With John Birge

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Episodes

YourClassical
Bruckner's New York debut

Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) — Symphony No. 3 in d (BBC Scottish Symphony; Osmo Vänskä, cond.) Hyperion 67200

YourClassical
Bach Begins the Church Year

J.S. Bach (1685 - 1750) — Cantata No. 62 (Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland) (Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond.) Archiv 463 588

YourClassical
Messiaen in Boston

Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) — Turangalila Symphony (Concertgebouw Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, cond.) London 436 626

YourClassical
Stravinsky and Balanchine count to 12

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) — Agon Ballet (Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra; Michael Stern, cond.) Denon 78972

YourClassical
Picker picks a plot

Tobias Picker (b. 1954) — Therese Raquin (Dallas Opera Orchestra; Graeme Jenkins, cond.) Chandos 9659

YourClassical
Scarlatti Arrives

On today’s date in 1719, the Papal ambassador in Lisbon noted the arrival of a fellow Italian, a composer named Domenico Scarlatti. Domenico was in his early 30s, and the son of Alessandro Scarlatti, a very famous and influential composer of Baroque operas in Naples.

YourClassical
Griffes for pleasure

Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884 - 1920) — The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan (Boston Symphony; Seiji Ozawa, cond.) New World 273

YourClassical
Korngold writes a symphony

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897 – 1957) — Symphony, Op. 40 (Philadelphia Orchestra; Franz Welser-Most, cond.) EMI 56169

YourClassical
A belated Schumann premiere

Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856) — Violin Concerto in D Minor (Gidon Kremer, violin; Philharmonia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, cond.) EMI 69334

YourClassical
Bach's "wake up" call?

J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) — Cantata No. 140 (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme) (Bach Ensemble; Helmuth Rilling, cond.) Laudate 98.857

About

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.