Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge

Composers Datebook for January 3, 2020

YourClassical

HK Gruber

HK Gruber (b. 1943) Three Mob Pieces London Mob Ensemble; HK Gruber EMI 56441 HK Gruber (b. 1943) Frankenstein!! HK Gruber, singer (?); Salzburg Camerata; Franz Welser-Most, cond. EMI 56441

2:00
YourClassical

Dvořák reviewed

Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904) String Quartet, Op 96 (American) Keller Quartet Warner 44355

2:00
YourClassical

Late-night "Parsifal"

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) Parsifal excerpts Welsh National Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Reginald Goodall, cond. EMI 65665

2:00
YourClassical

Antheil's "Joyous" Symphony

George Antheil (1900-1959) Symphony No. 5 (Joyous) Frankfurt Radio Symphony; Hugh Wolff, cond. CPO 999 706

2:00
YourClassical

A Lehar premiere in Vienna

Franz Lehár (1870-1948) The Merry Widow excerpts Budapest Philharmonic; Janos Sandor, cond. Laserlight 15046

2:00
YourClassical

Quartets by Debussy and Ravel

While hardly twins, the String Quartets of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel are often linked in the minds of music lovers and record companies. Admired today for their grace and sheer beauty, back when these quartets were first performed in Paris, reactions were quite different.

2:00
YourClassical
2:00
YourClassical

Airs and poems by Kernis and Chausson

Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) Poème, Op. 25 Isaac Stern, violin; Orchestre de Paris; Daniel Barenboim, cond. CBS/Sony 64501 Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960) Air for Violin Minnesota Orchestra; David Zinman, cond. Argo 460 226

2:00
YourClassical

A $400 finale for Sibelius

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Tapiola, Op. 112 Helsinki Philharmonic; Paavo Berglund, cond. EMI 68646

2:00
YourClassical

Bach in Leipzig, Bernstein in Berlin

J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Jauchzet frohlocket, from Christmas Oratorio Munich Bach Soloists and Chorus; Karl Richter, cond. Archiv 413 625 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 9 (Choral) Members of Bavarian Radio Symphony, Dresden State Orchestra, Kirov Theatre Orchestra, London Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Orchestre de Paris; Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG 429 861

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.