Takemitsu and Tanaka
Toru Takemitsu (1930 - 1996) November Steps Katsuya Yokoyama, shakuhachi; Kunshi Isuruta, biwa; Concertgebouw Orchestra; Bernard Haitink, cond. Philips 426 667 Karen Tanaka (b. 1961) Night Bird Claude Delangle, saxophone BIS 890
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Schumann and Zaimont
Clara Schumman (1819 – 1896) Four Polonaises, Op. 1 Josef de Beenhouwer, piano CPO 999 758 Judith Lang Zaimont (b. 1945) September, fr Calendar Collection Judith Lang Zaimont, piano Four Tay 4001
Varese and Zappa
Edgar Varèse (1883 - 1965) Ionisation New York Philharmonic; Pierre Boulez, cond. Sony 45844 Frank Zappa (1940 – 1993) Dog Breath Variations Cincinnati Conservatory Wind Symphony; Eugene Corporon, cond. Mark 1116
Janácek and Daugherty read the funnies
Leos Janácek (1854 - 1928) The Cunning Little Vixen Suite Czech Philharmonic; Vaclav Neumann, cond. Praga 250 100 Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) Metropolis Symphony Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 452 103
Sondheim in the Woods
Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930) Into the Woods Original Broadway cast members RCA 60752
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Apollo Ballet Stockholm Chamber Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond. Sony Classical 46667
Shostakovich's Eighth and Ninth
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975) Symphony No. 8, Op. 65 Leningrad Philharmonic; Yevgeny Mravinsky, cond. Philips 422 442 Symphony No. 9, Op. 70 St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Yuri Termirkanov, cond. BMG/RCA 68548
Mozart and "Amadeus"
Wolfgang Mozart (1756 – 1791) Requiem, K. 626 La Chapelle Royale and Orchestre des Champs Elysees; Philippe Herreweghe, cond. Harmonia Mundi 901620
Chopin gets out of town
Frederick Chopin (1810 – 1849) Piano Concerto No. 2 in f, Op. 21 Martha Argerich, piano; Montréal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. EMI Classics 56798
Hovhaness in "Hooston"
Alan Hovhaness (1911 – 2000) Symphony No. 2 (Mysterious Mountain) London Symphony; John Williams, cond. Sony Classical 62729
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.