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 4, 2016

YourClassical

Danielpour's home-town tribute

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

1:59
YourClassical

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
YourClassical

Wagner's "shaggy dog" story

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

1:59
YourClassical

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

1:59
YourClassical

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

1:59
YourClassical

Huss in Boston

Henry Holden Huss (1862–1953) Piano Concerto, Op. 10 Ian Hobson, piano; BBC Scottish Symphony; Martyn Brabbins, cond. Hyperion 66949

1:59
YourClassical

Bruckner in Boston

Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) Symphony No. 5 Saarbrucken Radio Symphony; Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, cond. Arte Nova 43305

1:59
YourClassical

Brahms up and down

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 New York Philharmonic; Kurt Masur, cond. Teldec 77291 Johannes Brahms Tragic Overture, Op. 81 Vienna Symphony; Wolfgang Sawallisch, cond. Philips 438 760

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.