A John Adams Christmas oratorio
John Adams (b. 1947) excerpts from El Niño soloists; Kent Nagano, cond. Nonesuch 79634
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
A Kernis premiere wins the Pulitzer
Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960) String Quartet No. 2 (musica instrumentalis) The Lark Quartet Arabesque 6727
Opposite-coast bouquets and brickbats for Weill and Sessions
Roger Sessions (1896-1985) Symphony No. 2 San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, cond London 443 376 Kurt Weill (1900-1950) Act 1 Intro, from Street Scene Scottish Opera Orchestra; John Mauceri, cond. London 433 371
Fateful anniversaries for Lully and Shostakovich
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) Galliarde, from Trios pour le coucher du Roi Chicago Baroque Ensemble Cedille 043 Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) Symphony No. 15 in A, Op. 141 London Symphony; Maxim Shostakovich, cond. Collins 1206
Pop music by Rimsky-Korsakov and Michael Daugherty
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) Song of India, from Sadko (arr Kreisler) Gil Shaham, vn; Akira Eguchi, p. DG 447 640 Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) Candelabra Rhumba, from Le tombeau de Liberace Paul Crossley, piano; London Sinfonietta; Markus Stenz, cond. Argo 458 145
Bach at Starbucks?
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Harpsichord Concerto in f, S. 1056 Gustav Leonhardt, Herbert Tachezi, hc; Leonhardt Consort Teldec 35778 Coffee Cantata, S. 211 Christine Schaefer, sop.; Stuttgart Bach-Collegium; Helmuth Rilling, cond. Hanssler 98.161
Ravel left and right
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Piano Concerto in D (for the Left Hand) Leon Fleisher, piano; Baltimore Symphony; Sergui Commissiona, cond. Philips 456 775 Piano Concerto in G Krystian Zimerman, piano; Cleveland Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, cond. DG 449 213
Danielpour's home-town tribute
Richard Danielpour (b. 1956) Toward the Splendid City Philharmonia Orchestra; Zdenek Macal, cond. Sony 60779
The productive Mr. Donizetti and Mr. Williams
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) Don Pasquale Overture Philharmonia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, cond. EMI 54490 John Williams (b. 1932) Devil's Dance, from Witches of Eastwick Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Philips 422 385
Wagner's "shaggy dog" story
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) The Flying Dutchman Overture Concertgebouw Orchestra; Edo de Waart, cond Philips 400 089
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.