Mendelssohn gets wet and wild
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): ‘The Hebrides’ (‘Fingal’s Cave’); Overture BBC Symphony; Sir Colin Davis, conductor; Philips 426 978
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Composers Datebook - Aug. 7, 2025
2:00
An opera debut for Britten and Bernstein
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): ‘Sunday Morning and Storm,’ from ‘Peter Grimes’; New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor; Sony Classical 47541
2:00
Of mountains and Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): ‘Bryce Canyon and the Red-Orange Rocks,’ from ‘From the Canyons to the Stars’; London Sinfonietta; Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; CBS/Sony 44762
2:00
Mozart gets married
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): ‘Great Mass: Et Incarnatus Est’; Gillian Keith, soprano; Handel and Haydn Society; Harry Christophers, conductor; Coro 16084
2:00
Rossini asks 'Who was that masked man?'
Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868): ‘William Tell Overture’; Philharmonia Orchestra; Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor; EMI 69042 Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 15; London Philharmonic; Mariss Jansons, conductor; EMI 56591
2:00
Gluck and Glass in the underworld
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787): ‘Dance of the Blessed Spirits’ from ‘Orphée’; Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, conductor; L’oiseau Lyre 410 553 Philip Glass (b. 1937): ‘Act 2 Interlude’ from ‘Orphée’; Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, conductor; Nonesuch 79496-2
2:00
Dvorak's 'American Quintet'
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): II. ‘Allegro Vivo’ from String Quintet No. 3; Vlach Quartet Prague with Ladislav Kyselak, viola; Naxos 8.553376
2:00
Bach at rest
J.S. Bach (1685-1750): ‘St. Matthew Passion’; SW German Madrigal Chorus; Wolfgang Gönnenwein, conductor; EMI Classics 79544 J.S. Bach (1685-1750) (arr. Chris Brubeck): ‘Variations on Themes by Bach’; Joel Brown, guitar; London Symphony; Joel Revzen, conductor; Koch International 7485
2:00
Ellington honored -- finally!
Edward Kennedy (“Duke”) Ellington (1899-1974): ‘The Golden Broom and the Green Apple’; Duke Ellington, piano; Cincinnati Symphony; Erich Kunzel, conductor; MCA 42318
2:00
Caruso sings Cohan
George M. Cohan (1878-1942) (arr. Bennett): ‘Over There’; Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, conductor; Telarc 80175 George M. Cohan (1878-1942): ‘Over There’; Enrico Caruso, tenor; recorded July 11, 1918 RCA/BMG 60495
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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.