Sondheim's "A Little Night Music"
Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930) A Little Night Music Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Philips 416 499
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Grieg's "Peer Gynt" premieres
Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) Peer Gynt Suites CSSR State Philharmonic; Stephen Gunzenhauser, cond. Naxos 550140
Supersized Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg (1874 – 1951) Gurrelieder Berlin Philharmonic and Choirs; Simon Rattle, cond. EMI 57303
Liebermann at Large
Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961) Flute Concerto James Galway, flute; London Mozart Players; Lowell Liebermann, cond. BMG 63235 Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961) Symphony No. 2 Dallas Symphony and Chorus; Andrew Litton, cond. Delos 3256
Cowell for winds
Henry Cowell (1897 - 1965) Suite for Woodwind Quintet Solaris Capstone 8677
Bach and Handel on a date?
J.S. Bach (1685 - 1750) Excerpt fr Cantata No. 22 Yo Yo Ma, cello; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra; Ton Koopman, cond. Sony Classical 60680 George Frederic Handel (1685 - 1757) Excerpt, fr Giulio Cesare Barbara Schlick, soprano; Concerto Cologne;Rene Jacobs, cond. Harmonia Mundi 90.1458
Symphonic Adams?
John Adams (b. 1947) Naïve and Sentimental Music Los Angeles Philharmonic; Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond. Nonesuch 79636
Berlioz uses his imagination
Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869) Dance of the Sylphs,fr La damnation de Faust Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Telarc 80164
Hoiby and Monk anniversaries
Lee Hoiby (b. 1926) Narrative Lee Hoiby, piano MMC 2038 Thelonius Monk (1917 – 1982) Ruby, My Dear Thelonius Monk, piano Columbia 44297
Copland's "Vitebsk"
Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) Vitebsk Gregory Ellis, violin; Christopher Marwood, cello; Michael Collins, piano ASV 1081
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.