Maestro Classics ~ Peter and the Wolf

I was so excited to be chosen to review Peter and the Wolf from Maestro Classics! I do not remember ever hearing this as a child, but I have always loved classical music, and so do our kids. When we did Kindergarten two years ago we listened to Peter and the Wolf together, and I also rented a cartoon DVD of the music and story for the kids to see. They liked it, but that was the end of it after that. With Maestro Classics version we were able to dig in deeper and really get to know about the music and the composer.

The CD contains 8 tracks, totaling 68:16 minutes.

1. Introduction- Yadu, narrator 3:57

2. Peter and the Wolf- for narrator and Symphony Orchestra 25:10

3. About the Composer- Prokofiev - by Bonnie Ward Simon 6:14

4. A Russian Peter- Trio Voronezh- 2:21

5. About the Music- Stephen Simon, Conductor 6:18

6. Peter and the Wolf- Instrumental Version 21:03

7. Invitation to Grandfather's Party- Bonnie Ward Simon :26

8. Kalinka- Dance Along- Trio Voronezh 2:45

The first thing we did was listen to the story told by the narrator and accompanied by the beautiful music of the London Philharmonic orchestra. I had the kids snuggle up with me on the bed to listen to it. I asked them to close their eyes and imagine the story in their minds. They all laid there with me for the whole 25 minutes and just listened. The baby fell asleep, bonus! Afterward they took the CD player with them to my sons bedroom and listened to it again so the baby could finish her nap.

Later we listened to the instrumental version only, and with the help of the booklet that comes with the CD we identified the instruments used and matched up the characters in the story to the instrument that represents them. The booklet also has a connect the dots activity, puzzles, pictures and descriptions of the instruments that the Trio Voronezh uses to play their Russian version of Peter and the Wolf. We had never heard of a Balalaika, Bayan, or a Domra before! I was surprised by how much I learned myself!

My 3 youngest daughters like to pretend they are ballerinas (like their big sister) so they love the music only tracks. I even overheard the 6 year old telling the 4 year old to "only dance when you hear your part" so she was listening for the flute! Too cute! They all like dancing to the lively Russian music!

We have definitely enjoyed doing this review! I would LOVE to get some of the other titles soon as well! This can be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you have been looking for an easy no prep way to introduce great music and stories to your children I highly recommend this company!

The three major benefits of using Maestro Classics are...

1. Expand listening horizons.

2. Develop listening skills and accumulate musical memories.

3. Encourage adults and children to listen to music together.

You can purchase Peter and the Wolf,  and listen to samples of all the selections, and see educational resources available at.....

www.maestroclassics.com.com

$16.98 for one CD or $45.00 for a set of 3 (Enter code WINTER2010 at checkout)

Other titles available include- The Tortoise and the Hare, The Story of Swan Lake, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Casey at the Bat, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and Juanita the Spanish Lobster which is also available in Spanish.

Coming soon! My Name is Handel and A Soldier's Tale

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Disclaimer ~ We received this product in exchange for an honest review after using it in our homeschool, as a part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own.