Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

YourClassical

Vierne and Alain meet their ends

Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937) Carillon de Longpont Richard Proulx, organ Sacred Heart 101 Jehan Alain (1911 - 1940) Litanies Carlo Curley, organ Argo 430 200

YourClassical

Dvořákk gets paid

Antonin Dvořák (1841 - 1904) String Quintet in E, Op. 97 Vlach Quartet Naxos 8.553376

YourClassical

Marais goes to the movies

Marin Marais (1656 - 1728) The Bells of St. Genevieve Spectre de la Rose Ensemble Naxos 8.550750

YourClassical

Piston goes to the dogs

Walter Piston (1894 -1976) The Incredible Flutist Columbia Symphony; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 61849

YourClassical

Cowell's "Seven Rituals"

Henry Cowell (1897 – 1965) Symphony No. 11 (Seven Rituals of Music) The Louisville Orchestra; Robert S. Whitney, cond. First Editions 0003

YourClassical

Josiah Flagg, Music Man?

John Greenwood The Hessian Camp First Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps Private release G.F. Handel (1685 – 1757) Water Music English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, cond. DG 439 147

YourClassical

Stravinsky and Larsen "do" Eliot

Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) The Dove Descending The Gregg Smith Singers; St. Luke's Orchestra; Robert Craft, cond. MusicMasters 67152 Libby Larsen (b. 1950) Ring of Fire London Symphony; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch 7370

YourClassical
YourClassical

Delibes plays with dolls?

Leo Delibes (1836 –1891) Coppelia Lyons Opera Orchestra; Kent Nagano, cond. Erato 91730

YourClassical

Elgar's Second

Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934) Symphony No. 2 London Symphony; Sir Colin Davis, cond. LSO 18

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.