THE BABY WHISPERER
YOUR CLASSICAL MUSIC GUIDE
Soothing tunes for your tot
BY ACTIVITY
Here you will find my classical music selects by activity.
ARISE
Most mornings the kids rise first, but on the occasional day when it’s my turn to get them up, this first track of Richter’s Recomposed helps me gently get the first eye flutters moving. I leave my iPhone on the bedside table to let the 2min track to play out and just before the end of track one, I turn down the volume and begin our morning routine.
Spring 0
By Max Richter
Played by Daniel Hope and the Kozerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin, conducted by André de Ridder
“It starts with a shimmer of something strange and soft, an ambient mist of strings that's both electronic and acoustic. Then something weird happens. Out of these shifting sonic tides comes an ensemble of violins– playing fragments of the world's most overfamiliar concerto, the soundtrack to 1,000 adverts, an on-hold phone favourite that features on every classical compilation ever. Yes, it's Vivaldi's Four Seasons – but not as we know it.” - Tom Service, The Guardian
BREAKFAST
From the choices below it’s really more about your own state of mind(/caffeine) at this hour.
Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37: 2. Largo
By Ludwig van Beethoven
Played by Kurt Sanderling, Mitsuko Uchida, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, was composed by Beethoven in 1800 and was first performed on 5 April 1803, with the composer as soloist. The score was incomplete at its first performance. Beethoven's friend, Ignaz von Seyfried, who turned the pages of the music for him that night, later wrote: “I saw almost nothing but empty pages; at the most, on one page or another a few Egyptian hieroglyphs wholly unintelligible to me were scribbled down to serve as clues for him; for he played nearly all the solo part from memory since, as was so often the case, he had not had time to set it all down on paper.” [Source]
Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825
By Johann Sebastian Bach
Played by Fabrizio Chiovetta
The Partitas, BWV 825–830, are a set of six harpsichord suites written by Johann Sebastian Bach, published from 1726 to 1730. Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertosand the Goldberg Variations as well as for vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. [Source]
6 Concerti Grossi Op.6
By Arcangelo Corelli
Played by The English Concert and Trevor Pinnock
Twelve concerti grossi, Op. 6, is a collection of twelve concerti written by Arcangelo Corelli, arranged for publication in 1714. These are some of the finest examples of the baroque-style concerti grossi. [Source]
COLORING
Obviously this is a very specific activity but I LOVE coloring with the kids and as we’re seated in one place for long sessions we always find time for ample music listening.
La Bohème
By Giacomo Puccini
Played by Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Herbert von Karajan Feat. Pavarotti and Freni
La Bohème, an opera in four acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini premiered in Turin on 1 February 1896 at the Teatro Regio, conducted by the 28-year-old Arturo Toscanini. The opera is based on Henri Murger's novel, Scènes de la vie de bohème, a collection of vignettes portraying young bohemians living in the Latin Quarter of Paris in the 1840s.
Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Op.26
By Max Bruch
Played by Charlie Siem, London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Gourlay
Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, is one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire and, along with the Scottish Fantasy, the composer’s most famous work. The concerto was first completed in 1866. [Source] Bruch was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works.
NAP WAKE-UP
No one likes waking from a long afternoon nap but this track by Richter makes it that much more bearable.
Dream 13 (Minus even)
By Max Richter
Played by Max Richter & American Contemporary Music Ensemble
Seven additional tracks to Richter’s original Sleep, "an eight-hour lullaby", "a piece that is meant to be listened to at night ... structured as a large set of variations."
The album was performed in its entirety as one compositional piece at the Reading Room at Wellcome Collection in London, England, on September 27, 2015 from midnight to 8:00 AM. The performance set Guinness World Records for longest broadcast of a single piece of music and longest live broadcast of a single piece of music.
IN THE CAR
My driving choice is always on whether I want the kids to try and sleep, or not. The Bach violin album played by Esther Apituley is always a car nap favorite.
Sonata for Solo Violin No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 10001: I. Adagio
By Johann Sebastian Bach
Played by Esther Apituley
The sonatas and partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006) are a set of six works composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. The surviving autograph manuscript of the sonatas and partitas was made by Bach in 1720 in Cöthen, where he was Kapellmeister. According to his son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, "in his youth, and until the approach of old age, he played the violin cleanly and powerfully". One of the most famous performers of the Sonatas and Partitas was the violinist and composer Georges Enescu, who considered this work as "The Himalayas of violinists" and recorded all the sonatas and partitas in the late 1940s. [Source]
Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 (without narration)
By Sergei Prokofiev
Played by Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ondrej Lenard
Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 is a 'symphonic fairy tale for children', is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The intent of the piece was to introduce children to the individual instruments of the orchestra. [Source] The plot can be found here.
Swan Lake
By Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Played by London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by André Previn
Swan Lake, Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. It is one of the most popular of all ballets. The scenario, initially in two acts, was fashioned from Russian and/or German folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March 1877at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. [Source]
Clair de Lune
By Claude Debussy
Played by Alexis Weissenberg
Achille-Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [Source]
Symphony in C
By Georges Bizet
Played by Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Paavo Järvi
The Symphony in C is an early work by the French composer Georges Bizet (1935 - 1855). According to Grove's Dictionary, the symphony "reveals an extraordinarily accomplished talent for a 17-year-old student, in melodic invention, thematic handling and orchestration." Bizet started work on the symphony in C major on 29 October 1855, four days after turning 17, and finished it roughly a month later. It was written while he was studying at the Paris Conservatoire under the composer Charles Gounod, and was a student assignment. [Source]
BATHTIME
Without fail this is always my go-to. Kids find the cello to be quite soothing (as do I).
Cello suite No. 1 in G Major
By Johann Sebastian Bach
Played by Mstislav Rostropovich
The six Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012, are suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. Bach most likely composed them during the period 1717–23, when he served as Kapellmeister in Köthen. These suites for unaccompanied cello are remarkable in that they achieve the effect of implied three- to four-voice contrapuntal and polyphonic music in a single musical line. As usual in a Baroque musical suite, after the prelude which begins each suite, all the other movements are based around baroque dance types. The Bach cello suites are considered to be among the most profound of all classical music works. Wilfrid Mellers described them in 1980 as "Monophonic music wherein a man has created a dance of God." [Source]
WINDING DOWN
Once this track goes on it’s officially quiet hour. I only speak in dulcet tones and all of my movements become slowed. This creates a calm environment for sleep and even if it takes a few minutes, eventually the kids begin to relax and become ready for story time before bed.
Dream 3 (In the Midst of My Life)
By Max Richter
Played by Max Richter & American Contemporary Music Ensemble
Seven additional tracks to Richter’s original Sleep, "an eight-hour lullaby", "a piece that is meant to be listened to at night ... structured as a large set of variations."
Fun fact: The album was performed in its entirety as one compositional piece at the Reading Room at Wellcome Collection in London, England, on September 27, 2015 from midnight to 8:00 AM. The performance set Guinness World Records for longest broadcast of a single piece of music and longest live broadcast of a single piece of music.
SUNG LULLABIES
These are my go-to bed time songs. Lovely and soul nourishing.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
From: Cinderella
A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true
When You Wish Upon a Star
From: Pinocchio
When a star is born
They possess a gift or two
One of them is this
They have the power to make a wish come true
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
I See the Light
From: Tangled
All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here suddenly I see
Standing here it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be
And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you
Not While I’m Around
From: Sweeny Todd
Nothing's gonna harm you
Not while I'm around
Nothing's gonna harm you
No sir, not while I'm around
Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays
I'll send them howling, I don't care, I've got ways
No one's gonna hurt you
No one's gonna dare
Others can desert you
Not to worry, whistle I'll be there
Demons'll charm you with a smile for a while
But in time
Nothing can harm you, not while I'm around
LULLABY PROJECT
by Carnegie Hall
About the Project
The Lullaby Project pairs pregnant women and new mothers and fathers with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies, supporting maternal health, aiding child development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. In New York City, the project reaches parents in healthcare settings, homeless shelters, high schools, foster care, and at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. Extending across the country and through several international programs, the Lullaby Project enables partner organizations to support families in their own communities.
Hopes & Dreams: The Lullaby Project
On April 20, 2018, Decca Gold (Universal Music Group) released an album of original lullabies written by Lullaby Project participants and performed by leading artists, including Fiona Apple, the Brentano String Quartet, Lawrence Brownlee, Rosanne Cash, Joyce DiDonato, Janice Freeman, Rhiannon Giddens, Angélique Kidjo, Patti LuPone, Natalie Merchant, Dianne Reeves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Pretty Yende, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The recording was produced by Glen Roven, Ira Yuspeh, and Mitch Yuspeh.