Hot new operas by Saariaho and Wagner
Richard Wagner's "Die Walküre" had its first performance as part of his "Ring Cycle" on today's date in 1876, at Wagner's own theater in Bayreuth, a small town in Southern Germany.
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composer's Datebook - 20220814
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Martinu in California
On today's date in 1950, the orchestra of the Musical Arts Society of La Jolla, California gave the premiere performance of the "Sinfonietta La Jolla" by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu.
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"Twilight Butterfly" by Thomas
On today’s date in 2013, Ravinia was the venue for world-premiere performances of several new art songs, including “Twilight Butterfly,” by the American composer Augusta Read Thomas.
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Bernstein in Hollywood
The first performance of Bernstein’s concert suite from "On the Waterfront"took place at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood on today's date in 1954.
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Two by Mozart
On today's date, Wolfgang Mozart completed two of his most famous works: on August 10th, 1787, the Serenade known as "Eine kleine Nachtmusik," and, on the same day exactly 10 years later, Mozart's Symphony No. 41 in C Major.
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Berlioz, Beatrice, and Benedict
A new comic opera by the French composer Hector Berlioz, titled “Beatrice and Benedict”
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Chaminade in America
The French composer and concert pianist Cecile Chaminade was born in Paris on this date in 1857.
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Mendelssohn gets wet and wild
On today’s date in 1829, the German composer Felix Mendelssohn and his friend, Karl Klingemann, were on the North Sea bound for Glasgow.
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An opera debut for Britten and Bernstein
On today's date in 1946, Leonard Bernstein conducted the American premiere of Benjamin Britten's opera, "Peter Grimes," at the Tanglewood Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts.
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Of Mountains and Messiaen
On today's date in 1978, the citizens of Parowan resolved to name a local mountain Mt. Messiaen in honor of the French composer, who had spent a month in Utah five years earlier while working on his symphonic suite titled "From the Canyons to the Stars."
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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.