Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf Review

A little over a year ago, I had my first introduction to Maestro Classics when I was asked to review The Tortoise and the Hare.  You can, and really should, read that review HERE.  This year, the Crew was asked to take a look at (or really a listen to)...

But first, a brief history.  Maestro Classics is a company run by Bonnie Ward Simon and her husband Stephen Simon, the conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  Their "Stories in Music" CDs are an award winning series of recordings of music written for (or whose stories are appropriate to) children and families.  In addition to Peter and the Wolf and the Tortoise and the Hare, the other CDs in the series include The Story of Swan Lake, Casey at Bat, Juanita the Spanish Lobster, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. 

The Peter and the Wolf CD contains an introduction to the symphony Peter and the Wolf, a narrated version of the actual symphony, a track of information about the composer, a track of Peter's theme played by Trio Voronezh, a track of information about the music by Maestro Simon, a purely instrumental version of Peter and the Wolf, and a few fun tracks.  In addition, it comes with a booklet full of information on Peter and the Wolf and containing several activities for students to do to reinforce the information on the CD. 
The bottom line?  I stand by my original assessment.  These are great CDs.  The music is first rate, and in NO other instance are you going to get this type of information to enhance the listening experience and help your children and YOU really understand the music and the composer's intent.  If you check out the website, you can view the actual CDs, listen to sample music, and see the booklets that go with the CDs.  The individual CDs are $16.98 each, but you can currently get 3 for $45 and free shipping.

To see what other members of the TOS Crew had to say, go HERE.

Legal disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a free copy of the CD for Peter and the Wolf for my review purposes.  Tis CD is the only compensation I received.