Miakovsky's last symphony
Nikolai Miaskovsky (1881 – 1950) Symphony No. 27 USSR Academic Symphony; Yevgeny Svetlanov, cond. Olympia 168
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Mr. Gershwin goes to Washington
George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) Of Thee I Sing soloists; Orchestra of St. Luke's; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. Sony 42522
Harrison's "Elegiac" Symphony
Lou Harrison (1917-2003) Symphony No. 2 (Elegiac) American Composers Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, cond. MusicMasters 60204
Bright Sheng says: "What's in a name"
Bright Sheng (b. 1955) Postcards Singapore Symphony; Lan Shui, cond. BIS 1122
Libby Larsen for Strings
Libby Larsen (b. 1950) Symphony No. 4 (String Symphony) Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch International 7481
"Medea" by Charpentier (and Druckman)
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1635 – 1704) Médée Les Arts Florissants; William Christie, cond. Harmonia Mundi 90.1139/41 Jacob Druckman (1928 – 1996) Prism New York Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, cond. New World 335
Dvořák plays favorites?
Antonin Dvořák (1841 – 1904) Sonatina in G, Op. 100 Ivan Zenaty, violin; Antonin Kubalek, piano Dorian 90171
Burleigh and Copland
Harry T. Burleigh (1866 – 1949) A Jubilee Joseph Smith, piano Premier 1041 Aaron Copland (1900 – 1990) Four Piano Blues Michel Legrand, piano Erato 96386
Bernstein's "Candide"
Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990) Candide soloists; London Symphony; Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG 429 734
Corigliano for Strings
John Corigliano (b. 1938) String Quartet Cleveland Quartet Telarc 80415
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.