We had the opportunity to review The Nutcracker by Maestro Classics.

Husband and wife team of Stephen Simon (music composer, arranger, and conductor) and Bonnie Ward (arts director and music educator par excellence) have created Maestro Classics, which is the CD version of their popular Stories in Music series that premiered at the Kennedy Center and where they performed child-parent concerts with the Washington Chamber Symphony. Their mission with this CD version of their series is to give audiences (young and old) the opportunity to “experience the art form in new and exciting ways.” By making their music mobile, learning about the music can happen in the car, on a school bus, in the classroom and is not limited to the walls of a concert hall.

The series has grown over the years to include a number of selections with pieces of music with which you may be familiar. Some familiar titles include Peter and the Wolf; The Story of Swan; Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel; The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and more. The series performances are conducted by Maestro Simon with orchestral and musical performances by the likes of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Michigan State University Band and more.

We had the opportunity to review The Nutcracker, which features Jim Weiss. He recounts the all too familiar story of Clara and her brother, Fritz, and the enchanted nutcracker that comes to life.

Students learn a different way to interpret a story. Rather than with the spoken word, interpretation is done through the “musical word” of the instruments that play the pieces.

The Nutcracker is an annual experience for our family during the Christmas holiday. We are already looking forward to the season beginning and the ballet, and listening to this CD excited us even more. Since my older children have begun studying music on the flute and violin, they have gained a greater appreciation for all types of music, especially classical. I am so loving that.

When the CD arrived, I put it in the CD player and let the music play in the background while they worked. Since the Nutcracker is a favorite, we were familiar with the music. Although we did not have the dancers in front of us to watch as they told the story, we were able to listen through the story and visualize what was happening. It is about one hour worth of listening and you can just put it on replay and enjoy.

Maestro Classics has designed a fun and entertaining way to introduce young people (and adults too) to classical music, some of the great classical composers and their compositions, as well as some familiar literary classics put to music. Also included with the CD is a booklet with history about the musical composer, the narrator, other notes of interest regarding the series piece and some fun activities children can complete.

We enjoyed listening to the CD and found the background information regarding the composer and his music very insightful.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Nutcracker, as well as the other CDs in the series, are available for $16.98 plus shipping and handling. MP3 options are also available.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members.

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaestroClassics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaestroClassics
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maestroclassics/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/maestroclassics

---