Classics For Kids

Benjamin Britten: The Instruments of the Orchestra - Part 1

Benjamin Britten was asked to compose music for a film ...

Benjamin Britten was asked to compose music for a film that explained the instruments of the orchestra to children. Britten borrowed a tune by one of his favorite composers, Henry Purcell, to create his Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. This show uses Britten's Guide to introduce the instruments of the woodwind and string families.

Benjamin Britten: Pizzicato and Other Musical Terms

Pizzicato is the Italian word for ''plucked'' -- it tells ...

Pizzicato is the Italian word for ''plucked'' -- it tells string players how to play their instruments at a given spot in the music. A lot of musical "traffic signals" are in Italian. This show has explanations and examples of some more of them.

Benjamin Britten: The Simple Symphony

Benjamin Britten composed his Simple Symphony when he was twenty, ...

Benjamin Britten composed his Simple Symphony when he was twenty, but he based it on music that he'd written much earlier -- some of it when he was only 10! The ''Simple Symphony'' has four movements, each of which has a very catchy name: Boisterous Bouree, Playful Pizzicato, Sentimental Sarabande, and Frolicsome Finale.

Benjamin Britten: About Benjamin Britten

After studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music in London, ...

After studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music in London, Benjamin Britten got a job writing film music. Then he went on to compose choral music, chamber music, songs, and quite a few operas, including some for major events in British history. In addition to being a composer, Britten was an excellent pianist and conductor.

Igor Stravinsky: Halloween Music

Appropriately spooky classical music for Halloween.

Igor Stravinsky: Fire Music

To go with this month's music from Igor Stravinsky's ballet ...

To go with this month's music from Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird, some more music by composers who were playing with fire.

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird

Igor Stravinsky based his ballet The Firebird on a Russian ...

Igor Stravinsky based his ballet The Firebird on a Russian folk tale about an evil demon named Kashchei, who has thirteen princesses under his spell. A prince who wanders into Kashchei's garden to hunt the Firebird winds up defeating Kashchei and freeing the princesses -- with the help of the Firebird's magic feather.

Igor Stravinsky: About Igor Stravinsky

Russian composer Igor Stravinsky had a big hit with his ...

Russian composer Igor Stravinsky had a big hit with his first ballet, The Firebird. Stravinksy kept on writing ballets, followed by operas, and orchestral and choral music.

Robert Schumann: Music for the Harvest Season

On this week's Classics for Kids show, music for the ...

On this week's Classics for Kids show, music for the harvest - and for fall.

Robert Schumann: All in the Musical Family

Robert and Clara Schumann were a husband and wife musician/composer ...

Robert and Clara Schumann were a husband and wife musician/composer team. But theirs was not the only family in which musician were linked by marriage. Others include Dvorak/Suk, Wagner/Liszt, Mozart/Weber, and the Bachs.