Dvořák gets paid
Antonin Dvořák (1841 - 1904) String Quintet in E, Op. 97 Vlach Quartet Naxos 8.553376
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
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
Josiah Flagg, Music Man?
John Greenwood The Hessian Camp First Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps Private release G.F. Handel (1685 – 1757) Water Music English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, cond. DG 439 147
Stravinsky and Larsen "do" Eliot
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) The Dove Descending The Gregg Smith Singers; St. Luke's Orchestra; Robert Craft, cond. MusicMasters 67152 Libby Larsen (b. 1950) Ring of Fire London Symphony; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch 7370
Lou Harrison's "Pacifika Rondo"
Lou Harrison (1917 – 2003) Pacifica Rondo Oakland Youth Orchestra; Robert Hughes, cond. Phoenix 118
Delibes plays with dolls?
Leo Delibes (1836 –1891) Coppelia Lyons Opera Orchestra; Kent Nagano, cond. Erato 91730
Elgar's Second
Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934) Symphony No. 2 London Symphony; Sir Colin Davis, cond. LSO 18
Da Ponte (and Mozart) in New York
Wolfgang Mozart (1756 – 1791) arr. Triebensee Don Giovanni Suite Amadeus Ensemble; Julius Rudel, cond. MusicMasters 67118
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.