MUSIC EDUCATION

EAs schools face budget problems, music classes are often cut from the curriculum.
Do you hope your child will one day play a musical instrument?
Do you want your child to be able to read music?
Do you want your child to appreciate different types of music?
Do you want your child to know something about music history?
Do you want your child to recognize the sound of each different instrument?
Do you want your child to recognize such names as: Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Barry Tuckwell, Heinz Holliger, James Galway, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo?

I. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A. Very young children love to play marching band. Consider giving them a variety of percussion instruments: triangle, tambourine, hand castanet, tone block with stick, two maracas, and two very small cymbals.
B. A plastic B flat recorder is a very inexpensive instrument. Recorder Method for Young Beginners Book 1 and Book 2 by Andrew Scott and Gary Turner are very useful for young children.
C. Consider a harmonica. They are small and relatively inexpensive.
D. Before purchasing a more expensive instrument for your child, consider renting. Your child may change his/her mind about those lessons.
E. I wanted a piano, but they are very difficult to move. An uncle who is a professional musician and an aunt who is a retired music teacher both recommended an electric piano. I'm thrilled with it! I was able to bring it home from the store and set it up by myself! It has a built in metronome and in addition to piano, I can make it sound like an organ or harpsichord.


II. MUSIC CURRICULUM
The Calvert School in Maryland has created a 32 lesson music curriculum on video/DVD. They suggest it be used in K-3. They were limited to 32 lessons because of the length of the school year. Homeschoolers are not limited in this way. The Logos School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania uses the Melody Lane curriculum in first grade. Veritas Press which is associated with the Logos School sells Melody Lane as part of a package known as Discoveries in Music. The information below is a supplement to the 32 videos of the Melody Lane curriculum. By using different supplemental materials each time, the Melody Lane curriculum could be used several times throughout more grades.

The following books are to be used throughout the 32 lessons:
Lives of the Musicians by Kathleen Krull (short bios of some of the musicians)
Usborne: Understanding Music by Judy Tatchell (great for music history)
I wonder why flutes have holes by Josephine Paker (very high interest)
DK Eyewitness Books: Music
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Music, editor Clive Wilson


LESSON 1 - THE STRING FAMILY (which should not include piano)
The mayor of Melody Lane introduces us to the violin, viola, and cello.
We hear each separately and then together.

Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video) The translation of this title is: Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, and Percussion. My aunt used this video when she was teaching music.
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone; ISBN 9780375824302/CD) Each character in the story is represented by a different instrument. Peter is represented by the violins.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes - In this orchestra, each instrument is played by a different kind of animal. The illustrations are wonderful.
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD) There are short bits of music for each different type of instrument. Can you recognize each instrument you hear by its sound? In general, the larger the instrument, the lower the sound. The smaller the instrument, the higher the sound. For strings read pages 42-49 and listen to tracks 13-18.
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

DVD Appalachian Journey - Concert by Mark O'Connor, bluegrass fiddler, Edgar Meyer on bass, and classically trained Yo-Yo Ma on cello (SONY)

Bach Violin Concertos (In order to organize your CD's, file this one with Lesson 22B. Similar suggestions will be given below.)
Pachbel's Canon (Lesson 22B)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Pathetique (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Op. 77, with soloist Itzhak Perlman (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Julian Bream Adagios (Classical guitar; file this CD under Miscellaneous; RCA)
Rough Guide to Bluegrass (Banjo, mandolin, and dobro are also string instruments, but typically are only heard in bluegrass music. Lesson 14)
Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (This group includes 3 guitars, fiddle, double bass; Track 10 banjo and a plucked double bass; Track 20 fiddle and banjo. Lesson 14. KOCH.)


LESSON 2 - THE PERCUSSION FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The hunters are represented by the percussion.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD) pages 70-83 and tracks 30-34
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Orff Carmina Burana (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Ravel Bolero (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Shostakovich Jazz Suites 1 and 2; The Bolt Ballet Suite; Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two) (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Copland Appalachian Spring (Lesson 25B) listen for the xylophone
John Philip Sousa - Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, The Thunderer, The Liberty Bell (Really Modern 25C)
Leroy Anderson - The Syncopated Clock, Sleigh Ride, Waltzing Cats, The Typewriter, Irish Washer Woman (File this CD under Miscellaneous)


LESSON 3 - THE BRASS FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The wolf is represented by the French horn.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Mozart Horn Concertos 1 - 4 by Barry Tuckwell on French horn
Vaughan Williams' Concerto in F for Bass Tuba (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mahler Symphony No. 5 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B) listen for French horn
Strauss, Richard - Till Eulenspeigel's Merry Pranks; listen for French horn

The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart with a cameo by Louis Armstrong.
Glenn Miller CD (Lesson 25D)
Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra CD (Lesson 25D)
Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Casual DVD and CD (Lesson 25D)
Miles Davis Kind of Blue (Lesson 25D; muted trumpet)
John Philip Sousa - Corcoran Cadets, The Gladiator, Washington Post, On Parade, Stars and Stripes Forever (Lesson 25D. LONDON.)
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man (Lesson 25D)


LESSON 4 - THE WOODWIND FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The bird is represented by a flute; the duck is an oboe; and the cat is a clarinet.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Vivaldi Oboe Concerto
Bach Oboe Concerto by Heinz Holliger
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Mozart Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon
James Galway on flute (File this CD under Miscellaneous)
Pete Fountain's New Orleans CD (Jazz clarinet; Lesson 25D)
Benny Goodman CD (Jazz clarinet; Lesson 25D)
John Coltrane DVD Jazz Casual (Jazz saxophone)
Charlie Parker CD (Jazz alto and tenor saxophone; Lesson 25D)


LESSON 5 - THE ORCHESTRA
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Growing Up with Music CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
Camille Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (This book by Barrie Turner and the CD will remind you of Peter and the Wolf. Each animal is represented by a different instrument.)
Daydreams and Lullabies CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastorale
Haydn Symphony in G Major Surprise (Lesson 23A)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Pathetique (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Overture, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture
Orff Carmina Burana (Modern Era Lesson 25A)


LESSON 6 - THE CONDUCTOR
Maestro Mouse by Peter W. Barnes (a truly delightful children's picture book)
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra
Beethoven's 9th Symphony on DVD; Conductor Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker (SONY)


LESSON 7 - BANDS
The Music Man DVD
John Philip Sousa (Lesson 25C)
The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart with a cameo by Louis Armstrong
Duke Ellington CD
Count Basie CD
Glenn Miller CD
Benny Goodman CD
Tommy Dorsey CD


LESSON 8 - KEYBOARDS
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Growing Up with Piano CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta ESA PEKKA SALONEN (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Bach Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords
Bach Toccato in D Minor
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Lesson 24A)
Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes 2 Pianos Together (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies and Piano Pieces (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Schumann Kinderszenen and Kreisleriana Op. 15 and Op. 16 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)

Scott Joplin CD (Ragtime piano)
Jelly Roll Morton CD (Jazz piano)
Thelonius Monk CD (Jazz piano)
Duke Ellington DVD (Jazz piano)
Count Basie DVD Jazz Casual
Count Basie CD (Jazz piano)


LESSON 9 - INTRODUCTION TO RHYTHM
Sesame Street - Let's Make Music DVD


LESSON 10 - RHYTHM, BEAT, AND TEMPO
Compare the tempo of a funeral requiem (slow) to a polka (fast).
For beat or measure, compare a waltz in 3/4 time to jazz in either 2/4 or 4/4 time.
Vivaldi Four Seasons
Dvorak Slavonic Dances (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Debussy Le Mer (Modern Era 25A)
Ravel Bolero (Modern Era 25A)

Gershwin An American in Paris (Lesson 25C)
John Philip Sousa CD's (Lesson 25C)



LESSON 11 - RHYTHM AND DURATION
LESSON 12 - INTRODUCTION TO MELODY
LESSON 13 - MELODY BY STEPS AND LEAPS


LESSON 14 - AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC (AND MORE!)
My aunt, a retired music teacher, says that if we know who wrote the music and/or lyrics, then it is not folk music. Therefore, much of the music from the 1950's and 1960's which we call folk music isn't.

Old Songs and Singing Games, Richard Chase editor
I Hear America Singing by Kathleen Krull (Book and CD)

Rough Guide: Cajun/Zydeco - Cajun music is from the descendants of the Acadians and, therefore, has a modified version of French. Zydeco is the music of the Creole people and uses an accordion. Both are common in Louisiana.

Polish Polkas (Lawrence Welk and Myron Floren; also uses an accordion)

Life and Times: Stephen Foster by Peggy Pancella
Stephen Foster Beautiful Dreamer CD (American Roots Pub.)

History of Country Music by Stuart A. Kallen
Rough Guide to Bluegrass CD
Blue Ribbon Bluegrass CD (ROUNDER)
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys ("Father of Bluegrass") Live recordings 1956-1969 (Smithsonian Recordings)
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (KOCH)
The Essential Bob Wills CD (He is credited with starting Western Swing Music, a combination of Black Blues, traditional Mexican, big band swing, and country-western music. Instruments used include: fiddle, guitar, banjo, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, double bass, and piano. The influence of big band in the rhythm section is obvious. COLUMBIA.)

Sacred Spirit - Chants and Dances of the Native Americans (Virgin Records)


LESSON 15 - SONGS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
Jewish Odyssey CD (Jewish folk music from various countries)
Vintage Music from India CD
Rough Guide: Music of Japan CD
Rough Guide: Music of Africa CD
Rough Guide: Scottish Folk CD
Scottish Bagpipes and Drums CD
Rough Guide: Irish Folk CD
Celtic Legacy CD
Riverdance DVD - Irish Step Dancers


LESSON 16 - MOVING TO MUSIC
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances CD (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Dvorak Slavonic Dances (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Strauss Waltzes (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
John Philip Sousa CD's


LESSON 17 - LET'S PRETEND DRAMATIC IMPROVISATION
Mendelssohn Songs Without Words (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Schubert 6 Moments Musicaux and 8 Impromptus (Romantic Period 24B)
Schumann Kinderszenen (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)


LESSON 18A - DANCE: BALLET
Consider ballet lessons for your little girl. Before you respond that your little one did not inherit the genes necessary for a body suited to a career in ballet, I must ask one question. Did you make your career choice at age three? Little ones enjoy the social interaction. They love moving to the music. They learn poise. They develop a love of the music. Does it really matter if they don't become ballerinas?
Angelina's Ballet Class by Katharine Holabird
There are more books in the Angelina Ballerina Series by Katharine Holabird.
Tanya Treasury by Patricia Lee Gauch
Tanya and the Magic Wardrobe by Patricia Lee Gauch - It's about a little girl who is going to attend the ballet, Coppelia.
Tanya and the Red Shoes by Patricia Lee Gauch - Tanya is finally getting her toe shoes.
Bravo, Tanya by Patricia Lee Gauch
Dance, Tanya by Patricia Lee Gauch
The Little Ballerinas by Jillian Harker
I am a dancer (as photographed by Jane Feldman; the story of Eva Lipman, a young student, at the School of American Ballet in New York)

I dreamed I was a ballerina - the story of Anna Pavlova
Dance of the Swan - a more thorough story of Anna Pavlova
Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina by Rosemary Wells - This story of Maria Tallchief is a picture book. Though this book does not mention it, she was one of many who danced with Nureyev.
Usborne Beginners: Ballet by Susan Meredith
Hooray for Ballet by Margaret Frith
The Illustrated Book of Ballet Stories by Barbara Newman
Ballet stories (DK) This book explains plots of several ballets including Giselle.
A Young Dancer's Apprenticeship by Olympia Dowd - The story of 14 year old Olympia Dowd who spent one year touring with the Moscow City Ballet.
Ballet of the Elephants by Leda Schubert -This is the true story of the ballet Circus Polka, music by Stravinsky, choreographed by George Balanchine, in which circus elephants danced!

The Dancer who Flew: A Memoir of Rudolf Nureyev by Linda Maybarduk - Although this book does mention that Nureyev died from AIDS, it does not discuss his colorful private life.
Mikhail Baryshnikov Dance Genius by Bruce Glassman - This book does mention that he shares a daughter with Jessica Lange and three other children with a ballerina from the American Ballet though he was not married to either.

Growing Up with Ballet CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Peter and the Wolf DVD from the Royal Ballet School - This is an excellent first ballet for kids since it is only 30 minutes; it features children in costumes doing almost all of the roles; and the story is narrated as it occurs. (Image Entertainment.)

Beatrix Potter DVD from the Royal Ballet. (Anchor Bay.) This is a delightful ballet for children. Adults in animal costumes act out scenes from the classic tales of Beatrix Potter.
Muppets 2nd Season DVD's Rudolf Nureyev appeared in the 13th episode that season. In addition to the Ballet "Swine Lake", he did a wonderful tap routine.

Cinderella by Prokofiev with the Bolshoi DVD. (ABC Entertainment/Universal.)

Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky DVD featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Veronica Tennant. He also choreographed this one for the National Ballet of Canada. Video Artists International/CBC Home Video.

Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky DVD with Baryshnikov as prince. The role of Clara is danced by Gelsey Kirkland and Alexander Minz is Drosselmeyer. Baryshnikov choreographed this one for the American Ballet Theater. KULTUR.

Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky DVD with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. A narrator explains the story. Nureyev choreographed this one for the Vienna State Opera Ballet. John Lanchbery conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Deutsche Grammophon.

Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev DVD with The Royal Ballet featuring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. A narrator explains the story. KULTUR.

Giselle by Adolphe Adam DVD featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Lynn Seymour. (KULTUR.)

Coppelia by Delibes with Fernando Bujones and Ana Maria Castanon. (KULTUR.)

Don Quixote DVD choreographed and danced by Rudolf Nureyev. His partner is Lucette Aldous. KULTUR

Petrushka by Stravinsky included on the DVD entitled Return of the Firebird. Can also be spelled Petrouchka. DECCA.

Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov is also included on the DVD entitled Return of the Firebird. Rather violent. Lots of people are killed. One commits suicide. DECCA.

Firebird by Stravinsky is based in part on a Russian folk tale. This DVD also includes Les Noces (The Wedding) choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska. Royal Ballet. (BBC Opus Arte.)


LESSON 18B - DANCE: MODERN DANCE
Did you know that Rudolf Nureyev studied with Martha Graham and he danced the role of the Preacher in Appalachian Spring? Baryshnikov danced the role of the groom in the same ballet.
Martha Graham DVD (KULTUR.)
Martha Graham by Paula Bryant Pratt
Alvin Ailey, Celebrating African-American Culture in Dance by Barbara Cruz
An Evening with Alvin Ailey DVD (Image Entertainment.)


LESSON 18C - DANCE: AFRICAN DANCE
African Dance for Children DVD created by Julio T. Leitao (Step by step, surrounded by young children, Julio teaches us how to do a variety of dance steps. Very well done.)
African Dance Book: Drum Beat in Our Feet by Patricia A. Keeler


LESSON 18D - DANCE: TAP DANCE AND MORE
Rap A Tap Tap Here's Bojangles Think of That! by Leo Dillon

Stormy Weather is a very loose version of the life of Bojangles. In fact, Bill Robinson did not have a lost love in his life. In addition to tap by Bojangles, you will see the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold). Fred Astaire once said that their tap routines impressed and influenced his dance. Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and Lena Horne also appear. (20th Century Fox.)

The Little Colonel DVD has some very well celebrated tap dance routines featuring Bojangles and Shirley Temple. Check tracks 19 and 22 which are kid-safe. Caution this film is set post Civil War and was filmed at a time of racism. The grandfather refers to some black children by an offensive term. I'd still show it, but with some appropriate explanations. Let's not re-write history. Let's change the future. (20th Century Fox.)

That's Entertainment is a compilation of short numbers from almost 100 MGM musical films. I'm more interested here in the dance routines by such as: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Donald O'Connor, Clark Gable, Anne Miller, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen, Frank Sinatra, Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas, and more. Astaire dances with a coat rack in one scene and in another up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the wall again. Gene Kelly dances with a bunch of shoes with no feet in them. I can't even describe what O'Connor does! It's long, but watching it in 15-20 minute parcels would be good. (Warner Brothers.)

Easter Parade DVD starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland along with Anne Miller. It has fantastic dance routines.

Riverdance, Live from New York City's Radio City Music Hall DVD has Irish Step Dancers (2-sided disc; Columbia Tristar Home Video.)



LESSON 19 - INSTRUMENT MAKERS
LESSON 20 - MAKE YOUR OWN INSTRUMENTS



LESSON 21 - TEMPO AND DYNAMICS
Haydn Surprise Symphony No. 94 in G Major


CAUTION: The lesson 22 video discusses the Baroque Period. Due to time limitations of the school schedule they skipped the Medieval Age. I've found the perfect thing to rectify that omission. You will find similar problems in the next three lessons.

LESSON 22A - MEDIEVAL AGE (THEY SKIPPED THIS TIME PERIOD.)
Song of the Unicorn CD and Teachers' guide. (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series)


LESSON 22B - BAROQUE PERIOD:
CORELLI, VIVALDI, BACH, HANDEL, AND TELEMANN
Baroque Highlights (Baroque Treasures Disc 10 - Laser Light DELTA; available from Christian Book Distributors.)

Corelli Concerti grossi (Baroque Treasures Disc 7)

Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). Vivaldi did indeed teach music at a girls' orphanage in Venice. The background music for the story is Vivaldi and has several great examples of piccolo.)
Vivaldi's 4 Seasons/Concerto for 2 Trumpets (Baroque Treasures Disc 1)
Life and Times: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi by Jim Whiting (This is part of the Masters of Music Series)
Introducing Vivaldi by Roland Vernon

Bach's Fight for Freedom DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. It is excellent. There is one teachers' guide for the series.
Mr. Bach Comes to Call CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Famous Children: Bach by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Bach by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Johann Sebastian Bach by Jim Whiting
[Johann] Sebastian Bach, The Boy from Thuringia by Wheeler and Deucher CD and Study Guide Bach and Baroque (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Glory and Honor, The Musical and Artistic Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach by Gregory Wilbur
Bach's Goldberg Variations (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) The variations were written for the harpsichord, but are played here on the piano. Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Bach's Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords 2 CD's PHILIPS
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1-4 (Baroque Disc 2)
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 4-6 CD PHILIPS
Bach's Super Hits CD: Minuet in G Major, Toccata, Fugue, Air, Prelude and Fugue No. 1, Italian Concerto SONY CLASSICAL
Bach's Orchestral Suites 1-3 (Baroque Treasures Disc 5)
Bach's Violin Concertos (Baroque Treasures Disc 8)
Bach's Toccata in D Minor (Baroque Treasures Disc 10)
Bach's Oboe Concertos by Heinz Holliger CD PHILIPS

Handel's Last Chance DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. It is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.
Hallelujah Handel CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Handel's Water Music (Baroque Treasures Disc 3)
Handel's Royal Fireworks (Baroque Treasures Disc 6)
Handel's Hallelujah (Baroque Treasures Disc 9)
Handel's Messiah DVD James Levine conducting
Getting to Know Handel by Mike Venezia
Famous Children: Handel by Ann Rachlin
Life and Times: George Frederic Handel by Jim Whiting

Telemann (Baroque Treasures Disc 4)


LESSON 23A - HAYDN (THEY LEFT HIM OUT. HE SHOULD BE BEFORE MOZART.)
Farewell Symphony (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) The book discusses No. 45, but the CD includes both No. 45 (Tracks 5-8) and No. 31
Haydn Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise), Symphony No. 100 in G Major (Military), Symphony 104 in D Major (London Symphony) DECCA
Haydn The London Symphonies (Nos. 95, 96, 98, 102, 103 (Drum Roll), and 104) 2 CD's PHILIPS
Haydn Symphony No. 101 in D Major (Clock Symphony - Listen for the Tick Tock in the Second Movement Adante) SERAPHIM
Franz Joseph Haydn - He used his middle name, but was affectionately known as Papa Haydn.
Joseph Haydn, The Merry Little Peasant by Wheeler and Deucher CD with Study Guide
Famous Children: Haydn by Ann Rachlin


LESSON 23B - MOZART
Mozart's Magic Fantasy CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). This is the story of the Opera, The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute (Book by Anne Gatti; ISBN 9780811849746/CD)
Mozart's Magic Flute DVD of the Opera. This is an example of "singspiel", singing interspersed with spoken dialogue. You might want to select just a few scenes at first. My favorite track has Papagena and Papageno singing together. It is near the end. (Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). This includes Eine Kleine and Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. This tells us something about Mozart's life.
Mozart Chamber Music CD (Quartet in F Major, Quintet in E flat Major, and A Musical Joke. The last is a very odd piece.) NAXOS
Mozart's Horn Concertos 1-4 by Barry Tuckwell on French Horn CD EMI CLASSICS
Mozart Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon CD EMI CLASSICS
Famous Children: Mozart by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Mozart by Mike Venezia
Who was Mozart? by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Mozart, The Wonder Boy by Wheeler and Deucher CD and with Study guide
Mozart's Opera: Marriage of Figaro DVD (Euro Arts Musik.)
Mozart's Opera: Cosi fan tutte DVD (Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart's Opera: Don Giovanni DVD (Don Giovanni is rake with no conscience. You might want to wait 'til Jr. High on this one. I didn't like this one until I got to the end and found out that justice won out. Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart Requiem K626 CD Deutsche Grammophon


LESSON 24A - BEETHOVEN
Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Book, CD, Video, and Teachers' Guide - Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series) The CD includes: Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, and Minuet in G. Major. The video is quite good.
Famous Children: Beethoven by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Beethoven by Mike Venezia
Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells by Wheeler CD with Study guide
Lifetimes: Ludwig van Beethoven by Richard Tames

Beethoven's Heroic Symphony No. 3 (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 CD (This is the most easily recognized piece of music ever written!) Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 Pastoral CD Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 DVD (conductor Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker; SONY.) and CD
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Pathetique, Moonlight, Tempest, Waldstein-Sonate, Appassionata, and Grosse Sonate for the Hammerklavier0) 2 CD's TELDEC


LESSON 24B - ROMANTIC PERIOD (THEY ALSO SKIPPED THIS!)
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances; Concerto for Orchestra; Violin Concerto No. 2; Music for Strings, Percussions and Celesta!; Piano Concerto No. 3 (Track 5 raucous brass) NAXOS
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta ESA PEKKA SALONEN SONY

Berlioz Opera: The Trojans (Les Troyens) CD LONDON
Berlioz DVD La Damnation de Faust. This opera is almost never performed as an opera.
Life and Times: Hector Berlioz by Jim Whiting

Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor; Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 3 LONDON

Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes for 2 Pianos CD SONY
Brahms Symphony No. 1 and Variations on a Theme by Haydn CD SONY
Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 73 CD DECCA
Brahms Symphonies 3 and 4 CD Deutsche Grammophon
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Op. 77 by Itzhak Perlman CD EMI
Brahms Choral Works: German Requiem, Song of Destiny, Alto Rhapsody 2 CD's PHILIPS
Famous Children: Brahms by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Brahms by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Johannes Brahms by Jim Whiting

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor CD CEDAR
Chopin Greatest Hits: Minute Waltz. Raindrop Prelude, Funeral March, Military Polonaise, Mazurka in C Major, Fantasie SONY
Chopin Favorite Piano Works by Vladimir Ashkenazy: Mazurka in D Major, Mazurka in B flat Major Op. 7 LONDON
Chopin Waltzes including Cat Waltz Track 4 Op. 34 No. 3 in F Seraphim Classics
Famous Children: Chopin by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Chopin by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Frederic Chopin by Jim Whiting
Chopin and Romantic Music by Carlo Cavalletti (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)

Dvorak Symphony No. 9; Slavoic Dances CD TELDEC

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suites CD Deutsche Grammophon

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (especially 2, 5, 6, 7) 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Liszt's Rhapsody DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. There is one teachers' guide for the series. It is excellent.
Liszt Biography Masters of Music by Michael Lane
Life and Times: Franz Liszt by Jim Whiting

Mahler Symphony No. 5 Deutsche Grammophon

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 CEDAR
Mendelssohn Songs without Words (Complete) 2 CD's PHILIPS
Mendelssohn Italian Symphony, Violin Concerto, and A Midsummer Night's Dream 2 CD's PHILIPS

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain; Boris Godunov 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Mussorgsky Opera: Boris Godunov DVD

Rimsky-Korsakov 2 CD's including Flight of the Bumblebee (CD 1, Track 14) PHILIPS
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade (with Return of the Firebird) DVD

Schubert Impromptus and Moments musicaux 2 CD's EMI
Schubert Symphony No.8 The Unfinished Symphony CEDAR
Schubert Biography Masters of Music by Michael Lane

Schumann, Robert Kinderszenen and Kreisleriana Op. 15 and Op. 16 CD Deutsche Grammophon
Schumann, Clara by Susanna Reich

Strauss, Johann II (The Younger) Waltzes including Blue Danube DECCA
Strauss, Johann II (The Younger) Opera: Die Fledermaus DVD (BBC Opus Arte.)
Strauss: The King of Three-Quarter Time DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. There is one teachers' guide to the series. It is excellent.

Tchaikovsky Discovers America CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1/Nutcracker Suites CD SONY
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5/Romeo and Juliet CD Deutsche Grammophon
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 CD RCA
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture (Napoleon's retreat from Moscow - Listen for Marseillaise) CEDAR
Swan Lake DVD with Nureyev
Sleeping Beauty DVD with Nureyev
Nutcracker DVD with Baryshnikov
Famous Children: Tchaikovsky by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Tchaikovsky by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky by Jim Whiting

Verdi Opera: Rigoletto DVD (My rating PG-13; Universal Classics.)
Verdi Opera: Falstaff DVD (My rating PG-13; Euro Arts Musik.)
Verdi Opera: Otello by Verdi DVD (My rating PG-13; Four main characters die! MGM.)
Verdi Opera: La Traviata by Verdi DVD (My rating PG-13; DECCA.)
Verdi Opera: Aida DVD (Image Entertainment.)
Verdi Opera: Don Carlo 2 DVD's very long (My rating PG-13)
Life and Times: Guiseppe Verdi by Jim Whiting
Verdi by Greta Cencetti
Introducing Verdi by Roland Vernon

Wagner, Siegfried CD CEDAR
Life and Times: Richard Wagner by Michael Lane
Wagner by Greta Cencetti


LESSON 25A - MODERN ERA (THEY HAVE COPLAND, BUT OMITTED MANY.)
Britten Opera: Peter Grimes DVD (See comments under Opera Lesson 29. KULTUR.)

Debussy: Nocturnes, Prelude a l'apres midi d'un faune, and La Mer CD Penguin Classics DECCA

Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite, Mississippi Suite, and Niagara Falls Suite CD NAXOS

Orff Carmina Burana CD Deutsche Grammophon

Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD/DVD)
Prokofiev Ballet: Romeo and Juliet with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn (KULTUR.)
Prokofiev Ballet: Cinderella (ABC Entertainment/Universal.)

Rachmaninov Symphony No. 1 CD DECCA

Ravel Bolero CD DECCA

Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (Book by Barrie Turner/CD)
Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Le Carnaval des Animaux, Danse macabre, Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, Piano concerto No. 4 in C minor, Symphony No. 3 in C Minor 2 CD's PHILIPS

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 CD PHILIPS
Shostakovich Jazz Suites 1 and 2; The Bolt Ballet Suite; and Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two)
Some great percussion; very different. CD NAXOS

Sibelius Finlandia; Karelia Suite Op. 11; and Lemminkainen Suite Op. 22 CD NAXOS

Stravinsky: Firebird, Rite of Spring, Symphony of Psalms, Pulcinella Suite, Petrouchka (Petrushka), and Concerto in E flat, Circus Polka 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Firebird (and Les Noces) DVD of 2 Ballets (BBC Opus Arte.)
Firebird and Petrushka DVD entitled Return of the Firebird (DECCA.)
Getting to Know: Stravinsky by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Igor Stravinsky by Jim Whiting

Strauss, Richard - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier CD

Ralph (pronounced RAFE) Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 and Tuba Concerto in F minor CD CHANDOS


LESSON 25B - AARON COPLAND
Aaron Copland: Three American Ballets - Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, and Rodeo as well as Fanfare for the Common Man CD TELARC
Aaron Copland: The Young Pioneers. These are Piano Solos including CAT AND MOUSE. 2 CD's SONY
Getting to know: Copland by Mike Venezia



LESSON 25C - NOW THIS IS REALLY MODERN!
John Philip Sousa Stars and Stripes Forever CD LONDON
John Philip Sousa: Famous Sousa Marches CD CHANDOS
Getting to Know: Sousa by Mike Venezia

Irving Berlin Easter Parade on DVD
Life and Times: Irving Berlin by Jim Whiting

Gershwin: Cuban Overture, Funny Face Overture, Rhapsody in Blue, and An American in Paris. Fantastic! CD Penguin Classics DECCA
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess and Blue Monday (I'd wait until Jr. High for this one.) CD TELARC
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Getting to Know: Gershwin by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: George Gershwin by Jim Whiting

West Side Story CD ONLY! The DVD is, in my opinion, inappropriate until they are 18. Columbia
On the Town DVD (See Lesson 29 for comments regarding this one.)
Getting to Know: Bernstein by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Leonard Bernstein

The History of Rock Music by Andrea Bergamini (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Shake, Rattle, and Roll, Founders of Rock and Roll (Book)
Buddy, The Story of Buddy Hollly by Anne Bustard
Buddy Holly CD (Millenium Collection MCA)
Elvis #1 Hits CD RCA


LESSON 25D - JAZZ (ALL SORTS ! THEY ALSO LEFT OUT JAZZ.)
Jazz would be an interesting topic for black history month.
In jazz, trumpets are usually muted.

All That Jazz by Daphne Morgan is a great simple explanation for kids of jazz history. Note: In classical music, a double bass is bowed; in jazz it is strummed. It will be a very low, steady beat usually in the background.

Jazz and Its History by Giuseppe Vigna (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Concise Guide to Jazz by Mark C. C. Gridley
Jazz ABZ by Wynton Marsalis is a very interesting book done in a rather unusual way.
USBORNE: Understanding Music

The Best of Jazz and Blues: Hollywood Rhythm. This DVD has cuts from very old Paramount Movies. It features a very young Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and more. (KING VIDEO.)

Scott Joplin Greatest Hits CD RCA VICTOR
Scott Joplin by Janet Hubbard-Brown

Jelly Roll Morton: Doctor Jazz CD ACADEMY

Pete Fountain's New Orleans CD MCA

The Essentail Louis Armstrong CD. Louis Armstrong (from New Orleans) was a cornet and trumpet player who because of a bad heart was forced to give up his horn and become a singer. He had a very low, gravelly voice. Did you know he appeared in the movie Hello, Dolly? Do you know why his nickname was Satchmo?
If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong by Roxanne Orgill
Louis also has a cameo appearance in the Glenn Miller DVD

Duke Ellington CD CEDAR
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Duke was a band leader, composer, and piano player.
Duke Ellington DVD on the piano with various others. (IMAGE Entertainment.)
Getting to Know: Ellington by Mike Venezia

Count Basie CD CEDAR
DVD Jazz Casual has Basie on piano as well as Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and John Coltrane on saxophone. (RHINO Home Video.)
Count Basie: Bandleader and Composer by Bud Kliment. He was a piano player and band leader.

Dizzy by Jonah Winter
John Coltrane's Giant Steps by Chris Raschka

Bessie Smith and the Night Riders by Sue Stauffacher
Bessie Smith, African-American Biographies by Alexandria Manera
Martin Scorsese Presents Bessie Smith from the PBS series The Blues. CAUTION: Track 9 is very suggestive. I rate this PG-16. This track should not be played in a public school.

Billie Holiday (Singer) Loveless Love CD CEDAR

Hollywood Rhythm Big Bands and Swing Volume 2. DVD. Artie Shaw's Class in Swing is particularly interesting. It presents a wonderful explanation of exactly what swing music is. (KING Video.)

The Sounds of Glenn Miller CD CEDAR. Miller was a trombone player and band leader.
The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart. Miller's band appears along with a cameo by Louis Armstrong on his horn. Miller volunteered to serve during WW II and his plane was lost somewhere over the English Channel. UNIVERSAL

Benny Goodman The King of Swing CD CEDAR
Once Upon a Time in Chicago by Jonah Winter (short biography)
The Benny Goodman Story DVD UNIVERSAL

Best of Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra CD CURB. Tommy played trombone; his brother, Jimmy played clarinet.

Ella Fitzgerald, The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Ella Fitzgerald CD CEDAR (The male voice you hear on this CD is Louis Armstrong.)

Charlie Yardbird Parker at Dewey Square CD CEDAR. Parker played alto and tenor saxophone.
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka

The Best of Thelonius Monk CD BLUE NOTE. Monk was a piano player.
Mysterious Thelonius by Chris Raschka

Miles Davis Kind of Blue. CD COLUMBIA. Davis, a trumpet player, was considered the best at improvisation.

Art Blakey A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 CD BLUE NOTE. Blakey was a drummer.

Muddy Waters Greatest Hits CD CEDAR. Waters is a jazz guitarist.

The Best of B. B. King CD MCA. King is also a jazz guitarist.

The Great American Songbook DVD is a review of the history of American music from the Minstrel Shows and Stephen Foster all the way up through Elvis. It is excellent. Track 22 includes the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold). WARNING: Track 31 uses the word homosexual twice in referring to life styles of certain musicians. Also the words bordello and whorehouse are used on this DVD so you may want to wait until your children are older to view this one. Personally, there are some words I do not want to have to explain to very young children. If you are going to use this DVD in a public school, you will have to preview and select which tracks you will use very carefully. (Warner Brothers.)


LESSON 26 - SINGING TOGETHER
Philadelphia Chickens by Sandra Boynton. My niece and nephew love this one!
Also check out the "WEE-SING" Series


LESSON 27 - PLAYING TOGETHER



LESSON 28 - MUSIC EXPRESSION
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage (Eine Kleine) CD and Teachers' Guide
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (Feels happy!)
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture


LESSON 29 - MUSIC TELLS A STORY
I Hear America Singing (Book by Kathleen Krull/CD)

Haydn Symphony 101 in D Major (The Clock; 2nd movement)
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain (This was a part of Fantasia.)
Rimsky-Korsakov Flight of the Bumblebee (CD 1, Track 14)
Chopin Cat Waltz Track 4 Op. 34 No. 3 in F (Seraphim Classics)
Grofe Grand Canyon Suite - Listen as the mules descend into the canyon.
Copland Cat and Mouse (Check the 2 CD set of Piano Solos)

Sorcerer's Apprentice (on the CD with Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra) This was part of Fantasia which is currently out of print.

Mozart's Magic Fantasy (CD and Teachers' Guide) This is the story of the Opera The Magic Flute.
Mozart's Magic Flute (Book/CD)
Mozart Opera: Magic Flute DVD This is sung in German with English subtitles. (Art Haus Musik.)
Haydn Farewell Symphony No. 45 (Book/CD)
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastorale
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 Winter Dreams
Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Baroque Treasures Disc 1)

Growing Up with Broadway CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Mary Poppins DVD
The Music Man DVD (If you are unfamiliar with this one, there is a marching band in uniform.
Easter Parade DVD Music by Irving Berlin; starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
CATS DVD Once a year the jellico cats meet and Deuteronomy selects one cat who will get a new life. They have 9. Young children will not understand the various pieces, but they may get a kick out of adults dressed as cats.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat DVD (The story of Joseph and Pharaoh)
Sound of Music DVD
The King and I DVD
Brigadoon DVD Gene Kelly has a great tap routine in this one.
On the Town DVD - This is an old movie so you may not be familiar with the story. Three sailors (including Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly) are on leave for just one day in New York City. Each meets a girl. The kids will love the scene where the dinosaur skeleton in the museum collapses.

Pirates of Penzance DVD (Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta; my rating is PG-10) There is a surprise ending to this story. (Acorn Media.)
H.M.S. Pinafore DVD (Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta or Comic Opera; my rating is PG-10) This one also has a surprise ending. (Acorn Media.)
Life and Times: Gilbert and Sullivan by Jim Whiting

The Dog Who Sang at the Opera by Jim West and Marshall Izen - This is actually the true story of a dog who joined in singing with the soprano, Renee Fleming. The kids will love it.
The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera by Shahrukh Husain
Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera by Anne Siberell
Bizet's Dream (DVD from Devine Entertainment) This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. This one is about the Opera Carmen and is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.
Rossini's Ghost (DVD from Devine Entertainment) This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. This particular story is about the Opera The Barber of Seville and is excellent.
There is one teachers' guide to the series.
OPERA by Alessandro Taverna (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
At the Opera, Tales of the Great Operas by Ann Fiery
Life and Times: Verdi by Jim Whiting. He is best known for his operas.
Life and Times: Wagner by Jim Whiting. He is also primarily known for operas.
Verdi by Greta Cencetti
Wagner by Greta Cencetti

The 3 Tenors: Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti with Mehta in Concert 1994. DVD (Atlantic Recording Corporation, a Time Warner Company.)

Luciano Pavarotti: A Live Performance CD CEDAR
Growing Up with the Opera CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
More Growing Up with the Opera CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck DVD. This is usually sung in German, but in this instance it is in English. That makes it especially good for kids. It is also a story familiar to most children. The performers who play the roles of Hansel and Gretel are excellent and the witch is quite amusing. Opera Australia. (IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT.)

La Cenerentola by Rossini DVD (Cinderella the Opera, sung in Italian with English subtitles) This is Cinderella with a few twists. First, it is a stepfather rather than a stepmother. Also, there is a bracelet instead of a glass slipper. Finally, for a time the Prince is posing as a servant while his valet poses as the Prince. This is an excellent opera for children. There is a short synopsis provided so that the children can understand the changes in the story. The costumes here are fantastic (especially the stepsisters and stepfather). Cecilia Bartoli is excellent in the role of Cinderella. However, it is the man who sings the role of stepfather who made the whole thing wonderful. This is my favorite opera DVD. In addition to Bartoli, you will see Dara, Gimenez, Corbelli, Pertusi, and Campanella. (Houston Grand Opera; DECCA.)

Barber of Seville by Rossini DVD (This is opera buffa, a comic opera, so it should be okay for 5th or 6th grade. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. No implied infidelity and no one dies! A man wants to marry his ward in order to get control of her inheritance. She is in love with the Count and he with her. The Barber, Figaro, intervenes to bring about their wedding thus thwarting her guardian. A synopsis is provided. (Image Entertainment.)

La Boheme by Puccini DVD with Luciano Pavarotti singing male lead. Four students live together in a Paris garret. The female lead dies at the end from tuberculosis. I rate this PG-12. This was the first role Pavarotti sang and is one of those for which he was best known. Though the story is set in France, it is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A brief synopsis is provided. (KULTUR.)

Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky DVD. This opera is performed at the Kirov and sung in Russian with English subtitles. You will notice that Russian audiences clap differently than Americans. Also note that the performers take their bows differently. A synopsis is provided. I rate this PG-12. Kirov Opera with Sergei Leyferkus, Yuri Marusin, and Tatiana Novikova. (KULTUR.)

Otello by Verdi DVD with Placido Domingo singing lead (Opera adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello) I rate it PG-13. Four main characters die! This was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and is an opera filmed as a movie rather than on a stage. It's wonderful! It is one of the roles for which Placido Domingo is best known. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A short synopsis is provided. (MGM.)

Tosca by Puccini DVD. This one is sung in Italian with English subtitles. It is filmed as a movie rather than on a stage. It also stars Placido Domingo. You will also see Raina Kabaivanska, Sherrill Milnes, Giancarlo Luccardi, Mario Ferrara, Alfredo Mariotti, Bruno Grella, Domenico Medici, and Placido Domingo, Jr. A synopsis is provided and you will find another in the opera book by Siberell. I rate this one PG-13. (Deutsche Grammophon.)

Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman by Wagner DVD) This is sung in German with English sustitles. This opera was filmed outdoors in the huge courtyard of Finland's 500 year old Olavir Castle, a majestic and impressive setting. The Dutchman is condemned to roam the seas perpetually in search of a woman who will be faithful unto death. A good synopsis is provided in the opera book by Husain. This is an excellent example of what is known as grand opera. I rate this PG-13. (Deutsche Grammophon available through the Metropolitan Opera.)

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Mozart is a continuation of the characters from the Barber of Seville. The Count now bored with his wife is attempting unsuccessfully to seduce Figaro's fiancee. There is a wonderful surprise at the end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. It stars Knut Skram, Ileana Cotrubas, Kiri Te Kanawa, Benjamin Luxon, Frederica von Stade, Marius Rintzler, and Nucci Condo. I rate this PG-13. (Euro Arts Musik.)

Cosi fan tutte (Women are like that) by Mozart in which Don Alfonso for his own amusement attempts to stir up trouble for two engaged couples. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. This Glyndebourne Festival Opera performance stars Helena Doese, Sylvia Lindenstrand, Daniele Perriers, Thomas Allen, Anson Austin, and Frantz Petri. I rate this PG-13. There is some debate as to whether Mozart intended for the original couples to re-unite in the end or for the newly formed couples to marry. It has been performed with both possible endings. (Art Haus Musik.)

Falstaff by Verdi DVD is based upon Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Falstaff, sung by Ambrogio Maestri, attempts unsuccessfully to seduce married women. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (Euro Arts Music.)

La Traviata by Verdi DVD starring Angela Gheorghiu. This mistress dies of lung cancer in the end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (DECCA.) NOTE: The true story upon which this is based is the same one Ashton used when he choreographed the ballet Marguerite and Armand for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.

Rigoletto by Verdi from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Levine DVD. The Duke is a cad who seduces every woman in sight. Rigoletto is his jester and fond of making fun of those men who have been cuckolded. An innocent is murdered in the end. I've read that the role of the Duke is a favorite for tenors. In this case, we have Placido Domingo. You will also see and hear Cornell MacNeil, Ileana Cotrubas, Isola Jones, and Justino Diaz. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A good synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (Universal Classics.)

Madame Butterfly by Puccini (DVD starring Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, and Robert Kerns from Deutsche Grammophon.) A man marries two different women from two different continents. The first has his son and he wants to take the son with him for wife number two to raise. Wife number one commits suicide for the sake of her son! A picture book illustrated by Renata Fucikova tells this story.

Aida by Verdi DVD. This one is set in Egypt; sung in Italian with English subtitles. There is a short synopsis provided. It is GRANDE! The stars are Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Chiara, Ghena Dimitrova, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Juan Pons, and Paata Burchuladze. The costumes are wonderful though I should warn you that some boys have costumes you would expect to see in National Geographic. The staging is spectacular, especially the Sphinx which is rolled out onto the stage. I rate this one PG-13 and it is one of my favorites. (Image Entertainment.)

Die Fledermaus (The Bat) by Johann Strauss II from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. DVD has 2 discs, 159 minutes! This one strikes me as funny. The plot is a bit twisted, but a synopsis is provided. You will definitely need to read this before viewing. There is a bit of infidelity. CAUTION: Someone gets drunk at a party and we see a very brief flash of a backside so I rate this PG-13. NOT TO BE SHOWN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. It is sung primarily in German with a bit a French thrown in and there are English subtitles. (BBC Opus Arte.)

Faust by Gounod DVD. This opera is sung in French with English subtitles. You will find a synopsis in the opera book by Siberell. Dr. Faust makes a deal with the devil because he wants to be young again. This one is long, 190 minutes. Also, it was not filmed for distribution, but rather for the archives only. There are a few problems with film quality. Nevertheless, it features Alfredo Kraus in his signature role of Dr. Faust. I rate this one PG-13. (Hardy Classic Video.)

Carmen by Bizet DVD. This opera is set in Spain; sung in French with English subtitles. Carmen, sung by Maria Ewing, is a lusty gypsy with no lack of attention from the men. There is some excellent Flamenco dancing. You will find a short syopsis in the opera book by Siberell. I rate this one PG-13. (Image Entertainment.)

Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten DVD. It is in English, but I advise using English subtitles anyway. It's rather dark so wait until at least Jr. High. Peter Grimes, sung by Jon Vickers, is a fisherman. Two young boys working for him die accidentally, though no one believes Grimes. Royal Opera. (KULTUR.)

Don Giovanni by Mozart from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and starring Benjamin Luxon. DVD. He is a rake with no conscience at all. He seduces every woman he meets and kills the father of one when the father attempts to interfere. I rate this one PG-15. I really did not like this one until the very end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. There is a brief description provided. (Art Haus Musik.)

Don Carlo by Verdi is very, very long 2 yes e discs. The booklet gives the history of this opera, but no synopsis. It took me a while to figure it out. The female lead (Elisabeth) was in love with the Prince (Don Carlo) and he with her, but she was forced to marry his father, King Phillip II instead. Because of its length only I rate this one PG-16. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. I'm still searching for a good synopsis. (EMI Classics.)

Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky DVD is based upon historical fact. This one is sung in Russian and there are no subtitles provided. This is opera as purists think it should be. I'd rather have some subtitles. The costumes are incredible and the staging impressive. Fortunately, a detailed synopsis is provided, but for lack of subtitles I rate this one PG-16. If I find a different copy, I will post an update. This one is from the Bolshoi. (UNIVERSAL.)


LESSON 30 - MUSIC IN RELIGION
The Real Complete Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party CD
The Joy of Passover: A Family Seder. Only some of the tracks are songs. A narrator describes the Seder in detail.
Handel's Messiah DVD
Hallelujah Handel CD and Teachers' Guide (Classics for Kids)
Handel's Hallelujah (File with Lesson 22B Baroque Treasures Disc 9)
Mozart Requiem CD (Lesson 23B)
Gregorian Chants CD CEDAR
Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass (Missa Papae Marcelli) POLYDOR
The Great Gospel Women (generally Southern Black Gospel) Shanachie
Mahalia Jackson Sings America's Favorite Hymns (Black Gospel) COLUMBIA
White Dove (Gospel Bluegrass) also known as Stained Glass Bluegrass ROUNDER


LESSON 31 - REVIEW AND SUMMARY

LESSON 32 - CHILDREN MAKING MUSIC


III. PERFORMANCES
Do you live in or near either a college town or a major city? Consider taking your children to the symphony, a jazz performance, the ballet, or even an opera. Although DVD's are an excellent way to familiarize your children with the arts, a live performance is unforgettable.