Offenbach in America
Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880) American Eagle Waltz Gulbenkian Orchestra; Michel Swierczewski, cond. Nimbus 5303
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Alfven defines musical Sweden
Hugo Alfven (1872 - 1960) Swedish Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 19 (A Midsummer Vigil) Iceland Symphony; Petri Sakari, cond. Chandos 9313
Ravel plays "guess who" in Paris
Maurice Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales Minnesota Orchestra; Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, cond. Analogue 007
Tan Dun scores it big in America
Tan Dun (b. 1957) Marco Polo Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra; Tan Dun, cond. Sony 62912
"Pay no attention to Beethoven (if you can) . . . "
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) Symphony No. 9 in d (Choral) Wiener Singverein; Berlin Philharmonic; Herbert von Karajan, cond. DG 453 701
Rautavaara's 'Angels"
Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928) Angel of Dusk Olli Kosonen, double bass; Finnish Radio Symphony; Leif Segerstam, cond. Finlandia 009
Britten in America
Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976) Paul Bunyan Overture English Chamber Orchestra; Philip Brunelle, cond. Virgin 45093 Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976) Sea Interludes, fr Peter Grimes, Op 33a BBC Symphony; Andrew Davis, cond. Teldec 73126
Virgil Thomson reviews Elliott Carter
Elliott Carter (1908 - 2012) String Quartet No. 1 The Composers Quartet Nonesuch 71249
Bloch's "Greatest Hit"
Ernest Bloch (1880 - 1959) Schelomo Mischa Maisky, cello; Israel Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG 427 347
Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"
Sergei Prokofiev (1873 - 1943) arr. Albert Markov Peter and the Wolf Alexander Markov, violin; Dmitri Cogan, piano Erato 98481
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.