Mendelssohn for Winds
On today’s date in 1824, Mendelssohn wrote a letter describing the Como Inglese di Basso as "a large brass instrument with a fine, deep tone, that looks like a watering can or a stirrup pump."
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composer's Datebook - July 21, 2022
2:00
Music at Watergate
On today’s date in 1945, the weather in DC was clear and warm when Alexander Smallens conducted an outdoor Watergate Concert that included the recently-composed suite from Aaron Copland’s ballet “Rodeo,” and “Newsreel,” an orchestral suite by William Schuman.
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James MacMillan's "The World's Ransoming"
James MacMillan’s “The World’s Ransoming” was premiered at the Barbican Center in London on today’s date in 1996.
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Sallinen and Kronos
On today’s date in 1984, the Kronos Quartet was at the Kukmo Music Festival in Finland, where they gave the premiere performance of the 5th String Quartet of the Finnish composer, Aulis Sallinen, subtitled “Pieces of Mosaic.”
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Water music by Handel and Larsen
In 1985, three hundred years after the birth of Handel, American composer Libby Larsen composed a Symphony she titled “Water Music,” written as a tribute to Handel and as an expression of her own enthusiasm for sailing.
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Dale Trumbore's "How to Go On"
Dale Trumbore’s “How to Go On” received its premiere performance on today’s date in 2016 in Anaheim, California by the Choral Arts Initiative.
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Bernstein's sabbatical psalms
Bernstein conducted the premiere performance of “Chichester Psalms” at Lincoln Center on July 15th, 1965
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"La Marseillaise" by Lambert
Roger de Lisle (1760-1836) La Marseillaise Detroit Symphony; Paul Paray, cond. Mercury 434 332 Today is Bastille Day, and on today’s date in 1900, the Opera-Comique in Paris premiered a patriotic opera entitled “La Marseillaise.”
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Strauss, Shostakovich, Hitler, and Stalin
Decades after their deaths, Richard Strauss and Dmitri Shostakovich still remain politically controversial.
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Requiems and Elegies by Faure and Rouse
On this day in 1900, the world first heard the Requiem of Gabriel Fauré in its full orchestral version at a concert at the Paris World Exhibition.
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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.