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 8, 2019

YourClassical

Fateful anniversaries for Lully and Shostakovich

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) Galliarde, from Trios pour le coucher du Roi Chicago Baroque Ensemble Cedille 043 Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) Symphony No. 15 in A, Op. 141 London Symphony; Maxim Shostakovich, cond. Collins 1206

1:59
YourClassical

Bach at Starbucks?

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Harpsichord Concerto in f, S. 1056 Gustav Leonhardt, Herbert Tachezi, hc; Leonhardt Consort Teldec 35778 Coffee Cantata, S. 211 Christine Schaefer, sop.; Stuttgart Bach-Collegium; Helmuth Rilling, cond. Hanssler 98.161

1:59
YourClassical

Milhaud at West Point

Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974) West Point Suite, Op. 313 Liszt Academy Symphonic Band;Laszlo Marosi, cond Hungaroton 32066

1:59
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Danielpour's home-town tribute

Richard Danielpour (b. 1956) Toward the Splendid City Philharmonia Orchestra; Zdenek Macal, cond. Sony 60779

1:59
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The productive Mr. Donizetti and Mr. Williams

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) Don Pasquale Overture Philharmonia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, cond. EMI 54490 John Williams (b. 1932) Devil's Dance, from Witches of Eastwick Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Philips 422 385

1:59
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Wagner's "shaggy dog" story

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) The Flying Dutchman Overture Concertgebouw Orchestra; Edo de Waart, cond Philips 400 089

1:59
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On the Mall with Goldman

Edwin Franko Goldman (1878 - 1956) On the Mall Eastman Wind Ensemble; Frederick Fennell, cond. Mercury 434 334

1:59
YourClassical

Martinu and Hanson premieres

Bohuslav Martinu (1890–1959) Violin Concerto No. 2 Josef Suk, violin; Czech Philharmonic; Vaclav Neumann, cond. Supraphon 11 0702 Howard Hanson (1896–1981) Piano Concerto, Op. 36 Alfred Mouledous, piano; Eastman-Rochester Orchestra; Howard Hanson, cond. Mercury 434 370

1:59
YourClassical

Prokofiev in peace and (cold) war

Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) March, fr The Love of Three Oranges Montreal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 440 331

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The Seattle Symphony

Max Bruch (1838–1920) Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 44 Nai-Yuan Hu, violin; Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3156 Deborah Drattell (b. 1956) Lilith Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3159

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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.