Introducing your older kids to classical music might seem like an
impossible task. With Classical Kids audio products from
The Children's Group, however, it can be an easy and enjoyable
one.
A whole series of titles are now available to choose from. Most feature a classical composer, like Beethoven or Bach, and take kids on musical journeys. Classical music excerpts are short enough to maintain children's interest, and long enough to provide kids with a fair sampling of the featured composer's work. These are interwoven throughout the recordings' storytelling. Narrators are adults as well as children, and characters in the stories are believable and interesting.
Though any of
the recordings in the series will delight, a fine place to start is Beethoven
Lives Upstairs. This title introduces children to the life and
music of Beethoven through the eyes of a fictional character,
Christoph, whose mother has taken on Beethoven as a boarder in
their home. The story is a joy as listeners follow Christoph's
experiences of the famous composer, from his initial resentment of
the man who has intruded upon his home, to his ultimate
appreciation for Beethoven's character and compositions. It's a
heartwarming tale told through the eyes of a believable child, and
listeners are treated to powerful excerpts of Beethoven's music
that are seamlessly integrated into the story line. This recording
is a masterpiece in its own right—one that both children and
adults will enjoy. [Buy Beethoven Lives Upstairs
at Amazon.com - sponsored link]
Another recording in the series, Mozart's Magic Fantasy, takes a different approach. The main character, Sara, finds herself in a fairy tale adventure—it's Mozart's famous The Magic Flute, re-told with kid-friendly verse. In Mozart's Magnificent Voyage, children embark on a time-traveling voyage with Mozart's son Karl, learning about Mozart's childhood and his legacy. Other titles include Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Mr. Bach Comes to Call, and Hallelujah Handel.
More recent additions to the series include Song of the Unicorn, a celebration of pre-Baroque music with a clever and engaging story narrated by Jeremy Irons, and A Classical Kids Christmas, a delightful mix of Christmas story-telling, poems, carols, and more.
Find them all: Look up Classical Kids recordings at Amazon.com (sponsored link):
November 2001