Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

YourClassical
YourClassical

Root music?

George F. Root (1820 -1895) Battle Cry of Freedom Jacqueline Schwab, piano Nonesuch 79256

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Paulus's "Courtship Songs"

Stephen Paulus (1949-2014) Courtship Songs Jane Garvin, flute; Merilee Klemp, oboe; Mina Fisher, cello; Jill Dawe, piano innova 539

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Wagner's "Lohengrin"

Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) Lohengrin Bayreuth Festival Orchestra; Peter Schneider, cond. Philips 438 500

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Rebecca Clarke

Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979) Piano Trio Clementi-Trio of Cologne Largo 5103

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Previn and Mutter tango

André Previn (b. 1929) Tango, Song and Dance Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; André Previn, piano DG 471 500

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Auber starts a riot

Daniel Auber (1782-1871) La Muette de Portici soloists; Monte Carlo Philharmonic; Thomas Fulton, cond. EMI 49248

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Bernstein's "hateful" luck

Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990) I Hate Music! Jennie Tourel, mezzo-soprano; Leonard Bernstein, piano Sony 60697 Miklos Rosza (1907 - 1995) Theme, Variations and Finale The New Zealand Symphony; James Sedares, cond. Koch 7191

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Prokofiev in Pavlovsk

Sergei Prokofiev (1892 - 1953) Piano Concerto No. 2 Alexander Toradze, piano; Kirov Orchestra; Valery Gergiev, cond. Philips 462 048

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A Tippett Triple

Sir Michael Tippett (1905 - 1998) Triple Concerto Kovacic-Caussé- Baillie Trio; BBC Philharmonic; Sir Michael Tippett, cond. Nimbus 5301

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.