Offenbach puts a critic to work
Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) Orpheus in the Underworld English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus; Mark Elder, cond. MCA 6325
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Lou Harrison's Piano Concerto
Lou Harrison (1917-2003) Piano Concerto Keith Jarrett, piano; New Japan Philharmonic; Naoto Otomo, cond. New World 366
Koussevitzky invests in Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition London Philharmonic; Valery Gergiev, cond. Philips 426 437
Symphonic Mahler and Moross
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No. 5 Chicago Symphony; Claudio Abbado, cond. DG 427 254 Jerome Moross (1913-1983) Symphony No. 1 London Symphony; JoAnn Falletta, cond. Koch 7188
Mendelssohn at Starbucks?
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 25 Cyprien Katsaris, piano; Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Kurt Masur, cond Teldec 8.43681
American premieres by Copland and Tower
Joan Tower (b. 1938) Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 4 Colorado Symphony; Marin Alsop, cond Koch 7469 Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Rodeo Saint Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, cond. EMI 73653
Claude Debussy out to sea?
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) La Mer New Philharmonia; Pierre Boulez, cond. Sony 68327
Lully and Moliere send in the clowns
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) Le bourgeois gentilhomme Comedy-Ballet Le Concert des Nations; Jordi Savall, cond. Alia Vox 9807
A Diamond premiere
David Diamond (1915-2005) Symphony No. 2 Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3093
Columbus Day music
Victor Herbert (1859-1924) Columbus Suite Slovak Radio Symphony; Keith Brion, cond. Naxos 8.559027 James DeMars (b. 1952) Premonitions of Christopher Columbus Tos Ensemble with R. Carlos Nakai, Native American flute Canyon 7014
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.