John Williams goes west
John Williams (b. 1932) The Cowboys Overture Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Philips 420 178
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Bernstein gets political
Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990) So Pretty Roberta Alexander, soprano; Tan Crone, piano Etcetera 1007
Kirkpatrick plays Ives
Charles Ives (1874 – 1954) Piano Sonata No. 2 (Concord, Mass., 1840-1860) Marc-André Hamelin, piano New World 378
Quintessential Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1902) arr. Franz Liszt Miserere fr Il Trovatore Daniel Barenboim, piano Erato 75457 Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1902) Anvil Chorus fr Il Trovatore Chicago Symphony and Chorus; Sir Georg Solti, cond. London 466 075
Stravinsky and J.F.K.
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Three Movements fr Petrouchka Louis Lortie, piano Chandos 8733
Adams shakes things up
John Adams (b. 1947) I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky Audra MacDonald, soprano; ensemble; John Adams, cond. Nonesuch 79473
The leftist Britten
Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976) Diversions Peter Donohoe, piano; City of Birmingham Symphony; Simon Rattle, cond. EMI 54270
Danielpour salutes "The Greatest Generation"
Richard Danielpour (b. 1956) In Paradisum from Elegies Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Hampson, baritone; London Philharmonic; Roger Nierenberg, cond. Sony Classical 60850
Ravel reviewed
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937) Piano Concerto in G Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano; Montréal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 452 448
Stravinsky at the circus
Igor Stravinsky (1882 –1971) Circus Polka London Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. RCA 68865
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.