Copland at Yaddo
Aaron Copland (1900–1990) Piano Variations Stephen Hough, piano Hyperion 67005
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Herbert's "Earthquake"Benefit
Victor Herbert (1859–1924) Cello Concerto No. 1 Lynn Harrell, cello; St. Martin's Academy; Neville Marriner, cond. London 417 672
Diamond's "Elegy"
David Diamond (b. 1915) Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel Orchestra of St. Luke's; John Adams, cond. Nonesuch 79249
Nicholas Slonimsky, Date-Meister
Charles Ives (1874-1954) Three Places in New England San Francisco Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. BMG 63703
Tchaikovsky in New York
Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Orchestral Suite No. 3 Detroit Symphony; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9419
Prokofiev and Rochberg chamber premieres
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) String Quartet No. 1 St. Petersburg String Quartet Delos 3247 George Rochberg (1918-2005) Octet (A Grand Fantasia) New York Chamber Ensemble; Stephen Rogers Radcliffe, cond. New World 80462
Tower's Violin Concerto
Joan Tower (b. 1938) Violin Concerto Elmar Oliveira, violin; Louisville Orchestra; Joseph Silverstein, cond. D'Note 1016
Lauridsen's "Rose Songs"
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943) Les Chansons des Roses L.A. Master Chorale; Paul Salamunovich, cond. RCM 19705
Orchestral openings and closings
Modest Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881) Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel) Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 79 Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1808) Symphony No. 104 Philharmonia Hungarica; Antal Dorati, cond. London 425 935
Copland's "Hurricane" for kids
Aaron Copland (1900–1990) The Second Hurricane High School of Music and Art; New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 60560
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.