Search - Martin Hoherman, Leo Litwin, Nigel Coxe :: Classics for Children

Beautiful music, but too much narrative.

Richard | 09/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

A no - brainer

Bruce Kofoed | Twin Falls, ID, USA | 04/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

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

Great Fun

Richard | 11/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."