Roumain's 'Ghetto Strings'
Daniel Bernard Roumain (b. 1970): ‘Haiti’ from ‘Ghetto Strings’; Minneapolis Guitar Quartet; innova CD 858
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composers Datebook - Dec. 14, 2025
2:00
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Mahler and Schoenfield at the Vaudeville?
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Symphony No. 2 (‘Resurrection’); London Symphony; Gilbert Kaplan, conductor; Conifer 51337 Paul Schoenfield (1947-2024): ‘Vaudeville’; New World Symphony; John Nelson, conductor; Argo 440 212
2:00
Ravel and Zaimont
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): ‘La Valse’ Boston Symphony; Charles Munch, conductor; RCA 6522 Judith Lang Zaimont (b. 1945): Symphony No. 1; Czech Radio Symphony; Leos Svarovsky, conductor; Arabesque 6742
2:00
Bizet and Menotti on TV in the 1950s
Georges Bizet (1838-1875): ‘Carmen Suite No. 1’; Orchestre National de France; Seiji Ozawa, conductor; EMI 63898 Giancarlo Menotti (1911-2007): ‘March’ from ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’; New Zealand Symphony; Andrew Schenck, conductor; Koch 7005
2:00
Morton Gould
Morton Gould (1913-1996): ‘Spirituals for Strings’; London Philharmonic; Kenneth Klein, conductor; EMI 49462
2:00
A sequel by Berlioz
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): ‘Fantasy on Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’’ from ‘Lelio London Symphony’; Pierre Boulez, conductor; Sony 64103
2:00
Beethoven and Kernis in a somber mood
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 7; Vienna Philharmonic; Carlos Kleiber, conductor; DG 447 400 Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960): ‘Meditation (in memory of John Lennon)’; Eberli Ensemble; Phoenix 142
2:00
The New York Phil and Pearl Harbor
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 1; New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor; Sony 88697683652
2:00
Brubeck's birthday
Dave Brubeck (1920-2012): ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’; The Dave Brubeck Quartet; Columbia 40585 Dave Brubeck: ‘La Fiesta del Posada’; Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, conductor; Columbia Legacy 64669
2:00
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.