Poster John Birge
John Birge
YourClassical MPR

Composers Datebook®

Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge

Composers Datebook for February 20, 2008

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Lincoln at the opera

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Act II Prelude, from Un ballo in maschera La Scala Philharmonic; Riccardo Muti, cond. Sony 62373 Charles Gounod (1818-1893) Soldiers' Chorus, from Faust Paris Opera Chrous and Orch; Andre Cluytens, cond. EMI 63733

1:59
YourClassical

Morton Gould's "Spirituals"

Morton Gould (1913-1996) Spirituals for Strings I Musici de Montreal; Yuli Turovsky, cond. Chandos 9848

1:59
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Music by and about telephones

Gian Carlo Menotti (b. 1911) excerpt, from The Telephone New York Chamber Ensemble; Stephen Rogers Radcliffe, cond. Albany 173

1:59
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A Puccini premiere panned

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) excerpts, from Madama Butterfly Anna Moffo, sop.; Rome Opera; Erich Leinsdorf, cond. RCA 60202

1:59
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Gossec and Corigliano

François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829) Symphony in D, Op. 5, no. 3 (Pastorella) London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, cond. Chandos 9661 John Corigliano (b. 1938) The Red Violin filmscore Joshua Bell, violin; Sony 63010

1:58
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A belated Elgar premiere

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Symphony No. 3 (elaborated by Anthony Payne) BBC Symphony; Andrew Davis, cond. NMC 053

1:57
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1:59
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Johann Strauss and Philip Glass in 3/4 time

Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899) Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314 Vienna State Opera Orchestra; Jascha Horenstein, cond. Chesky 95 Philip Glass (b. 1937) Modern Love Waltz Gloria Cheng, piano Telarc 80549

1:59
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The Brothers Johnson write an anthem

J.W. (1871-1938) and J.R. (1873-1954) Johnson Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Choirs and Boston Pops Orchestra; Keith Lockhart, cond. BMG/RCA 63888

1:59
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The varieties of Bruckner

Anton Bruckner (1826-1894) Symphony No. 6 in A Bavarian Radio Symphony; Eugen Jochum, cond. DG 429 790 Symphony No. 9 in d Minnesota Orchestra; Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, cond. Reference 81

1:59

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.

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