Customer Reviews

Classics for Children

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was one of my favorite record albums when I was young. It was a pleasure to introduce to my grandchildren. MOST important is the narrative that starts each track. Many of the other versions do NOT include this. They were my most favorite memories, and the children still resond to them today.

Simply, the best. The best performances, the best sound, the best narration. The best. 'Nuff said.

This "unwashed" recording has the exhilarating tonality of a live performance which many modern digitals lack. Saint-Saen's "Carnival of the Animals" was my 4-year-old's favourite, followed by Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette".

Odgen Nash's verses, written to accompany Saint-Saen's work are too clever for young children, who will miss out on the word-play and puns. Also, they tend to interpret the experience too much, which interferes with their imaginations. If a child prefers to make-belief in dragons, for example, as opposed to lions, then there is all of Hugh Down's recitations to sit through and ignore first, since the tracks do not separate the narrative from the music.

Nonetheless, this is one of the better classical recordings I've heard geared specifically for children.

The other reviewer is off base. If you don't want narration get a recording without it. With narration or not, Saint-Saens chose his animals and gave his musical interpretation of their appearance. Children can enjoy the verses although Hugh Downs does not have as much fun with them as some narrators. This is a great CD if you want to develop a child's interest in classical music.

Beautiful collection that inspires the child's imagination. My kids loved discussing the various animals and playing animals for hours -- even after the CD was over.

a simply delightful recording of this classic-I heard a portion on the radio and just had to add it to my colection after having seen the new ballet adaptation by christopher wheeldon and john lithgow; each version enhances the other!

I am a middle school general music teacher, so when it came time to teach my students the instruments of the orchestra, this was a GREAT help! The narration helps students remember characteristics of each instrument. I definitely reccomend this CD to any other music teacher, whether instrumental or vocal.

Fantastic classical CD for kiddos. A reader said before this buy was " no brainer ", I couldn't say it better than that.