Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

Composers Datebook for April 28, 2009

YourClassical
1:59
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Handel with "no strings attached"

George Frederic Handel (1685 - 1759) Music for the Royal Fireworks Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Neville Marriner, cond. Argo 414596

1:59
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Serebrier assists Stokie (and Ives)

Charles Ives (1874-1954) Symphony No. 4 Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, cond. DG 4839505 Jose Serebrier (b. 1938) Partita (Symphony No. 2) London Philharmonic; José Serebrier, cond. Reference 90

1:59
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Puccini victorious

Giacomo Puccini (1858 -1924) Nessun dorma, fr Turandot Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Neville Marriner, cond. EMI 49552

2:00
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Seasonal music by Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) Ländler, fr The Seasons Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Neville Marriner, cond. Philips 438715

1:59
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Meeting deadlines: Tchaikovsky and Zaimont

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) May, fr The Seasons, Op. 37b Lang Lang, piano Sony 11758 Judith Lang Zaimont (b. 1945) The May Fly, fr Calendar Collection Nanette Kaplan Solomon, piano Leonarda 334

1:59
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Morton Gould re-writes history

Morton Gould (1913 - 1996) Fall River Legend New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; James Sedares, cond. Koch 7181

1:59
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Bernstein debuts as a composer

Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990) Clarinet Sonata Gary Gray, clarinet; Clifford Benson, piano Centaur 2165 Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990) America, fr West Side Story Suite Katia and Marielle Labeque, pianos CBS/Sony 48381

1:59
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1:59
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"76 Trombones" plus one: Meredith Willson and Wendy Mae Chambers

Meredith Willson (1902-1984) Symphony No. 1 (A Symphony of San Francisco) Moscow Symphony; William T. Stromberg, cond. Naxos 559006 Wendy Mae Chambers (b. 1953) A Mass for Mass Trombones trombone ensemble; David Gilbert, conductor Centaur 2263

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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.