Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge

YourClassical

Cowell's "Hymn and Fuguing" tunes

Henry Cowell (1897 - 1965) Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 Humbert Lucarelli, oboe; Manhattan Chamber Orchestra; Richard Auldon Clark, cond. Koch 7282

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YourClassical

Davis? Davies? Or Mavis?

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (b. 1934) Mavis in Las Vegas BBC Symphony; Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, cond. Collins 1524

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YourClassical

A "well-Krafted" concerto?

William Kraft (b. 1923) Timpani Concerto Thomas Akins, timpani; Alabama Symphony; Paul Polivnick, cond. Albany 302

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Golijov's "St. Mark Passion"

Osvaldo Golijov (b. 1960) La Pasión según San Marcos Cantoria Alberto Grau; La Pasión Orchestra; Maria Guinand, cond. Hännsler 98 404

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Tchaikovsky and Glass at the movies

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) Swan Lake Ballet Montréal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 436 212 Philip Glass (b. 1937) Dracula filmscore excerpt Kronos Quartet Nonesuch 79542

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Schoenberg's "Take Five?"

Arnold Schoenberg (1874 - 1951) Five Pieces, Op. 16 BBC Symphony; Pierre Boulez, cond. Sony Classical 48463

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On the road with Rota

Nino Rota (1911 - 1979) La Strada Ballet La Scala Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, cond. Sony Classical 66279

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Mozart "dissed" by Dittersdorf?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) String Quartet in G, K.387 Emerson String Quartet DG 439 861 Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739 - 1799) String Quartet No. 4 in C Gewandhaus Quartet Berlin Classics 9261

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.