Menotti's TV opera
Gian Carlo Menotti (1911 - 2007) — Amahl and the Night Visitors Suite (The New Zealand Symphony; Andrew Schenck, cond.) Koch 7005
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composer's Datebook - 20211224
2:00
Mendelssohn cooks up some music
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809–1847) — Concert Piece, Op. 113, no. 1 (Sabine and Wolfgang Meyer, clarinet and basset horn; Wurtemberg Chamber Orchestra; Jorg Faerber, cond.) EMI 47233
2:00
Deems Taylor
Deems Taylor (1885–1966) — Through the Looking Glass (Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond.) Delos 3099
2:00
Sheppard's Media Vita
John Sheppard (c. 1515–1558) – Media Vita (Tallis Scholars; Peter Phillips, cond.) Gimell 16
2:00
Harbison's "Great American Opera?"
John Harbison (b. 1938) — Remembering Gatsby (Minnesota Orchestra; Edo de Waart, cond.) Vol. 11, from "Minnesota Orchestra at 100" special edition boxed CD set
2:00
Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms"
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) — Symphony of Psalms (The Monteverdi Choir; London Symphony; John Eliot Gardiner, cond.) DG 436 789
2:00
Quincy Jones and The Color Purple
Quincy Jones (b. 1933) – The Color Purple: Main Theme (Itzhak Perlman, violin; Pittsburgh Symphony; John Williams, cond.) Sony 63005
2:00
Brahms makes his debut
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) — Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 1 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano) Philips 438 477
2:00
Prokofiev in Chicago
Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) — Piano Concerto No. 3 (Alexander Toradze, piano; Kirov Orchestra; Valery Gergiev, cond.) Philips 462 048
2:00
Bloch's "American" Concerto
Ernest Bloch (1880–1959) — Violin Concerto (Oleh Krysa, violin; Malmo Symphony; Sakari Oramo, cond.) BIS 639
2:00
About Composers Datebook®
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.