Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

Composers Datebook for February 25, 2008

YourClassical

"Basics" by Koussevitzky and Meyer

Serge Koussevitsky (1874 - 1951) Doublebass Concerto Gary Karr, double bass; Berlin Radio Symphony; Uros Lajovic, cond. Koch-Schwann 11063 Edgar Meyer (b. 1960) Quintet Edgar Meyer, double bass; Emerson String Quartet DG 453 506

1:59
YourClassical

Monteverdi and Carlisle Floyd opera premieres

Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643) excerpt, from L'Orfeo Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Erato 88032 Carlisle Floyd (b.1926) excerpts, from Susannah Cheryl Studer, sop.; Lyons Opera Orchestra; Kent Nagano, cond.

1:59
YourClassical

Deems Taylor and David Del Tredici in Wonderland

Deems Taylor (1885-1966) Through The Looking Glass Suite Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz , cond. Delos 3099 David Del Tredici (b. 1937) In Memory of A Summer Day St. Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, cond. Nonesuch 79043

1:59
YourClassical

Bernstein conducts Ives

Charles Ives (1874 - 1954) Symphony No. 2 New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG 429 220

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YourClassical
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YourClassical

Lincoln at the opera

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Act II Prelude, from Un ballo in maschera La Scala Philharmonic; Riccardo Muti, cond. Sony 62373 Charles Gounod (1818-1893) Soldiers' Chorus, from Faust Paris Opera Chrous and Orch; Andre Cluytens, cond. EMI 63733

1:59
YourClassical

Morton Gould's "Spirituals"

Morton Gould (1913-1996) Spirituals for Strings I Musici de Montreal; Yuli Turovsky, cond. Chandos 9848

1:59
YourClassical

Music by and about telephones

Gian Carlo Menotti (b. 1911) excerpt, from The Telephone New York Chamber Ensemble; Stephen Rogers Radcliffe, cond. Albany 173

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YourClassical

A Puccini premiere panned

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) excerpts, from Madama Butterfly Anna Moffo, sop.; Rome Opera; Erich Leinsdorf, cond. RCA 60202

1:59
YourClassical

Gossec and Corigliano

François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829) Symphony in D, Op. 5, no. 3 (Pastorella) London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, cond. Chandos 9661 John Corigliano (b. 1938) The Red Violin filmscore Joshua Bell, violin; Sony 63010

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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.