Gershwin and Daugherty go Latin
George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) Cuban Overture New York Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, cond. Teldec 46318 Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) Desi! Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 444 454
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Leon Theremin's good vibrations
Bernard Herrmann (1911 – 1975) The Day the Earth Stood Still National Philharmonic; Bernard Herrmann, cond. London 443 899 Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Berceuse, fr The Firebird Clara Rockmore, theremin; Nadia Reisenberg, piano Delos 1014
A posthumous premiere for Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949) Die Liebe der Danae (Symphonic Fragment), Op. 83 Toronto Symphony; Andrew Davis, cond. CBS 45804
Of Wagner, Tubas, and Gyorgy Kurtag
Győrgy Kurtág (b. 1926) Stele, op. 33 SWR Symphony; Michael Gielen, cond. Hänssler 93001
Edison, for the record
Antonin Dvořák (1841 - 1904) arr. Kreisler Songs My Mother Taught Me Fritz Kreisler, violin Pearl 9324 George Frederic Handel (1685 – 1757) excerpt, fr Judas Maccabeus Edward Lloyd, tenor Koch Historic 7703 Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897) plays on an Edison cylinder (r. 1889) Johannes Brahms, p. Pearl 99049 Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897) Hungarian Dance No. 1 Idil Biret, piano Naxos 8.550355
Telemann finesses his contract
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767) Don Quichotte Suite Camerata of St. Andrew; Leonard Friedman, cond. Omega 1006
William Henry Fry
William Henry Fry (1813 – 1864) Macbeth Overture Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Tony Rowe, cond. Naxos 8.559057
"J.D." Bach?
J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) Prelude and Fugue in C, S. 531 Kevin Bowyer, organ Nimbus 5500
Poulenc's "Model Animals"
Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963) Les animaux modeles French National Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 452 937
Hanson and Thomas at summer camp
Howard Hanson (1896 – 1981) Symphony No. 7 (A Sea Symphony) Seattle Symphony and Chorale; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3130 Augusta Read Thomas (b. 1964) Wind Dances Louisville Orchestra; Lawrence Leighton Smith, cond. Albany/ Louisville First Edition 010
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.