Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

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

YourClassical

Huss in Boston

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

YourClassical

Bruckner in Boston

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

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

YourClassical

The Bachs at Christmas

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Magnificat, S. 1082 Gachinger Kantorei and Stuttgart Bach-Collegium; Helmuth Rilling, cond. Hanssler 92.073

YourClassical

Menotti's TV opera

Gian Carlo Menotti (1911 - 2007) Amahl and the Night Visitors Suite The New Zealand Symphony; Andrew Schenck, cond. Koch 7005

YourClassical

Mendelssohn cooks up some music

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809–1847) Concert Piece, Op. 113, no. 1 Sabine and Wolfgang Meyer, clarinet and basset horn; Wurtemberg Chamber Orchestra; Jorg Faerber, cond. EMI 47233

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Deems Taylor

Deems Taylor (1885–1966) Through the Looking Glass Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3099

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William Henry Fry

William Henry Fry (1813–1864) The Breaking Heart Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Tony Rowe, cond. Naxos 8.559057

YourClassical

Harbison's "Great American Opera?"

John Harbison (b. 1938) Remembering Gatsby Minnesota Orchestra; Edo de Waart, cond. Vol. 11, from "Minnesota Orchestra at 100" special edition boxed CD set

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.