Edward Collins premieres
Edward Collins (1889 - 1951) Mardi Gras and Tragic Overture Concordia Orchestra; Marin Alsop, cond. Albany 267
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Verdi, Wagner and Sousa for the Red Cross
Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) Ride of the Valkyries, from Die Walküre New York Philharmonic and NBC Orchestra; Arturo Toscanini, cond. Radio Years 71/72 John Philip Sousa (arr. Toscanini) Stars and Stripes Forever New York Philharmonic and NBC Orchestra; Arturo Toscanini, cond. Radio Years 71/72
Carter and Copland in dancing shoes
Elliot Carter (1908 - 2012) Pocahontas Ballet American Composers Orchestra; Paul Dunkel, cond. CRI 610 Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) Billy the Kid Ballet St. Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, cond. EMI 73653
Daniel Pinkham's "Nocturnes"
Daniel Pinkham (1923 - 2006) Nocturnes Fenwick Smith, flute; David Leisner, guitar Koch 7423
Still and Singleton
William Grant Still (1895 - 1978) Sahdji Ballet Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and Chorus; Howard Hanson, cond. Mercury 434 324 Alvin Singleton (b.1940) A Yellow Rose Petal Atlanta Symphony; Louis Lane, cond. Nonesuch 79231
Brubeck's "Pange Lingua Variations"
Dave Brubeck (1920 - 2012) "Pange Lingua" Variations Brubeck Quartet; London Voices; London Symphony; Russell Gloyd, cond. Telarc 80621
Hoover's "Quintet da Pacem"
Katherine Hoover (1937-2018) Quintet "Da Pacem" Montclair String Quartet; Leslie Petteys, piano Koch 7147
Shostakovich plays Hamlet (for laughs?)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) Hamlet Incidental music, Op. 32 City of Birmingham Symphony; Mark Elder, cond. Cala 1021
Milhaud's "Sacred Service"
Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974) Sabbath Morning Service Prague Philharmonic Choir; Czech Philharmonic; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Naxos 8.559409
Ned Rorem for eleven
Ned Rorem (b. 1923) Eleven Studies for Eleven Players New York Chamber Ensemble; Stephen Rogers Radcliffe, cond. Albany 175
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.