Over eons of musical history, childhood has remained an inexhaustible inspiration. This week, we’ll hear how composers from Purcell to Prokofiev were influenced by the creative energy of youth.
Child’s Play
Playlist
Episode 1
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome, I
Montreal Symphony/Dutoit
Lon 410145
2:34
Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, Tuilleries
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Solti
Lon 400051
1:00
Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen
Horowitz, piano
DG 435025
16:45
Charles Ives: Symphony No. 3, II
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Tilson Thomas
CBS 37823
6:40
Georges Bizet: Jeux d’enfants
Concertgebouw/Haitink
Phil 416437
10:53
Engelbert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel, Overture
London Symphony Orchestra/Previn
EMI 672252
7:47
Episode 2
Edward Elgar: Wand of Youth (excerpts)
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/Leppard
Koss 1014
8:35, 1:34
WA Mozart: Symphony No. 1, I K. 16
Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood
L’Oiseau 452496
5:38
WA Mozart: Symphony Serenade in D Major, K. 100
Tafelmusik/Weil
Sony 47260
15:54
Felix Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major (excerpts)
Guarneri Quartet and Orion Quartet
Arab 6714
18:44
Episode 3
Claude Debussy, arr. Caplet: Children’s Corner
Montreal Symphony/Dutoit
Polygram 44386
2:32
Claude Debussy: Children’s Corner
Kocsis, piano
HM 903006
15:06
Gustav Mahler: Kindertotenlieder (excerpts)
Halle Orchestra/Barbirolli, Baker, mezzo soprano
EMI 47793
13:21
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 4, IV
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Solti; Te Kanawa, soprano
London 436618
8:24
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3, V
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Levine; Horne, soprano
RCA 1757
4:00
Erich Korngold: Snowman (excerpt)
Northwest German Philharmonic/Albert
CPO 999037
4:25
Episode 4
Gioacchino Rossini, arr. Ottorino Respighi: The Fantastic Toyshop (excerpts)
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Marriner
Phil 420485
7:34
Victor Herbert: Babes in Toyland, I.
Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra/Brion
Naxos 8.559025
7:28
George Crumb: Ancient Voices of Children
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble/Weisberg; DeGaetani, mezzo soprano
Nonesuch 79149
24:52
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms, II
Israel Philharmonic/Bernstein
DG 289 463 462
5:36
Benjamin Britten: Simple Symphony
Playful Pizzicato
English Chamber Orchestra/Britten
Lon 417509
Episode 5
Henry Purcell: Abdelazar, Rondeau
English Chamber Orchestra/Leppard
CBS 44650
1:16
Benjamin Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra/Mackerras; Kingsley, narrator
CAIA 1022
18:09, 2:32
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Prole do bebe (excerpts)
A.Rubinstein, piano
RCA 5670
8:03
Sergei Prokofiev: Cinderella (excerpts)
Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi
Chan 8939
21:39