Unit 4: CD Lessons

  1. Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
  2. Peter and the Wolf
  3. Carnival of the Animals
  4. In the Hall of the Mountain King
  5. Music Box
  6. Fantasia: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
  7. Extras

Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

CD with the Benjamin Britton piece “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”

This piece has been recorded many, many times. Finding a recording should not be difficult. However, it is not always recorded in its complete form or with narration. In complete form with narration, it will be about 18 minutes long, possibly longer. Do try to find a recording with narration, as it will be much easier to listen to.
If you cannot find a recording at your library, here is a YouTube video, part 1 and part 2. This is a newer version of the piece, with a poem written for the narration. It was performed at the “Proms,” an annual music festival in London that is very famous and often broadcast worldwide. The video and audio are not “in sync” in part 1, but that improves during part 2. You may also consider skipping the first four minutes – it is an interview with the poet.

The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

If you would like to take an additional day on this lesson, there is an additional YouTube video with a Muppet character going to see an orchestra perform this piece. She wanders backstage and gets to talk to a few of the musicians. If you have young students, they may enjoy it. Older students may think it corny.

Peter and the Wolf

A CD with a recording of Peter and the Wolf from your library

Peter and the Wolf has been recorded many, many times. You should not have any trouble finding a recording at your library. Check to make sure the CD mentions narration. A few recordings do not have the narration, making it much shorter and harder to understand.
With narration the recording is at least 25 minutes long.

I would suggest avoiding other YouTube videos for this lesson as many of them are incomplete and use animation. It would be better for your student to be creating their own pictures while listening instead of watching someone else’s pictures.

Paper and crayons or markers for drawing

*Warning – There is a part that may be disturbing or sad for some young children. The wolf swallows the duck in about the middle of the story, also Peter disobeys his grandfather. At the end, all is made well again as is typical in fairy tales, but if you have very young or sensitive children, you may wish to preview this lesson before having your student listen to it.

Carnival of the Animals

Any CD with the complete Carnival of the Animals suite by Camille Saint-Saens.

This one has a narration, written by Ogen Nash, a writer of humorous poems, introducing each piece.

In the Hall of the Mountain King

A CD with a recording of In the Hall of the Mountain King, which is part of the Peer Gynt Suite composed by Edvard Grieg

The legos in this video might interest your child.

Here is the PDF to use with this lesson:

Music Box

Fantasia: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Extras

Modern Music (written from 1900 to the present)