Puccini's shocker
Giacomo Puccini (1858 –1924) Tosca Soloists and Philharmonia Orchestra; Giuseppe Sinopoli, cond. DG 431 775
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
"Hello, Mr. Addinsell?"
Richard Addinsell (1904 –1977) Goodbye Mr. Chips BBC Concert Orchestra; Kenneth Alwyn, cond. Marco Polo 8.223732 Richard Addinsell (1904 –1977) Warsaw Concerto Cristina Ortiz, piano; Royal Philharmonic; Moseh Atzmon, cond. London 414 348
Strong's "King Arthur"
George Templeton Strong (1856 –1948) King Arthur Moscow Symphony; Adriano, cond. Naxos 8.559048
Oscar Straus
Oscar Straus (1870 –1954) La Ronde Waltz Budapest Strauss Symphony; Alfred Walter, cond. Marco Polo 8.223596
Joan Tower's "Fanfares"
Joan Tower (b. 1938) Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman Colorado Symphony; Marin Alsop, cond. Koch 7469
Bartok's "Contrasts"
Béla Bartók (1881 –1945) Contrasts Benny Goodman, clarinet; Joseph Szigeti, violin; Bela Bartok, piano CBS/SONY 42227
Weinberger in Europe and America
Jaromir Weinberger (1896 –1967) Schwanda the Bagpiper Munich Radio Orchestra; Heinz Wallberg, cond. CBS/Sony 36926
"Statements" from Copland
Aaron Copland (1900 –1990) Statements London Symphony; Aaron Copland, cond. Sony 47232
Concertos by Poulenc and Carter
Francis Poulenc (1899 –1963) Piano Concerto Pascal Roge, piano; Philharmonia Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 436 546 Elliot Carter (b. 1908) Piano Concerto Ursula Oppens, piano; SWF Symphony; Michael Gielen, cond. Arte Nova 27773
Strauss, Tchaikovsy, Bruckner and Vienna's "Golden Hall"
Johann Strauss, Sr. (1804 - 1849) Zampa Galop Jhn. Strauss Orchestra; Christopher Warren-Green, cond. Black Box 1059 Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 –1893) Violin Concerto, Op. 35 Ilya Gringolts, violin; Israel Philharmonic; Itzhak Perlman, cond. DG 471 616 Anton Bruckner (1824 –1896) Symphony No. 3 SWR Symphony; Michael Gielen, cond. Hänssler 93.031
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.