Britten's Peter Grimes
Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976) Sea Interludes, fr Peter Grimes London Symphony; André Previn, cond. EMI 72658
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Handel's dueling divas
George Frederic Handel (1685 - 1759) aria, fr Alessandro Lisa Saffer, soprano; Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, cond. Harmonia Mundi 90.7036
A Wagnerian souvenir
Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) Act I Prelude, fr Siegfried Vienna Philharmonic; Sir Georg Solti, cond. London 414 110
Chadwick and Salonen go Greek
George Whitefield Chadwick (1854 - 1931) Aphrodite Brno State Philharmonic; Jose Serebrier, cond. Reference 74 Esa-Pekka Salonen (b. 1958) Five Images after Sappho Dawn Upshaw, soprano; London Sinfonietta; Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond. Sony 89158
Copland "Here, There and at the Fair"
Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) The City and From Sorcery to Science Eos Orchestra; Jonathan Sheffer, cond. Telarc 80583
Vierne and Alain meet their ends
Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937) Carillon de Longpont Richard Proulx, organ Sacred Heart 101 Jehan Alain (1911 - 1940) Litanies Carlo Curley, organ Argo 430 200
Dvořák gets paid
Antonin Dvořák (1841 - 1904) String Quintet in E, Op. 97 Vlach Quartet Naxos 8.553376
Marais goes to the movies
Marin Marais (1656 - 1728) The Bells of St. Genevieve Spectre de la Rose Ensemble Naxos 8.550750
Piston goes to the dogs
Walter Piston (1894 -1976) The Incredible Flutist Columbia Symphony; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 61849
Cowell's "Seven Rituals"
Henry Cowell (1897 – 1965) Symphony No. 11 (Seven Rituals of Music) The Louisville Orchestra; Robert S. Whitney, cond. First Editions 0003
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.