OPERA IS FOR EVERYONE and so, The Classical Child At the Opera was created to give children a taste of the magic, majesty and humor of this glorious art form. Well-known songs and arias have been selected that appeal to young sensibilities, while easy-to-follow English translations bring these delightful stories and characters to life. Care has been taken by the singers to present the music in a way that is light hearted and accessible sometimes gentle, sometimes raucous, but always positive and engaging. Album Description
 |  | Good Introduction to Opera |  |
As a music teacher, you learn just how little non-pop music children are exposed to, so I made an effort to get them exposed to this form of musical art. I'm not a huge fan of opera myself, but I want my students to have an appreciation for all aspects of my art, and finding a way to introduce them to it without playing into their stereotypes of the fat lady with horns. So, I tried this CD, and am quite pleased with it. It gives enough of an overview that I can use it with my younger students, but has great classics so that I can go a little more in-depth with my older students. A great find!
December 21, 2007I use this CD is my classroom for a wide variety of activities including art instruction for which it is ideally suited. It is hard to recommend this CD enough! Thanks for putting it together.
May 10, 2006| | | I have only one complaint about this CD | |
My one complaint is that after I listen to this CD, the catchy tunes get stuck in my head! And then I want to keep listening to it more and more. I love the selections on this CD, the fact that the songs are in English (I always wondered what the "Figaro, Figaro, Figaro" song was about!), and that a little background is given to each piece as well.
April 16, 2006| | | What every kid (and parent needs!) | |
All I can say is my family LOVES this CD! We have a blast singing along, dancing, etc. It's made opera a new discovery for all of us.
February 6, 2004No, this isn't Bugs Bunny's version of opera. It is, however, an excellent introduction to opera, for young and old alike. The the translations to English are quite clever, and the singers' voices are, for the most part, excellent and clear (overly florid voices can be such a turn-off). Grant Doyle, the baritone, is a particular stand-out: rather than sing "at" you, he manages to convey humor and emotion in his parts... you can almost *see* the funny bird catcher, Papageno, in the three songs from Mozart's "Magic Flute", which happent to be my 5-year old's favorite tracks. Doyle's turn as Figaro in "Largo al Factorum" from "The Barber of Seville" is pure joy. The children's chorus in "The Children's March" from "Carmen" is also delightful, and Gabriella Santinelli's(?) voice as the doll from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman" is simply amazing.
As much as I enjoy this album, I question the inclusion of the last three songs, which come from "Hansel and Gretel". The voices on the songs are of the overly florid nature, and I can see my daughter lose interest. I think it would have been more interesting to include more "Carmen," or arias from other such popular operas "Rigoletto" or "Aida". Or if the album needed to end on a slower note, the overcoat song from "La Boheme."
IAC, I have caught my daughter humming bits and pieces from the operas. Even I have managed to amaze people by correctly identifying the Flower Duet from "Lakme"! I strongly recommend this album. March 28, 2003
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