Beethoven's First
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 1 Concertgebouw Orchestra; Bernard Haitink, cond. Philips 442 073
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
The truth about Alkan
Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888) Bombardo-Carillon Caroline Clemmow and Anthony Goldstone, pedal-piano Symposiun 1062
Dvořák's "Rusalka"
Antonin Dvořák (1841–1904) O Silver Moon, fr Rusalka Renée Fleming, soprano; London Symphony; Sir Georg Solti, cond. London 455 760
Symphonies by Strauss
Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949) Symphony in d Bavarian Radio Symphony; Karl Anton Rickenbacker, cond. Koch/Schwann 365 322
Sheng's "Silent Temple"
Bright Sheng (b. 1955) String Quartet No. 4 (Silent Temple) Shanghai Quartet BIS 1138
Beethoven in Vienna
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) The Creatures of Prometheus Orpheus Chamber Orchestra DG 453 713
Haydn in Vienna
Franz Josef Haydn (1732 - 1808) The Creation English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Archiv 449 217
Glass in Rome
Philip Glass (b. 1937) Rome Section, fr The Civil Wars Giuseppe Sabbatini, tenor; American Composers Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, cond. Nonesuch 79487
Beeson's "Lizzie Borden"
Jack Beeson (b. 1921) Lizzie Borden New York City Opera; Anton Coppola, cond. CRI 694
Lee's "ART" music
Thomas Oboe Lee (b. 1945) ART: arias and interludes Hawthorne String Quartet Koch 7452
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.