A Puccini premiere panned
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) excerpts, from Madama Butterfly Anna Moffo, sop.; Rome Opera; Erich Leinsdorf, cond. RCA 60202
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
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
A belated Elgar premiere
Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Symphony No. 3 (elaborated by Anthony Payne) BBC Symphony; Andrew Davis, cond. NMC 053
Mahler conducts American music in New York
Henry Hadley (1871-1937) The Culprit Fay, Op. 62 Ukraine Symphony; John McLaughlin Williams, cond. Naxos 559064
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
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
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
Hanson's "Merry Mount" at the Met
Howard Hanson (1896-1981) Merry Mount Suite Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3105
Mozart starts keeping track
Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Piano Concerto No. 14, K. 415 Murray Perahia, piano and cond.; English Chamber Orchestra CBS/Sony 415 Freemason Cantata, K. 623 Boston Early Music Festival; Andrew Parrott, cond. Denon 9152
Virgil Thomson and Wallace Stevens in Hartford
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) Four Saints in Three Acts Orchestra of Our Time; Joel Thome, cond. Nonesuch 79035
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.