Guitar Lullaby

Ricardo Cobo | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 20, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ellipsis Arts
• ASIN: B00004TWSZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,318 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #89 in Music > Indie Music > Children's Music > General

Track Listings

1. Morning's Rag

2. Barcarolle #1

3. Barcarolle #2

4. Ojos Brujos

5. Paul De Chuva

6. Cradle Song

7. Dreams

8. Tristesse

9. Berceuse

10. La Alborada

11. Sunday Morning Overcast

12. Country Of The Fan

13. Valseana

14. Lagrima

15. Julia Florida

16. Inspiracao

17. Canco Del Lladre

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Parents with more than a passing interest in classical music and those who make a point of keeping up with sleep studies are apt to be drawn to Guitar Lullaby, which presents 17 tranquil, snooze-inducing songs in two pleasing programs. A lot of research went into this album: the soothing speech patterns parents instinctively switch on when calming children were put under the microscope, as were the soporific effects of traditional "Hush-a-Bye, Baby"-type lullabies and the musical structures restless young ears respond to best. In the liner notes, producer Keith Pearcy explains that children's music mustn't be complicated. To that end, Guitar Lullaby's bag of technical tricks includes short phrases and quicker-than-average resolution to musical structures. The first nine tracks are intended for older children (say, ages 5 and up), while the last eight are for the very young. Each of the two programs starts with an energetic though hardly rollicking number then winds down gradually to slow, gentle strumming. Throughout, Ricardo Cobo, formerly of the Bogotá Philharmonic, displays his gift for getting a guitar to give off emotions--in this case, pure, uncluttered, peaceful ones. And that makes it sort of a shame to tuck this recording into the narrow lullaby category. Although its sleep-promoting potential will serve an important purpose for many, its calming qualities are best enjoyed when the whole family's wide-awake. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

GUITAR LULLABY by Ricardo Cobo

Parents around the world seem to know instinctively just how to speak and sing to their children at bedtime to help ease them to sleep. We use universal patterns of rhythm and timbre, melody and harmony.

Imagine having one of the world’s finest classical musicians sitting at the foot of your child’s bed playing guitar using those very same patterns to coax your child into irresistible sleep.

Ricardo Cobo does just that. With loving attention to every detail of composition and performance, Ricardo has handcrafted what is probably the most effective lullaby recording ever made. In fact, it has been clinically tested and shown to be 40% more effective than traditional lullabies.

GUITAR LULLABY has received awards from the American Library Association and the Parent’s Choice Foundation. It was chosen as a “Pick” by Gramophone magazine for being one of the finest new classical recordings. It includes instrumental repertoire from Spain, France, America, Cuba, and South America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great CD, lousy marketing, July 27, 2000

By 

stu (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guitar Lullaby (Audio CD)

What a dreadful shame to stuff this in the kiddies' CD racks. I presume no one other than the parents of fractious offspring will be lucky enough to come across it.

This is simply an excellent classical guitar CD. The atmospheric recording is superb, with a beautiful guitar tone. The pieces are all lovely and, yes, relaxing (in common with most classical guitar music). In fact, ironically my only reservation is that I would have liked to have heard slightly more variety in tempo :)This deserves better than being marketed as fodder for rendering your sprogs unconscious.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a classical CD my kids and I both loved., November 30, 2000

By 

Shari (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guitar Lullaby (Audio CD)

As a musician myself, I appreciated the expertise of Ricardo Cobo and the pieces he chose. As a lullaby program, I found this recording very clever and quite unique. The first few tracks got my kids attention. The selections were energetic and fun (not what I would usually play for them right before bedtime). The next few tracks seemed to guide them from their usual hyper "I'll prove to you I'm not tired" pre-bedtime behavior to a calm and inquisitive state - asking about the "musical stories" they were hearing. A very gentle and gradual winding down. The last few tracks we found to be very comforting - like coming out of a warm bath. The best part is that it's 8:30pm and they're BOTH asleep!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let your kids keep it!, January 13, 2005

By 

Edwin J. Firmage (SLC, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guitar Lullaby (Audio CD)

Unfortunately categorized as music for children, this collection is my tonic for adult musical boredom. Beautiful music, beautifully played. I first heard this disc in an interview with Cobo on the radio, and had one of those "driveway moments" where you have to stay in your car to hear the entire interview, and then hurriedly write down the disc info. What a great way to wash away the cares of the day! And, if you do have kids, what a perfect way to introduce them to great music!