Rachmaninoff's "Monna Vanna"
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) arr. Igor Buketoff Monna Vanna soloists; Iceland Symphony; Igor Buketoff, cond. Chandos 8987
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
MacMillan at the Proms
James MacMillan (b. 1959) Veni, veni, Emmanuel Evelyn Glennie, percussion; Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Jukka-Pekka Saraste, BMG/Catalyst 61916
Beatrice and Benedict and Berlioz
Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869) Beatrice and Benedict Overture Dresden State Orchestra; Sir Colin Davis, cond. BMG 68790
Del Tredici through the looking glass
David Del Tredici (b. 1937) Acrostic Song Carol Wincenc, flute; David Del Tredici, piano Nonesuch 79114
Julian Orbon
Julián Orbón (1925 - 1991) Concerto Grosso Latinoamericano Quartet; Simon Bolivar Symphony; Eduardo Mata, cond. Dorian 90178
A dream situation for Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Kurt Masur, cond. Teldec 46323
Bach gives notice
J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750) Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; David Shifrin, cond. Delos 3185
Mozart gets married
Wolfgang Mozart (1756 - 1791) Mass in c Kathleen Battle, soprano; Vienna Philharmonic; James Levine, cond. DG 423 664
Bennett and Sousa at Bat
John Philip Sousa (1854 - 1932) The National Game Royal Artillery Band; Keith Brion, cond. Naxos 8. 559092
Music for the Queen Mum
Patrick Doyle (b. 1953) The Thistle and the Rose Marie McLaughlin, soprano Patrick Gowers (b. 1936) Suite for Violin Jose Luis Garcia, violin David Matthews (b. 1943) Romanza Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; English Chamber Orchestra; Raymond Leppard, cond all three pieces on EMI 54164
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.