Beethoven for Babies

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Frans Brüggen (Conductor), Neville Marriner (Conductor), Severino Gazzelloni (Performer), Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (Orchestra), Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century (Orchestra), Bella Davidovich (Performer), Bruno Canino (Performer), Claudio Arrau (Performer), Sviatoslav Richter (Performer), Zoltán Kocsis (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Severino Gazzelloni, Bella Davidovich, Bruno Canino, Claudio Arrau, Sviatoslav Richter, et al.
• Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
• Conductor: Frans Brüggen, Neville Marriner
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (August 11, 1998)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B000009OU6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,268 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Short Forms > Bagatelles
  #9 in	Music > Classical > Instruments > Reeds & Winds > Flute
  #16 in	Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Historical Periods > Romantic (c.1820-1910)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
For the parent looking to ease their child into a familiarity with classical music, this is a very well chosen set of Beethoven works. It begins with a generous selection of airs composed late in the composer's life. The presence of the flute as the lead instrument on these selections has a soothing quality that moves the ear in an ideally subtle way, especially as it gives way to the more excited piano sonata pieces. Zoltán Kocsis's reading of "Pathétique" is followed by Claudio Arrau's take on the 7th, 15th, and 18th sonatas and Sviatoslav Richter's lyrical take on the 20th ("Pastoral"). Programmed amidst the piano pieces, which are great studies in dynamics and musical spacing, are some fine orchestral snippets, none longer than five minutes. The collection does a fine balancing act, condensing works that don't inherently lend themselves to shortened renditions and carefully managing moods, entry, and egress to each segment. This is fine anthology work. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best baby classical tunes for your buck!, March 3, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Alabama, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This is one of the longest running CD's in the collection of classical music for babies. Others contain music running half the time of this one. For the most part, the music is upbeat - I'd recommend it for "awake time." Entertaining for all ages and will be a favorite even after baby is grown. I listen to it while still pregnant and enjoy it over all others I've bought.

65 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Brainless Beethoven devaluation, February 18, 2000

By	James LeMay (Lake Forest, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What do you get when you play brilliant music through a bad synthesizer? Buy this CD and find out. Your little prodigy's intellect will be engulfed in an annoying stream of cheap rinky-tink pianos, tooting synth-horns, and fake accordions. This is a cheap and annoying version of a great composer's work. Your young Einstein would be better off with a cheap harmonica.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 7, 2002

By	Merrilee Mcmurray "mrsmootz" (Sparks, NV, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although the CD covers a lot of Beethoven's music, the piano player in the first seven tracks is horrible. He or she keeps hitting the wrong notes. The tempo of the music overall is too fast and for some reason, they stopped "Ode to Joy" right in the middle. If you want a CD that features excellent musicians and Beethoven's music played the way it should be, don't buy this CD. Invest in the soundtrack from the movie, "Immortal Beloved".