Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

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Music for St. Cecilia's Day

Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695) Hail Bright Cecilia! Gabrieli Consort; Paul McCreesh Archiv 445 882 George Frederic Handel (1685 – 1759) Ode for St. Cecilia's Day English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, cond. Archiv 419 220 Benjamin Britten (1913 –1976) Hymn to St. Cecilia London Sinfonietta Voices Virgin 90728

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Harbison's "Flight into Egypt"

John Harbison (b. 1938) Flight into Egypt Cantata Singers and Ensemble; David Hoose, cond. New World 80395

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Meredith Monk

Meredith Monk (b. 1942) Atlas Meredith Monk Ensemble; Wayne Hankin, cond. ECM 1491

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Gershwin's last film score

George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) Damsel in Distress Suite (An American in London) Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; John Mauceri, cond. Philips 434 274

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Hoover for flute and guitar

Katherine Hoover (1937 - 2018) Canyon Echoes Duologue (Susan Morris De Jong, flute; Jeffrey Van, guitar) Gasparo 336

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The Philadelphia Sound

Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883) Act I Prelude, from Die Meistersinger Philadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, cond CBS 38914 Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943) Symphonic Dances Philadelphia Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 433 181

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Herschel Looks Up

William Herschel (1738 – 1822) Oboe Concerto in C Richard Woodhams, oboe; The Mozart Orchestra; Davis Jerome, cond. Newport Classic 85612 Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934) Uranus, from The Planets Philharmonia Orchestra; Simon Rattle, cond. EMI 9513

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Waggoner's Second

Andrew Waggoner (b. 1960) Symphony No. 2 Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic; Petr Pololanik, cond. CRI 884

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Disney's "Fantasia"

Bach, Tchaikovsky, Dukas, Stravisnky, Beethoven, Ponchielli, Mussorgsky and Schubert excerpts from Fantasia sountrack Philadelphia Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski, cond. Buena Vista 600072

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.