Diamond's First
David Diamond (1915-2005) Symphony No. 1 Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3119
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composers Datebook for December 21, 2019
2:00
Mozart in Salzburg, Bloch in America
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Violin Concerto No. 5 Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin; Netherlands Chamber Orchestra; Leopold Hager, cond. Denon 7504 Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) America: An Epic Rhapsody Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3135
2:00
Wendy Carlos "synthesizes" Purcell and Bach
Henry Purcell (arr. Wendy Carlos) Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary Wendy Carlos, synthesizers Eastside Digital 81362 J.S. Bach (arr. Wendy Carlos) Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 Wendy Carlos, synthesizers CBS/Sony 42309
2:00
Contrasting premieres by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich
Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 Kirov Orchestra; Valery Gergiev, cond. Philips 462 114 Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) Symphony No. 13, Op. 113 (Babi Yar) Nicola Ghiuselev, bass; Choral Arts Society of Washington; National Symphony; Mstislav Rostropovich, cond. Erato 85529
2:00
"Leif" Insurance for Schubert?
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Symphony No. 9 Berlin Philharmonic; Karl Böhm, cond. DG 419 318 Jón Leifs (1899-1968) Fine I, Op. 55 and Fine II, Op. 56 Iceland Symphony; Petri Sakari, cond. Chandos 9433
2:00
On Beethoven, Saint-Saens, and fossil-hunting
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Variations on a theme of Beethoven Philippe Corre and Edouard Exerjean, pianos Pierre Verany 790041 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Fossils, from Carnival of the Animals Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire, pianos; Markus Steckeler, xylophone; ensemble Philips 446557
2:00
Dvořák's "Toy Story?"
Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) New York Philharmonic; Kurt Masur, cond. Teldec 73244
2:00
Lauridsen's "Ave Maria"
Morton Lauridsen (b. 1943) Ave Maria Los Angeles Master Chorale; Paul Salamunovich, cond. RCM 19705
2:00
Mahler and Schoenfield at the Vaudeville?
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) London Symphony; Gilbert Kaplan, cond. Conifer 51337 Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947) Vaudeville New World Symphony; John Nelson, cond. Argo 440 212
2:00
Ravel and Zaimont
Maurice Ravel (1875 -1937) La Valse Boston Symphony; Charles Munch, cond. RCA 6522 Judith Lang Zaimont (b. 1945) Symphony No. 1 Czech Radio Symphony; Leos Svarovsky, cond. Arabesque 6742
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.