'Toon-ful music by Carl Stalling
Carl Stalling (1888-1974) Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals and To Itch his Own Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra Warner Bros. 26027
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Tchaikovsky's doubts and Stravinsky's toothache
Peter Tchaikovsky (1833-1893) Symphony No. 5 in e, Op. 64 Berlin Philharmonic; Claudio Abbado, cond. Sony 66276 Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) The Rite of Spring Cleveland Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, cond. Sony 64109
Gluck sings the blues
Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714-1787) Act 2 aria, from Armide Rockwell Blake, tenor; Monte Carlo Philharmonic; Patrick Fournillier, cond. EMI 55058 Christoph Willibald von Gluck Don Juan Ballet Music Rhine Chamber Orchestra of Cologne; Jan Corazolla, cond. Christophorus 74507
Kern's "Showboat" is launched in D.C.
Jerome Kern (1885-1945) selections from Showboat Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Carl Davis, cond. EMI 4573
An important date for Copland and Bernstein
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Piano Blues No. 3 James Tocco, piano MPR 201
Casals and Copland at the White House
Pablo Casals (1876-1973) Song of the Birds Patrick Demenga, cello; Gerard Wyss, piano Novalis 150117 Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Billy the Kid Ballet Dallas Symphony; Eduardo Mata, cond. Dorian 90170
William Schuman writes a "Symphony for Strings"
William Schuman (1910-1992) Symphony No. 5 (Symphony for Strings) I Musici de Montreal; Yuli Turovsky, cond. Chandos 9848
Tiomkin finds a home in Hollywood (and London)
Dmitri Tiomkin (1894-1979) Rhapsody of Steel Royal College of Music Orchestra; David Willcocks, cond. Unicorn-Kanchana 9047
A cold welcome for Verdi?
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Overture and Act II excerpt, from La Forza del Destino John Alldis Choir; London Symphony; James Levine, cond. RCA/BMG 39502
Senor Rodrigo's popular Concierto
Joaquin Rodrigo (1902-1999) Concierto de Aranjuez Manuel Barrueco, guitar; Philharmonic Orchestra; Placido Domingo, cond. EMI 56175
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.