Merry Pranks of Master Till by Maestro Classics
Award-Winning Maestro Classics CD Collection
Available for purchase June 23, 2015.
I started learning classical music at an early age. My piano teacher insisted that I only learn classical music, which at first was a little disappointing, but soon I had an appreciation and love of it and learned quite a bit about each composer from the side notes in my music books. I still find myself listening to classical music quite a bit, especially when I am driving; it gives me a very soothing feeling and it can be quite entertaining and passionate. I started playing classical music to the girls when they were young and, honestly, I play so much music in the house they seem to enjoy all genres. I love being able to share the background of each composer with my oldest, Brooke, and the Maestro Classics CDs always come with story albums and curriculum guides for children that I find inspiring. The latest edition to the Maestro Classics series involves the composer, Richard Strauss (1864-1949), who wrote the classical tone poem, Til Eulenspiegel.
Merry Pranks of Master Till is a wonderful way to introduce children to classical music. Strauss’ tone poem is about the folk legend of a little boy named Till who loves to play pranks on everyone. Till travels the countryside and no one is immune to his antics; from priests to bakers, Till loves to try and put others ‘in their place’. Master Till learns that people have little patience for a merry prankster but he just can’t seem to help control his over-the-top and crazy antics.
Of course, Richard Strauss did not have narration over his original compositions, so this CD is a new take on Master Till’s tales that were quite popular during Strauss’s lifetime. The music is beautiful and the longest composition on this CD is over fifteen minutes long. For a more authentic feel, the CD also smartly features Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche with just the music and no narration. The 24-page activity book has stories of Till illustrated by Giles Laroche, a biography of Richard Strauss, information on the French horn and additional items for learning like a classical crossword puzzle. If you love the Merry Pranks of Master Till CD, be sure to check out the other award-winning Maestro Classics here. We really like Peter and the Wolf.
About Maestro Classics: Maestro Classics was started by husband and wife team, Stephen and Bonnie Simon, in 2004 in Washington, DC. Stephen and Bonnie were the music director (Stephen) and executive director (Bonnie) of the popular Washington Chamber Symphony for young audiences and wanted to branch out and share their love of classical music outside DC. Check out their Educational Materials here which also includes a nice section on Homeschooling Materials. Music is also available as an MP3 and PDF Booklet through the Maestro Classics website for $9.98.
Merry Pranks of Master Till by Maestro Classics
List Price: $ 16.98 (Also available for digital download)
Momma's Bacon 