Symphonies by Bizet and Harris
Georges Bizet (1823 - 1892) Symphony No. 1 in C ORTF Orchestra; Jean Martinon, cond. DG 437 371 Roy Harris (1899 - 1979) Symphony No. 5 Louisville Orchestra; Robert Whitney, cond. Albany 012
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
"Basics" by Koussevitzky and Meyer
Serge Koussevitsky (1874 - 1951) Doublebass Concerto Gary Karr, double bass; Berlin Radio Symphony; Uros Lajovic, cond. Koch-Schwann 11063 Edgar Meyer (b. 1960) Quintet Edgar Meyer, double bass; Emerson String Quartet DG 453 506
Monteverdi and Carlisle Floyd opera premieres
Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643) excerpt, from L'Orfeo Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Erato 88032 Carlisle Floyd (b.1926) excerpts, from Susannah Cheryl Studer, sop.; Lyons Opera Orchestra; Kent Nagano, cond.
Deems Taylor and David Del Tredici in Wonderland
Deems Taylor (1885-1966) Through The Looking Glass Suite Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz , cond. Delos 3099 David Del Tredici (b. 1937) In Memory of A Summer Day St. Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, cond. Nonesuch 79043
Bernstein conducts Ives
Charles Ives (1874 - 1954) Symphony No. 2 New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG 429 220
Milhaud and Frisell write for silent screen comedians
Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974) Le boeuf sur le toit Paris Orchestra; Semyon Bychkov, cond. Philips 432 993 Bill Frisell (b. 1951) Go West filmscore Bill Frisell Band Nonesuch 79350
Lincoln at the opera
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Act II Prelude, from Un ballo in maschera La Scala Philharmonic; Riccardo Muti, cond. Sony 62373 Charles Gounod (1818-1893) Soldiers' Chorus, from Faust Paris Opera Chrous and Orch; Andre Cluytens, cond. EMI 63733
Morton Gould's "Spirituals"
Morton Gould (1913-1996) Spirituals for Strings I Musici de Montreal; Yuli Turovsky, cond. Chandos 9848
Music by and about telephones
Gian Carlo Menotti (b. 1911) excerpt, from The Telephone New York Chamber Ensemble; Stephen Rogers Radcliffe, cond. Albany 173
A Puccini premiere panned
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) excerpts, from Madama Butterfly Anna Moffo, sop.; Rome Opera; Erich Leinsdorf, cond. RCA 60202
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.