Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
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.
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) Koenigskinder excerpts
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
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Tapiola, Op. 112 Helsinki Philharmonic; Paavo Berglund, cond. EMI 68646
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
Libby Larsen (b. 1950) Symphony: Water Music Minnesota Orchestra; Sir Neville Marriner Nonesuch 79147
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) Hansel and Gretel Suite Royal Philharmonic; Rudolf Kempe, cond. EMI 68736
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 5 Concertgebouw Orchestra; Bernard Haitink, cond. Philips 442 076 Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Chorale Prelude on Silent Night Jeremy Fisell, organ GMCD 7145
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10 Borealis Ensemble Victoria 19088 J.S.Bach (arr Schoenberg) Chorale Prelude Adorn thyself, O my Soul Houston Symphony; Christoph Eschenbach, cond. RCA 68658
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Violin Concerto No. 5 Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin; Netherlands Chamber Orchestra; Leopold Hager, cond. Denon 7504 Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) America: An Epic Rhapsody Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3135
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.
