Track Listing

1. Children's March [From Carmen]
2. Doll Song [From Tales of Hoffmann]
3. Anvil Chorus [From II Trovatore]
4. Bird Catcher Am I [From the Magice Flute]
5. Papagena! Papagena! Papagena! [From The Magic Flute]
6. Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa [From the Magice Flute]
7. Flower Duet [From Lakmé]
8. Largo Al Factotum [From the Barber of Seville]
9. Three Little Maids from School [From the Mikado]
10. Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze [From the Mikado]
11. Tit-Willow [From the Mikado]
12. Brother, Come Dance With Me [from Hansel and Gretel)
13. I Am the Little Sandman [from Hansel and Gretel)
14. Children's Prayer [from Hansel and Gretel)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11855 in Music
• Released on: 2001-05-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
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.

BILLBOARD MAGAZINE
"...One this years best releases for children!"

From the Artist
It's my hope that this recording will not only be a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable experience for children, but will also spark their curiosity about the stories, the music and the dramatic form itself that this collection is taken from. If I've done my job well, kids who listen will be tickled, amused, bemused and awestruck by what they hear and imagine ...and they may even want to attend an actual opera with you! And what an adventure and a learning experience that will be...for all of us. Enjoy! Sincerely,Ernest MavridesProducer

Customer Reviews

What's Opera Doc?
No, 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.

My Child is singing Opera!
My wife and I received this cd as a gift at a shower and started playing for our kids in the car. They loved it! I have a degree in voice and was delighted when I began to hear my two and a half year old son singing along with the arias. He now knows many of them word for word and note for note. This cd is a wonderfull way to get your kids listening to and enjoying opera and classical music. Our original copy was broken in a bizzare baby/cd incident so I had to buy a second copy because my kids were begging for it. BUY THIS CD!!!!!

Can't live without this one...
My two boys received this album as a gift in tape form. We have listened to it so often we now have to purchase the CD to replace the worn-down tape. We can't live without it! My 6 year old begs for "Figaro!" and my 3 year old loves the Flower Duet! This is a wonderful gift!