Search - Classical Cats :: Classical Cats: A Children's Introduction to the Orchestra ( paperback & CD)

A Poor Idea

D S | Arizona | 02/02/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Don't be surprised if children who listen to this imitate the main characters and behave badly. The main characters who introduce the music are obnoxious. They are an overbearing female who is always right and a misbehaving boy who she scolds. Sometimes the boy will say something cute and be praised for it by the always superior female. This would be especially awful for a younger brother and older sister. There are many good recordings of classical music directed toward a young audience like Prokofiev's well loved "Peter & the Wolf" and Britten's "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra". Try the recording of these with narrators Alec Clunes and Lorin Maazel on DG Musikfest. There are numerous other recordings of Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf and Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, each with different narrators. Try also Classics for Children by Arthur Fiedler with the Boston Pops on Bmg/Rca Victor. This recording has a delightful and humorous version of Saint Saens' Carnival of the Animals and other classical music as well. And there is Tubby the Tuba, this introduces the orchestra with the adventures of a tuba. The story is almost like the Ugly Duckling, sweet and funny. There are versions by Danny Kaye and the Manhattan Transfer among others."

Music to my ears

bertzoe@gateway.net | Richmond, Rhode Island | 06/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My two year old daughter loved this book and tape. The characters are lovabe. She now knows the names of more musical instruments than she would have otherwise. It's a fun, educational set. Defintely worth buying"

An Excellent Teaching Tool

Mandy Bailey | North Carolina | 10/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am an elementary music educator and use this book with First and Second Grade children to teach instruments of the orchestra. The CD plays wonderful examples of each instrument by its orchestral family. The "cats" are very funny characters that the children fall in love with. Using this as a teaching tool, the ability of First Graders that can tell you the names of each orchestral instrument and the family it belongs in will amaze you. An added plus is the coloring book that shows the cats playing their instruments."