The reclusive Mr. Alkan departs the scene
Charles Valentin Alkan (1813 – 1888) Etudes Nos. 5 and 1, fr Op. 35 Bernard Ringeissen, piano Naxos 555495
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
The Vienna Philharmonic and American composers
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) Symphony No. 7 Vienna Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG 419 434 André Previn (b. 1930) Diversions Vienna Philharmonic; André Previn, cond. DG 471 028
Symphonic Mazuyumi
Toshiro Mayazumi ( 1929 - 1997) Nirvana Symphony Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony; Hiroyuki Iwaki, cond. Denon 78839
Madeleine Dring
Madeleine Dring (1923 - 1977) Three Piece Suite Cynthia Green Libby, oboe; Peter Collins, piano Hester Park 7707
Shostakovich in America
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) Symphony No. 5 USSR Cultural Ministry Symphony; Gennady Rozhdestvensky, cond. MCA 32128
Bach's "Coethen" Concertos?
J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) Brandenburg Concertos The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Delos 3185
Bartok's Violin Concerto
Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945) Violin Concerto No. 1 Kyung-Wha Chung, violin; Chicago Symphony; Sir Georg Solti, cond. London 411 804
Harbison's First
John Harbison (b. 1938) Symphony No. 1 Boston Symphony; Seiji Ozawa, cond. New World 80331
Schubert's Ninth
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) Symphony No. 9 in C Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Kurt Masur, cond. Philips 426 269
Handel passes the hat
George Frederic Handel (1685 - 1757) Organ Concerto in A Peter Hurford, organ; Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra; Joshua Rifkin, cond. London 430 569
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.