A Messiaen premiere in a German prisoner of war camp
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) Quartet for the End of Time Tashi RCA/BMG 7835
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composers Datebook for January 15, 2016
1:59
Harp concertos by Villa-Lobos and Rautavaara
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 - 1959) Harp Concerto Catherine Michel, harp; Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra; Antonio de Almeida, cond. Philips 462 179 Einojuhani Rautavaraa (1928 - 2016) Harp Concerto Marielle Nordmann, harp; Helsinki Philharmonic; Leif Segerstam, cond. Ondine 978
1:59
Prokofiev takes the Fifth in Moscow
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Symphony No. 5 in Bb, Op. 100 St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Yuri Temirkanov, cond. RCA/BMG 60984
1:59
Dahl's "Sinfonietta"
Ingolf Dahl (1912 - 1970) Sinfonietta Cincinnati College-Conservatory Wind Symphony; Eugene Corporon, cond. Klavier 11030
1:59
A John Adams Christmas oratorio
John Adams (b. 1947) excerpts from El Niño soloists; Kent Nagano, cond. Nonesuch 79634
1:59
A Kernis premiere wins the Pulitzer
Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960) String Quartet No. 2 (musica instrumentalis) The Lark Quartet Arabesque 6727
1:59
Opposite-coast bouquets and brickbats for Weill and Sessions
Roger Sessions (1896-1985) Symphony No. 2 San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, cond London 443 376 Kurt Weill (1900-1950) Act 1 Intro, from Street Scene Scottish Opera Orchestra; John Mauceri, cond. London 433 371
1:59
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
Pop music by Rimsky-Korsakov and Michael Daugherty
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) Song of India, from Sadko (arr Kreisler) Gil Shaham, vn; Akira Eguchi, p. DG 447 640 Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) Candelabra Rhumba, from Le tombeau de Liberace Paul Crossley, piano; London Sinfonietta; Markus Stenz, cond. Argo 458 145
1:59
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
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.