Handel at work on Messiah
George Frederic Handel (1685 – 1757) excerpts fr Messiah UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus; Philharmonic Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, cond. Harmonia Mundi 907050
John Birge
YourClassical MPR
Composers Datebook®
Reminding you that all music was once new ® • with host John Birge
Summer in the city, Berlioz-style
Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886) St. Francis of Assisi Preaching to the Birds and Rhapsodie espagnole Stephen Hough, piano Virgin 61129
Tower's Fifth
Joan Tower (b. 1938) Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 5 Colorado Symphony; Marin Alsop, cond. Koch 7469
Edward Collins escapes to Wisconsin
Edward J. Collins (1889 – 1951) Concert Piece in A minor Leslie Stifelman, piano; Concordia Orchestra; Marin Alsop, cond. Albany 267
Monteverdi gets a new job (and gets mugged)
Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643) Che dar piu vi poss'io (fr 5th Book of Madrigals) Consort of Musicke; Anthony Rooley, cond. L'oiseau Lyre 410 291
Frederick the Great, composer
Frederick II, King of Prussia (1712 – 1786) Flute Concerto No. 3 Patrick Gallois, flute; CPE Bach Chamber Orchestra; Peter Schreier, cond. DG 439 895
Gershwin and Daugherty go Latin
George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) Cuban Overture New York Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, cond. Teldec 46318 Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) Desi! Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 444 454
Leon Theremin's good vibrations
Bernard Herrmann (1911 – 1975) The Day the Earth Stood Still National Philharmonic; Bernard Herrmann, cond. London 443 899 Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) Berceuse, fr The Firebird Clara Rockmore, theremin; Nadia Reisenberg, piano Delos 1014
A posthumous premiere for Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949) Die Liebe der Danae (Symphonic Fragment), Op. 83 Toronto Symphony; Andrew Davis, cond. CBS 45804
Of Wagner, Tubas, and Gyorgy Kurtag
Győrgy Kurtág (b. 1926) Stele, op. 33 SWR Symphony; Michael Gielen, cond. Hänssler 93001
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.