Classics For Kids

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Franz Joseph Haydn 4: Minuets Jan 22, 2022

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The minuet is a dance that started in the 1700’s in the French court. Gradually, the minuet began to be used for non-dancing purposes, as a musical form — especially […]

Franz Joseph Haydn 3: The Farewell Symphony Jan 15, 2022

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Every year, when the weather turned nice, Prince Esterhazy — Franz Joseph Haydn’s employer — moved his entire household to his summer palace. When it turned cold again, everyone moved […]

Franz Joseph Haydn 2: Father of the Symphony Jan 08, 2022

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Franz Joseph Haydn never had any children, but the musicians who worked for him liked him so much they called him Papa Haydn. And Haydn is also known as the […]

Franz Joseph Haydn 1: About Franz Joseph Haydn Jan 01, 2022

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Franz Joseph Haydn spent over thirty years working as music director for the Esterhazy family. By the end of his life, Haydn was both rich and famous, and he had […]

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 4: Traditional Christmas Classical Music Dec 25, 2021

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George Frederick Handel’s Messiah wasn’t written for Christmas — it was first performed in April. Hear some other pieces of classical music that traditionally get played during the Christmas season.

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 3: The Nutcracker Dec 18, 2021

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Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker is based on a story by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann. In The Nutcracker, a Christmas present — a nutcracker — comes to life as a handsome […]

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 2: Ballet Dec 11, 2021

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Ballet is a theatrical performance that tells a story using music, costumes, sets, and dance. Victoria Morgan, artistic director of the Cincinnati Ballet, talks with Naomi Lewin about ballet and […]

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1: About Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Dec 04, 2021

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Some composers in Tchaikovsky’s day didn’t think his music sounded “Russian” enough, but Tchaikovsky was Russian through and through. Tchaikovsky wrote symphonies, operas, songs, chamber music — and of course, […]

Leonard Bernstein 4: American Composers with a Boston Connection Nov 27, 2021

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Leonard Bernstein grew up in the Boston area. Here are some more composers who spent time in and around that city.

Leonard Bernstein 3: Operettas in English Nov 20, 2021

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Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” is an operetta. An operetta is like an opera, with one big difference. In opera, everything is sung, but in operetta, there are spoken lines between the […]

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