Beethoven Baby Music

Beethoven for Babies: Brain Training for Little Ones

For the parent looking to ease their child into a familiarity with classical music, this is a very well chosen set of Beethoven works. It begins with a generous selection of airs composed late in the composer's life. The presence of the flute as the lead instrument on these selections has a soothing quality that moves the ear in an ideally subtle way, especially as it gives way to the more excited piano sonata pieces. Zoltán Kocsis's reading of Pathétique is followed by Claudio Arrau's take on the 7th, 15th, and 18th sonatas and Sviatoslav Richter's lyrical take on the 20th (Pastoral). Programmed amidst the piano pieces, which are great studies in dynamics and musical spacing, are some fine orchestral snippets, none longer than five minutes. The collection does a fine balancing act, condensing works that don't inherently lend themselves to shortened renditions and carefully managing moods, entry, and egress to each segment. This is fine anthology work. 1. Six Nat Airs w. Vars, Op.105: The Cottage Maid (Welsh) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 2. Six Nat Airs w. Vars, Op.105: The Last Rose Of Summer (Irish) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 3. Six Nat Airs w. Vars, Op.105: Chiling O'Guirg (Irish) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 4. Six Nat Airs w. Vars, Op.105: English Bulls (Irish) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 5. Ten Nat Airs w. Var, Op.107: St. Patrick's Day (Irish) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 6. Ten Nat Airs w. Var, Op.107: O Mary, At The Window Be (Scottish) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 7. Ten Nat Airs w. Var, Op.107: Oh, Thou Are The Lad Of My Heart (Scottish) - Severino Gazzelloni/Bruno Canino 8. Für Elise - Bella Davidovich 9. Pno Son No.8 in c (Pathétique): Adagio cantablie - Zoltan Kocsis 10. Str Qt No.13: in B flat: Alla Danza Tedesca. Allegro assai - Quartetto Italiano 11. Pno Son No.7 in D: Menuetto (Allegro) - Claudio Arrau 12. The Creatures Of Prometheus: Finale. Allegretto - Orch 18th Century/Frans Bruggen 13. Pno Son No.18 in E flat: Menuetto (Moderato e grazioso) - Claudio Arrau 14. Pno Son No.20 in G: Tempo di menuetto - Sviatoslav Richter 15. Sym. No.8 in F: Allegro scherzando - ASMF/Marriner 16. Sym. No.9 in d ('Choral'): Ode To Joy - Orch 18th Century/Frans Brüggen 17. Pno Son No.15 in D ('Pastoral'): Rondo (Allegro na non troppo) - Claudio Arrau 18. Sym. No.6 in F ('Pastoral'): Hymn Of Thanksgiving - ASMF/Marriner