Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies

These songs have made family car time a heck of a lot more fun, and more bearable for Mom than many other kids' albums. Some of the songs are very clever and teach kids (and me) about the composers as well as offering a opportunity for me to sneak in some musical/historical info. My kids will perk up and ask questions when I tell them about the opera pieces Mozart wrote for his sister-in-law after hearing "him" and "his wife" sing "Please Don't Play Your Violin at Night," instead of spacing out or looking at me like I'm nuts if I brought it up in everyday conversation. And hey, I've been using "Kings and Queens of England" to help me place some of the monarchs broadly in history (there is a little fudging of the order to fit the rhythm in places). The liner notes include trivia questions (Franz Liszt was once timed playing how many notes in one minute?) and additional activities for the kids to do, like make up their own dance.I do get the Music Lovers who find this album torturous, though--I also consider it wrong to put "Fur Elise" to words (and these aren't they're best lyrics, seriously), and I try to skip over "Tchaikovsky's Cannonball" because the beginning makes me wince. Generally, though, I think it's a great way to introduce pieces, and give the kids the beginning of a connection to classical music. I would actually recommend Beethoven's Wig 2 and 4 over this one, as the lyrics are better, and the songs more fun--though, funny as it is, I do consider it criminal to set words to Moonlight Sonata (are you sensing a certain bias here?). Yeah, you don't want to think of cars honking when you hear that one, but if the kids come to appreciate the amazing trumpet playing in "Neapolitan Dance for Swam Lake," I consider their musical education on it's way.

My kids take piano lessons, and I was hoping that listening to classical music would help them enjoy their lessons a bit more, since many of their lesson pieces are variations of classical melodies, and, for whatever reason, they don't naturally enjoy classical music.I had heard rave reviews about the Classical Kids series of CDs (where a story is set to a composer's music), and, while my children enjoyed them, they didn't really want to hear the stories repeatedly, so the melodies didn't stick.We got this CD from the library, and the minute they heard the first line of this CD, they were in hysterics. They just LOVED the silly lyrics, and they've listened to the CD repeatedly. They begged me to buy our own copy and to get the 2nd and 3rd CDs in this series. They ask questions about the music and the lyrics, trying to figure out what play on words and reality the creator of the CD was thinking about. They remember the music and who composed it. And they are much more interested in playing the pieces they know on the piano!So, for our purposes, this CD has been perfect.And yes, I put my money where my mouth is and purchased all three CDs in this set :) This one is still our favorite.

As a mom and preschool teacher, I thought I'd give this CD a try. I love the classics myself and I want my kids to be exposed to them as well.Yes, some of the songs can be silly...but guess what, kids LIKE silly! It is not a classic CD to relax to my any means--it is a great way to expose them to this great selection of music. It is fun and up beat. My 1 year old always bobs along to it. And my three year old is already singing some of the lyrics. It also gives us a fun activity to bond over--we talk about the music a lot. She has also started comparing the music to what she has heard from her Barbie Swan Lake movie and the Beauty and the Beast play we saw.I personally love that it creates a story for each song--which is what lots of people miss when listening to classic music. I am hoping that this will provide them an excellent example--and they'll eventually start to create their own stories when they hear classic pieces.We've really enjoyed this CD as a family. It is not your typical classical CD--but it is so much fun! So give it a try...I doubt you'll be disappointed!

This is a CLASSIC!! I raised my two daughters on this CD every time we got in the car. They are not 18 and 16 and pulled it out a couple of weeks ago to my surprise. So I ordered a new one for my 18 year old to take to college in the fall. My 8 year old son was listening and couldn't stop. Now every time we get in the car that is what he wants to listen to! He is learning the words and loving every minute of it. I have had to explain to him that the words to the songs were written by someone else, not the composer. It is has lead to some great discussions about what a composer is and the difference between the music and the lyrics. I love how educational this is and how fun the lyrics are. We LOVE LOVE LOVE this CD!!

Growing up,my two best friends' fathers played the viola in the CSO. I was constantly exposed to classical music and enjoyed many summers on the lawns of Ravinia listening to CSO rehearsals. That music made a beautiful and lasting contribution to my life. I passed my love of music on to my children, with inconsistent results. However, in a world where interest in classical music has ebbed, it was my hope that my grandchildren would have some appreciation. I purchased all three of the Beethoven's Wig CD's for them (and me). I also gave one to my remaining childhood friend, now 66, whose father played in the symphony. She loved it. My daughter listened to the CD in the car for the first time while driving carpool with her children. she called me from her car, laughing. "What a great" CD she said. "I am so happy you bought it for Ozzie."Thank you for your cleverness and far sightedness, Richad Perlmutter.

I love all Beethoven’s Wig CDs. The only reason I gave this four instead of five stars is because all the others CDs came in a nice case with a booklet containing fun pictures and words to all the songs. This one came in a cheap paper case, and no booklet, for roughly the same price.

Not ideal for 2- year- olds to repeat words as singers sing very quikcly