Editor’s note: Classical music of any kind often feels boring and inaccessible—but not with Narendra Kusnur. He offers an accessible and fun guide to Western classical music—which has shaped movie soundtracks and top 40 hits alike.
In this month’s guide, Narendra Kusnur offers a guide to introducing your kid to Western classical music—from Haydn to jazz riffs.
Written by: Narendra Kusnur has been a music journalist for over 40 years—including a decade-long stint covering the beat at the Mid-Day newspaper. He currently writes for The Hindu, Free Press Journal, Hindustan Times, and Rolling Stone India—besides the in-house magazines of prestigious institutions—such as NCPA and Shanmukhananda Hall.
About the lead image: This 1892 painting is titled 'Lucie Leon at the Piano' is by Berthe Morisot.
One of the first nursery rhymes we learnt was ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. A large number of people don’t know its origin. In the early 1780s, the legendary Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a set of variations of a particular piano tune. The belief is that he created them as exercises for his students. These tunes were inspired by a popular French folk song, ‘Ah, vous diraj-je, Maman’.
Though there is no evidence that Mozart actually composed the original tune, the truth is that he popularised it. And when English author Jane Taylor set her poem to that tune in 1806, it became known everywhere. A similar melody was then used in ‘Baa, Baa, Black Sheep’, the alphabet song ‘A B C D E F G’, and the German tune ‘Ist Das Nicht Win Schnitzelbank’. Let’s listen to the Mozart version of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ played by Italian pianist Gabriele Tomasello below.
This is followed by a fun rendition of the German song.
Whether or not one is aware of their Western classical connection, these tunes are recognised by children from a very early age. Likewise, there are many other tunes which are said to be appropriate if one were to initiate kids into this form. Mozart’s other famous tune, ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’, is one of them. The older generation may have heard the tune played by adults in various concerts, but here let’s watch four siblings aged seven, 10, 12 and 13 render the masterpiece.
While Mozart has been made essential, there are tunes by other composers that make their way into lists of essential Western classical listening for children. Parents of young children would do well to play them at home. Before we get into them, let’s look at some of the benefits these tunes can have.
Kids can increase their ability to concentrate
Classical music can calm kids and soothe emotions
General listening skills can improve
An early interest can increase the odds of participation in musical activities when older
Here’s a short video created by ‘The Daily Connoisseur’ on why classical music is important.
Let’s now look at tunes that are perfect for children. While these tunes have been used in cinema or TV shows, the focus in this column is to showcase the original compositions and why they are accessible to children. Ideally, the list should include popular fare like Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Spring’ from ‘The Four Seasons’, Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘Toccata & Fugue in D Minor’ and Ludwig Van Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’ and ‘Symphony No 5, Movement 1’. However, we have featured them in earlier columns and won’t get into the details again.
Beyond Mozart
In other tunes, let’s begin with Austrian legend Joseph Haydn’s ‘Symphony No 94’, also called ‘Surprise’. The piece was premiered in 1792 and its second movement, the andante (walking pace), became very popular. The same tune was used to create humorous pieces by 20th-century composers Charles Ives and Donald Swann, whose versions became popular among children. This is the original movement by the Nova Philharmonic led by Slovenian conductor Simon Percic.
And here is an audio recording of British composer Swann’s variant, which includes laughter from the audience.
Another recommendation would be German composer Johannes Brahms’ ‘Hungarian Dance No 3’. Between 1869 and 1880, Brahms composed 21 lively dance tunes between a minute and five minutes in length. ‘Dance No 3’ is known for its pleasant, catchy melody, as evident in this performance by an orchestra from Milan, Italy, conducted by Gilberto Serembe.
An obvious choice would be Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s 1936 piece ‘Peter And The Wolf’, described as a symphonic fable for children. Here, the narrator tells a Russian folk tale, which the orchestra illustrates using different instruments to describe a character. For instance, Peter is represented by the string instruments violin, viola and cello, the cat by the clarinet, the bird by the flute, the duck by the oboe, and the wolf by the French horns. Various narrators have been involved with this piece, including icons like actors Alec Guinness, Peter Ustinov and Sean Connery, conductor Leonard Bernstein, and rock musicians Sting and David Bowie. In this video, Bowie lends his voice to a Disney production.
Besides Western classical arrangements, ‘Peter And The Wolf’ has been adapted in a jazz format too. Of course, the instruments used in jazz are different. We share two videos. The first is an introduction, which gives an idea of the sound. The second describes which instruments are used to depict different creatures. Here, the music is by the Amazing Keystone Big Band of France.
And here’s the tale narrated by David Tennant, a well-known Scottish actor.
Similar in theme to Prokofiev’s work, French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ ‘The Carnival Of The Animals’ was actually premiered earlier in 1922, but didn’t attain the same level of fame. Saint-Saens prohibited public performance of this work in his lifetime, feeling that its frivolity would affect his image of being a serious composer. The 25-minute piece has 14 movements, including ones titled ‘Tortoises’, ‘Aquarium’, ‘The Elephant’ and ‘The Swan’. Here, we play ‘Aquarium’.
While Prokofiev and Saint-Saens used animals as a motif, British composer Benjamin Britten had a different approach to showcase different instruments in an orchestra. In 1945, he used the ‘Rondeau’ composition of 17th century British composer Henry Purcell as an inspiration for his opus ‘The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra’. In Britten’s work, the theme is initially played by the entire orchestra, and then by each major family of instruments—woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion, in that order. Here’s a short extract from the piece by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conductor by the great Sir Simon Rattle.
Many pieces haven’t specifically been written to seek audiences among children, but are likely to attract those below 15. English composer Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets’, for instance, is based on astrological and astronomical concepts, subjects that attract growing children. The movements are named after planets. Of these, ‘Jupiter’ represents jollity (cheerful activity or celebration) and ‘Uranus’ symbolises a magician. Let’s watch a rendition of ‘Jupiter’ by the BBC Symphony Orchestra led by a female conductor Susanna Malkki.
Let’s end with two pieces that could complete a list of essential listening for children. First is ‘Children’s Intermezzo’, a melodic movement that British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor created for a stage production of William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, and played here by a group called the Broken Consort.
Finally, there is the overture to French composer Georges Bizet’s opera ‘Carmen’. Its lively disposition makes it an instant attraction for children. Let’s hear India’s very own Zubin Mehta as he conducts the Royal Opera House Orchestra in London.
Finally, like we always conclude the column, we have created a handy playlist of all the tracks on splainer’s YouTube channel. These can be used as an introduction to western classical music for children.
PS: If you need a list of all the amazing music shared by Naren:
