Use Your Imagination 5
For the Kids

Composers have had a long history of writing music specifically for children. Usually, composers wrote dry studies to teach their children how to play music. However, some composers wrote music for children as audience.

Here’s some music for kids and kids at heart.

Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf
Perhaps, the most famous of all, is Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, a terrific little tale, told by a narrator, and a backing orchestra. This tale of triumph of youth over experience has been told, in recordings, by some of the world's most famous voices.

Saint-Saëns - Carnival of the Animals - zoological fantasy
Saint-Saëns had this witty music dredged up against his wishes after he died. To make things worse, it became his best-known hit, and copped some crazy limericks from Ogden Nash, to boot. The lovely piece, "The Swan" is a highlight and has become a popular piece of music in its own right.

Britten - The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, op.34 (Variations on a Theme by Purcell)
Britten tried to make classical music easy to get into, long before my current attempt, by writing some clever music to illustrate the instruments of the orchestra. Perhaps it was too clever because it has optional narration to help.

Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker - Suite, op.71a
The original Toy Story; Its Christmas Eve and the toys are animated. Tchaikovsky wrote this popular ballet for kids of all ages. It is so full of famous tunes that you'll be whistling along before you know it.

Mozart - 12 Variations in C major on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman", K265 (Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!)
Knowing it only as a French folk tune, Mozart went about setting one of the most famous of all kid’s melodies to music, and he even managed to throw in some charming variations for the effort.