’; Lee Carroll Levine, clarinet; Zeneba Brown, violin; Matt Walker, cello; Gabriela Lena Frank, piano; Naxos 8.559645
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.
