A birthday Beatle
Lennon and McCartney (arr. Toru Takemitsu) Here, There and Everywhere John Williams, guitar Sony 66704
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Sharon Isbin and John Corigliano
John Corigliano (b. 1938) Troubadours Sharon Isbin, guitar; Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Hugh Wolff, cond. Virgin 55083
Music and politics by Rimsky-Korsakov and Adams
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) The Golden Cockerel Suite Russian National Orchestra; Mikhail Pletnev, cond. DG 447 084 John Adams (b. 1947) The Chairman Dances San Francisco Symphony; Edo de Waart, cond. Nonesuch 79453
Brahms and Rzewski for amateurs
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Liebeslieder Waltz No. 18, Op..52a Silke-Thora Matthies and Christian Köhn, piano Naxos 553140 Frederic Rzewski (b. 1938) The Days Fly By Ursula Oppens, piano companion CD to Boosey and Hawkes"The Carnegie Hall Millennium Piano Book" ASIN: B003AG8IUK
Timely Argento and Takemitsu
Dominick Argento (b. 1927) A Ring of Time Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 91 Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) From Me Flows What You Call Time Pacific Symphony; Carl St. Clair, cond. Sony 63044
Belated — and timely — Dvořák and Copland premieres
Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) Symphony No. 1 in c Berlin Philharmonic; Rafael Kubelik, cond. DG 423 120 Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Appalachian Spring Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 93
Ceremonial Beethoven and Schuman
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Consecration of the House Overture Berlin Philharmonic; Bernhard Klee, cond. DG 453 713 Willliam Schuman (1910-1992) To Thee Old Cause New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 63088
Jr. takes over the Strauss Family Band
Johann Strauss, Jr (1825-1899) Farewell Waltz Slovak State Philharmonic; Christian Pollack, cond. Marco Polo 8.223239
"Flagg-waving" in Colonial Boston?
Oliver Shaw Gov. Arnold's March Members of the Federal Music Society; John Baldon, cond. New World 80299
Salieri gets comp tickets
Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) excerpts, from The Magic Flute soloists; Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; Otto Klemperer, cond. EMI Classics 55173
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.