Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

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

YourClassical

Haydn's imperial anthem

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) String Quartet, Op. 76, no. 3 (Emperor) Emerson Quartet DG 427 657

YourClassical

Donizetti's "Daughter" in 1840 and 1940

Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848) La Fille deRegiment excerpt Joan Sutherland, soprano; Covent Garden Orchestra; Richard Bonynge, cond. London 414 520 Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760 - 1836)/arr. Berlioz La Marseillaise Jessye Norman, soprano; Paris Orchestra; Semyon Bychkov, cond. Philips 422 922

YourClassical

Beethoven in Boston

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Symphony No. 5 Royal Philharmonic; Rene Leibowitz, cond. Chesky 17 Charles Ives (1874 – 1954) Sonata No. 2 (Concord, Mass., 1840 – 1860) Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano New World 378

YourClassical

Verdi's "Falstaff"

Antonio Salieri (1750 - 1825) Falstaff Overture London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, cond. Chandos 9877 Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) Finale, fr Falstaff Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, cond. Telarc 80364

YourClassical

Wagner on the banks of the Mississippi?

Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) Das Rheingold excerpt Soloists and Bavarian Radio Symphony; Bernard Haitink, cond. EMI 54633 Parsifal excerpt Netherlands Radio Philharmonic; Edo de Waart, cond. BMG 44786

YourClassical
YourClassical

Brant's "Angels and Devils"

Henry Brant (1913 - 2008) Angels and Devils Bonita Boyd, flute; Eastman Wind Ensemble; Donald Hunsberger, cond. Centaur 2014

YourClassical

Zwilich's "Gardens" Symphony

W.A. Mozart (1756 - 1791) Symphony No. 35 (Haffner) Prague Chamber Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras, cond. Telarc 80203 Ellen Taaffe Zwillich (b. 1939) Symphony No. 4 (The Gardens) MSU Symphony and Choirs; Leon Gregorian, cond. Koch International 7487

YourClassical

Liszt pulls a switcheroo

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) Piano Trio, Op. 1, no. 2 Kempff-Szeryng-Fournier Trio DG 453 751

YourClassical

A summer Sextet by Brahms

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) String Sextet No. 2, Op. 36 L'Archibudelli Sony Classical 68252

PreviousNext

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.