Austrian composer Franz Schubert completed over 600 secular vocal works - most of which were Lieder (pronounced like "leader"). The word "Lieder" is simply the German word for "songs". These particular types of songs are in German, and are usually in the form of poems set for solo voice and piano. The term can be used to describe songs from as early as the 13th century, but is usually used to refer to songs of the Romantic era (18th and 19th centuries). Some well-known examples of Lieder composers include: Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, and Hugo Wolf. We've selected a few of Schubert's Lieder for you below, with brief explanations of the stories, English translations of the texts, and recordings. Let us know which is your favourite, either from our selections or from Schubert's other Lieder works! Note: Schubert's works are catalogued by using the letter D (for Deutsch) followed by a number. The numbers are assigned to the works chronologically. All translations © Richard Wigmore, author of Schubert: The Complete Song Texts, published by Schirmer Books, provided courtesy of Oxford Lieder (www.oxfordlieder.co.uk). Erlkönig (The Erlking), D.328 “Erlkönig” (also called “Der Erlkönig“) is a setting of a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Be prepared: this is a horror poem, so some readers may like to skip this one! The poem was originally composed by Goethe as part of a 1782 work called Die Fischerin. The text depicts the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being - the Erlking. The Erlking is a mythical elf, probably originating from Danish folklore, who is said to linger in the woods to kill children who stay there too long. He is also known as the king of the fairies. Summary: An anxious young boy is being carried home at night by his father on horseback. He sees the Erlking and his daughters, hears the Erlking's voice speaking softly to him, and is finally attacked. Meanwhile, the father does not experience any of this, and puts it down to natural explanations - fog, rustling leaves, willow trees. The poem ends with the death of the child. Dramatic soprano Jessye Norman's voice and face are so expressive, offering a real glimpse into the emotions experienced by the characters (both human and mythical). Listen to the textures of bass-baritone Bryn Terfel's voice and his expressive use of text as he alternates between characters. Translation: The Erlking Who rides so late through the night and wind? It is the father with his child. He has the boy in his arms; he holds him safely, he keeps him warm. ‘My son, why do you hide your face in fear?’ ‘Father, can you not see the Erlking? The Erlking with his crown and tail?’ ‘My son, it is a streak of mist.’ ‘Sweet child, come with me. I’ll play wonderful games with you. Many a pretty flower grows on the shore; my mother has many a golden robe.’ ‘Father, father, do you not hear what the Erlking softly promises me?’ ‘Calm, be calm, my child: the wind is rustling in the withered leaves.’ ‘Won’t you come with me, my fine lad? My daughters shall wait upon you; my daughters lead the nightly dance, and will rock you, and dance, and sing you to sleep.’ ‘Father, father, can you not see Erlking’s daughters there in the darkness?’ ‘My son, my son, I can see clearly: it is the old grey willows gleaming.’ ‘I love you, your fair form allures me, and if you don’t come willingly, I’ll use force.’ ‘Father, father, now he’s seizing me! The Erlking has hurt me!’ The father shudders, he rides swiftly, he holds the moaning child in his arms; with one last effort he reaches home; the child lay dead in his arms. Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Frühlingsglaube (Faith In Spring), D. 686 After the intensity of Erlkönig, we thought something lighter might be in order! "Frühlingsglaube" is about the change that comes with the spring, both literally (literal seasons) and figuratively (the winter endured by the protagonist's heart is coming to an end, whether they are ready for it or not). In German Romantic music and poetry, it is common to compare and contrast nature with the experiences of a protagonist. The light lyric qualities of tenor Ian Bostridge's voice and his academic knowledge give this recording (and other performances) an intelligent and refined touch. Soprano Renée Fleming skilfully weaves the vocal melody, playing with weight and colour of voice as tools of expression. Translation: Faith In Spring Balmy breezes are awakened; they stir and whisper day and night, everywhere creative. O fresh scents, O new sounds! Now, poor heart, do not be afraid. Now all must change. The world grows fairer each day; we cannot know what is still to come; the flowering knows no end. The deepest, most distant valley is in flower. Now, poor heart, forget your torment. Now all must change. Des Fischers Liebesglück (The fisherman's luck in love), D.933 In September 1827, Schubert was visiting some friends in Graz. His friend Maria showed him some poems by her poet friend Karl Gottfried von Lieder. Schubert was inspired by these poems to compose six Lieder, including Des Fischers Liebesglück. "Des Fischers Liebesglück" tells about a fisherman meeting with his lover one night. From his boat, he sees a light in the window of his beloved. He fetches her, and together they go back to the lake to spend time together, hidden away by the evening mists. Schubert's setting is quiet melancholic, and achingly beautiful. This version for voice and guitar, featuring singer Philippe Sly and guitarist John Charles Britton is a very delicate and tender take on the music and text. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was one of the most important Lieder interpreters. His version explores the exciting and youthful sides of this work. Translation: The fisherman's luck in love Yonder light gleams through the willows, and a pale glimmer beckons to me from the bedroom of my sweetheart. It flickers like a will-o’-the-wisp, and its reflection sways gently in the circle of the undulating lake. I gaze longingly into the blue of the waves, and greet the bright reflected beam. And spring to the oar, and swing the boat away on its smooth, crystal course. My sweetheart slips lovingly down from her little room, and joyfully hastens to me in the boat. Then the breezes gently blow us again out into the lake from the elder tree on the shore. The pale evening mists envelop and veil our silent, innocent dallying from prying onlookers. And as we exchange kisses, the waves lap, rising and falling, to foil eavesdroppers. Only stars in the far distance overhear us, and bathe deep down below the course of the gliding boat. So we drift on blissfully, in the midst of darkness, high above the twinkling stars. Weeping, smiling, we think we have soared free of the earth, and are already up above, on another shore. Learn more about Sound Garden

2Our Living Composer for January 2021 is Christian Dachez - a multi-genre French composer who writes for a diverse range of settings and instrumental groupings. Christian studied at the CRR de Lille, and learned trombone and conducting. He was trained in the use of UPIC composing technology (a computerised musical composition tool, devised by the composer Iannis Xenakis). This, along with the study of Ligeti's "Requiem", heavily influenced the contemporary direction his compositions would take. Christian is fascinated by the "note", believing that many things can be found in restricted areas of sound space. He considers that any work is born from the mutation of pre-existing elements of sound material. He is inspired by all forms of art - painting, literature, and poetry in particular. Many of his works are built around a text (whether explicitly or otherwise), and carry elements of voyages, spiritual quests, and self-interrogation. He collaborates with many organisations, performers, and other artists, and his commissioned works have been performed many times. He has worked extensively in music for film and television, including the 1978 film "Destin" for the Festival fantastique de Paris. Find out more about Christian on his site (in French): http://www.dachez-compositeur.com/fr/. Christian's compositions: Laudes III Appel manqué Sub Urbe Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Christian's top 5 classical music picks: Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G major Ligeti: Chamber Concerto Mozart: Symphony No. 41 ("Jupiter Symphony") Monteverdi: Madrigals (this performance is of Book 1 of Monteverdi's madrigals (a type of song)) Fauré: Requiem Learn more about Sound Garden

Just in time for Christmas and the end of 2020 (I'm sure this year has already had more than 366 days!) comes our new product: Classical Sessions for...Intentions! We're passionate about helping you integrate classical music into your life, and we also believe that classical music can be a great tool for learning about other things. For this reason, we have created Classical Sessions, where you will learn about a specific topic (in this case, setting intentions and living intentionally) and about carefully selected classical music works. So, what is this topic all about? Setting an intention means that you are actively choosing to do something a certain way. It is not the same as a goal, which has a concrete outcome. An intention is the journey, and a goal is the destination. Living intentionally means that you live in a way which aligns with the intentions you have set for yourself. Examples of intentions: committing to listening to your body and its needs, choosing to actively make new friendships and grow healthy relationships, pursuing a life full of love/peace/harmony/etc. By setting and living out intentions, you are following a path towards welcoming in the things you want to see in your life. The Classical Sessions workbook is comprised of ten "sessions" - you choose the duration of focused time you will spend on each one. For each session, you will find: information about the topic and about the accompanying classical music work. prompts/questions/activities to work through. On the "About" page of the product, you will find a link to sign up to a 10-week email reminder series as well as a link back to this post. On the "Extend" page, you will find recommendations on how you can further explore and extend your sessions. Also included are a set of templates to use as you continue on your journey. Here's some of the feedback we've been getting so far: "I wasn't expecting [the musical listening] to fit as well as it did to be honest but it did really seem to help!" "Informative and creative" "Well researched and well articulated" "I think its a great product - well researched and beautifully presented" This product is currently available as a digital download. How it works: Purchase the product. You will receive a link to download. Print and go! Return to this blog post to listen to the musical excerpts. Ready to buy? Playlist Bought the workbook, or just want to listen to the works? Here is our playlist with all of the featured works (note that we have included the complete works in most cases - giving you the option of listening to the works in their entirety or just excerpts/movements/sections): We would love to hear your stories and see your pictures of our workbook in action! Ready to purchase? Buy it here! Let's get intentional! Learn more about Sound Garden

Our Living Composer for December is Kirsten Strom - a young composer, conductor, and creative writer from New Zealand. Though she was born in New Zealand, she spent her youth in three continents. Her award-winning music has been performed internationally and aired on national radio. Her work often draws from mixed media, music with a conscience and the divine beauty of nature. International highlights include being mentored by eminent composer Kaija Saariaho at Etchings Festival, France, having her work “Trees” selected by Ligeti Quartet at Sounds Like THIS Festival, and working with CHROMA Ensemble for the Sound and Vision Festival 2020. Her choral work 'Ktisis' was internationally selected and premiered by Taipei Chamber Singers in the stunning National Theatre and Concert Hall, Taipei for Asian Composers League Festival 2018. Back in New Zealand, in 2017 she was named the Young Composer-in-Residence with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for 2018. Her commission 'Wake-Up Call' for orchestra and smartphones brought the house down under the deft batons of Ray Chan and Tianyi Lu. Another orchestral work "Ice" has received multiple performances and recordings by the APO and NZSO, being selected for the APO Our Voice, NZSO Todd Recordings, and NZ Composer Sessions 2019. It won the NZSO Orchestra's Choice Award in 2017. Kirsten also has experience as a contemporary vocalist and sound artist, attending the 2018 Madeira Live Electronics Residency as an improviser-composer. Her début album was released online with SDL Music in 2019. She is a graduate of the University of Auckland and is undertaking a Master of Music with the Royal Academy of Music in London, UK. Kirsten's compositions: Ice Time Is Money Album "Wavering Lines" For more information about Kirsten and her music, please visit https://sounz.org.nz/contributors/1906. Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Kirsten's top 5 classical music picks: Mozart: Requiem Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite: Berceuse and Finale Mussorgsky (orchestrated by Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition: Baba Yaga Rachmaninoff (/Rachmaninov): Piano Concerto No. 3 Learn more about Sound Garden

This post is where you'll find all the music featured in our FREE Classical Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar. Download here! Day 1: The Forest of Wild Thyme: Christmas Overture - Coleridge-Taylor Day 2: Shepherd's Pipe Carol - Rutter Day 3: Kyrie eleison "Trois anges sont venus ce soir" - Holmès Day 4: The Seasons: December: Christmas - Tchaikovsky Day 5: Bethlehem Down - Warlock Day 6: Messiah: For unto us a child is born - Handel Day 7: Winterlust, Polka schnell - Strauss Day 8: L'enfance du Christ: Ô mon cher fils - Berlioz Day 9: In the Bleak Midwinter - Holst Day 10: Das Christ-Elflein: Act I: Ouverture - Pfitzner Day 11: Children's Corner: The Snow is Dancing - Debussy Day 12: Maria Wiegenlied - Reger Day 13: Symphony No. 2 - Penderecki Day 14: Oratorio de Noël: Prelude - Saint-Saëns Day 15: Weinachtsoratorium: Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet - Bach Day 16: Ceremony of Carols: In freezing winter night - Britten Day 17: Der Stern von Bethlehem: Gotteskind, wir beten dich an - Rheinberger Day 18: Noël sur les instruments: Vous qui desirez sans fin - Charpentier Day 19: In terra pax, Christmas Scene - Finzi Day 20: Christmas Lullaby - Pärt Day 21: Song for Snow - Price Day 22: El niño: The Christmas Star - Adams Day 23: Amahl and the Night Visitors: Shepherds, Arise! - Menotti Day 24: Christmas Eve: Suite - Rimsky-Korsakov Learn more about Sound Garden

Music education, beginning as early as possible, has major benefits for learning. Not only will a child who receives a solid musical education be more likely to develop musical intelligence skills such as basic rhythm and pitch matching (being able to hear and repeat a note), but research shows strong connections between music education and other learned skills. You will find some links at the end of this post if you would like to know more! Two of the major skills children must learn in order to thrive in the traditional Western school systems (and in many societies) are reading and writing. These two skills are inextricably linked, and the foundations for both are set very early on in life. In this post, we will be focusing primarily on writing, and then discussing how you can include music in the process of learning to write. Visit the shop to check out our first product release for parents and carers of children aged 0-6: our Mozart Activity Guide. Learning To Write: The Six Stages Stage 1 - Scribbling: This stage often begins at around 15 months (note: every child develops at their own rate - all ages given are general guidelines). At this point, children begin to notice the cause-and-effect of markings being left by their movements as they push and pull a crayon across a surface. It is a sensory experience and they may have quite strong reactions - positive or negative, depending on their unique tolerance to new sensory input - to the materials (smells, textures, tastes) and to their creations. To begin with, the random markings are just that: random. However, the child is developing their thinking skills and fine motor skills as they experiment! Stage 2 - Controlled scribbling: This stage occurs from around 2-years-old. The child soon begins to learn that they can control their movements in order to control what appears on the paper. They learn how to change the way they grip the crayon, how to control the amount of pressure they are using, and will begin experimenting with different kinds of movements, and forms (vertical and horizontal lines, curves and circles, dots...). Stage 3 - Forms and shapes: This stage occurs from around 2.5-years-old. At this stage, the child has learned that they can control their movements in order to create and repeat specific and more complex shapes and patterns. They will have also recognised that writing is not just random scribbles, but also made up of specific shapes and patterns which have meaning. They will begin to "write" (using elements and patterns that they may have noticed when looking at letters and words), and will often be very happy to explain to you what they wrote! Stage 4 - Letters: This stage occurs from around 3-years-old. It is important for children to have good pre-writing skills before they begin focusing on correct letter formation. These include: Being able to draw basic shapes (vertical and horizontal lines, circles, squares, diagonal lines), having adequate finger and hand muscle strength (good fine motor skill development), having control over posture and pencil grip, being aware of the relationship between their movements and their drawing, being able to trace, copy, and draw specific forms and patterns, being able to identify letters. There are various systems of handwriting which may be used when teaching letters, but the most important thing is that the system is consistent. It is a good idea to focus on lower-case letters. Stage 5 - Words and spaces: This stage occurs from around 4-years-old. Once children are able to form letters, they may begin to form words. A good starting point is the child's name. After this, it is a good idea to use words that include the sound-letter relationships your child has learned so far (for example: m=mmmm, n=nnnn, or more advanced sounds like "sh" and "br"). They can then focus on learning to write and spell "high frequency" words - words which occur often in day-to-day writing ("the", "but", "what"). As the progress to writing a series of words in order to create a sentence, they need to remember to have a space between words. They can do this by placing their finger at the end of a word and beginning to write the next word on the other side of their finger, or by using an object such as a popsicle stick (which they can decorate) instead of their finger. Stage 6 - Writing: This stage occurs from around 4.5-years-old. At this point, the child should have a good knowledge of lower-case letters and be able to sound out and write a series of words, with spaces between the words. They may now focus on upper-case letters, and learn to use them at the beginning of a sentence and for people's names. They should also be learning to use full-stops, and be introduced to other forms of punctuation, such as question marks, exclamation marks, and commas. Your child is now in the early stages of being capable of communication through writing, and will continue to improve as they continue on their learning journey! Learning To Write: The Six Skills At each stage of learning to write, there are different skills that need to be developed and extended. Twinkl (www.twinkl.com) have kindly given us permission to share about some of their resources. There are free and paid resources on their site, not only for handwriting, but for all kinds of skills and learning for children. Learning To Write: The Six Skills Skill 1 - Pencil control: In the scribbling stages, all your child will need are writing devices and a sheet of paper. However, as they gain control over their movements, they will also be learning to not only create forms on their own, but also to trace and copy. This collection of pencil control worksheets will get your child practising some simple; complex, and repeated shapes and patterns, such as lines, circles, zig-zags, and arches: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/t-l-154-pencil-control-worksheets Skill 2 - Letter formation (lowercase): At Sound Garden, we're fans of the Kingston cursive handwriting, where each letter begins with a stroke from the left, and where letter formations strike a good balance between the formations for different varieties of printing and cursive. The child first learns how to write each letter individually (not joined). These flashcards will teach your child the exact elements they need to use in order to create each letter: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/t-l-8814-continuous-cursive-alphabet-letter-shapes-with-descriptions-flashcards. Skill 3 - Letter joining (lower-case words): Once your child can write letters individually, they can begin to join them together to create words. They can practice writing the first 100 "high frequency" English-language words with this resource: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/first-100-high-frequency-words-handwriting-activity-sheets-t-l-9435. Note: Sometimes practising letter and word formation by tracing shapes into sand, painting them onto canvas, or by aligning small objects can be useful, rather than writing directly onto paper. Skill 4 - Letter formation (uppercase): Once your child is confident with writing and joining lower-case letters, they can begin focusing on upper-case letters. Note: They can definitely learn at least the capital letter needed for the beginning of their name while they are still learning to join lower-case letters! They should first learn how to write each upper-case letter, and then begin writing words which integrate both upper- and lower-case letters. This resource shows upper- and lower-case letters side-by-side: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/t-l-5931-cursive-alphabet-letter-formation-poster-upper-and-lower-case. Skill 5 - Word and sentence formation (words with both upper- and lower-cases): At this point, your child can start integrating both upper- and lower-case letters in their writing. Twinkl has a range of exercises to practice writing simple sentences with both letter types. You can find one here on the topic of spring: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/eyfs-ks1-the-journey-to-continuous-cursive-spring-handwriting-practice-activity-t-e-2549984. You can also write your own sentences for your child to copy. Skill 6 - Writing: Once your child is confident with both letter formation and the sounds the letters make both alone and when combined, they can begin writing their own sentences freely. It is not necessary for the child to be able to spell 100% correctly, but the logic behind why they chose certain letters and groups of letters should be clear. It is often useful for early writers to use lined paper to help keep their writing consistent. You can find lined paper here: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/au-l-53213-year-1-handwriting-lines-sheets. Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Integrate Classical Music into the Learning Process Now that we know how children learn to write, how can we integrate classical music into the learning to write process? We have a few suggestions: Learning an instrument. By learning to play an instrument, children learn fine and gross motor skills (to different extents, depending on the instrument), the relationship between movement and the effects on sound, listening and attention skills, evaluation and intellectual skills, and much more! Your child could also use musical cues to create a relationship between letter and blended letter sounds and syllables. For example, each sound of "h-a-t" could be linked to a different sound on a musical instrument. Background music. Having classical music as background music has long been thought to help with focus. However, not all classical music is created equal - some works may be calming, others may be energising, and others may bring out an array of different emotions and responses. Some works are more simple in structure, while others are more complex. Some works are very fast, others are slower. Being aware of different types of classical music works may help you to choose the complexity and vibe that may most benefit your child and the activity they are undertaking. For example, if they are finding objects in nature with which to form letters, they may benefit from hearing some energetic music to keep them motivated. If they are trying to concentrate on using their fine motor skills for more detailed tasks, they may benefit from calm and/or slower-paced music. Writing about music. Your child may like to learn how to write words related to music, such as the names of musical instruments, composers or performers, or music theory vocabulary (clef, note, staff). As your child learns to form sentences, they may like to learn about a particular piece of music and to write about how it sounds, how it makes them feel, or what it makes them think about. Learning to write...music! Music is notated using its own system of symbols in order to communicate meaning to the "reader" (the musician who is playing or studying the musical score). Western classical music has its own notation system, and other classical music from different cultures have their own systems, too, appropriate to the particular instruments and performance techniques. Just like learning any other language, music can be learned alongside one or more other languages, and learning more than one language has many benefits! By learning to read and write music, your child will also learn how to communicate via music - which may sometimes be preferable to communicating via words! Many famous composers began composing at a young age. General musical immersion and listening. The more music is a part of your child's life, the more benefits there are to their learning and development. The reason why classical music is often placed in advance of other genres of music for this is because of the complexity it often contains, which triggers brain responses in different ways. Music is full of patterns and systems, and our bodies and minds react to the things we are hearing, both consciously and subconsciously. At what stage on their learning-to-write journey is your child? Have you used classical music as part of the learning progress? Feel free to share your stories and images with us! Learn more about Sound Garden Further reading: Bradford, Helen & Wyse, Dominic. (2013). Writing and writers: the perceptions of young children and their parents. Early Years: Journal of International Research and Development. 33. 10.1080/09575146.2012.744957. Cynthia A. Briggs, A Model for Understanding Musical Development, Music Therapy, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1991, Pages 1–21, https://doi.org/10.1093/mt/10.1.1 Kellogg, Ronald. (2008). Training writing skills: A cognitive development perspective. Journal of Writing Research. 1. 10.17239/jowr-2008.01.01.1. Levinowitz, Lili M. The importance of music in early childhood. Music Educators Journal; Reston Vol. 86, Iss. 1, (Jul 1999): 17. Swant, Shelby, "Preschool Writing Instruction: Modeling the Writing Stages" (2016). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 10649. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10649 Young S. Early childhood music education research: An overview. Research Studies in Music Education. 2016;38(1):9-21. doi:10.1177/1321103X16640106

You're probably expecting a list including works such as Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf", Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker", or Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals". These are all great works, but we figured they are already included in plenty of other "classical music for kids" lists. So, if you're looking to go beyond these tried and true classics, here is a list for you! We've selected four examples of classical music and also created a larger Spotify playlist, curated especially for school-aged children (including some of the hits mentioned above)! You can also visit the "Learning Hub" section on our site for more resources and media. Sergei Rachmaninoff - The Bells When Sergei Rachmaninoff was nine years old, life became difficult. His father had not managed the family money well, and the Rachmaninoff family were forced to sell their estates. Not long after, one of his sisters died and his father left the family. His maternal grandmother came to live with them, and she and Sergei became very close. She often took him to Russian Orthodox Church; these outings greatly inspired him. Later in life, he used the sounds of the bells and the liturgical chants in his compositions. His work Колокола (Kolokola - The Bells) was composed in 1913, and is based on a poem by Edgar Allen Poe. It was one of Rachmaninoff's two favourite compositions - the other being his "All-Night Vigil". It is a choral symphony (work for orchestra and choir), and, like the pome, is in four sections, describing four different kinds of bells/scenes: Tinkling, silver sleigh bells Mellow, golden wedding bells Loud, clanging alarm bells Mournful, tolling iron bells Rachmaninoff discovered the poem through an anonymous letter. The sender (later discovered to be a young cellist) had included it in a Russian translation, and suggested that it might work well with music. As the composer had been searching for a text to set for a new choral (for choir) work, he was very excited about this and set right to work! The music was inspired by some of Tchaikovsky's works (Rachmaninoff was a big fan of Tchaikovsky), and Rachmaninoff even sat at Tchaikovsky's desk in Rome, Italy to compose it! Click here to read the poem (in English)! Visit the shop page to learn about our Classical Inspirations: Sergei Rachmaninoff activity book for ages 6-12. Igor Stravinsky - L'histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) "The Soldier's Tale" by Igor Stravinsky is based on a Russian folk tale. Along similar lines to the well-known German tale of "Faust", a soldier trades his violin and his soul with the Devil in exchange for wealth (in the form of a magic book). Stravinsky's work tells the story through music, dance, and narration. The music is very rhythmic and dance-like, with inspiration from many different genres - you might find yourself dancing, too! The story is in two parts. In the first part, the Devil (in disguise) hears the soldier playing the fiddle and offers him a deal: the fiddle in exchange for a book which can tell the future. The soldier agrees to the trade, and spends three days with the Devil in order to teach him how to play the instrument. However, when he heads back home, he realises that three years, not days, have passed. The villagers think he is a ghost, and he discovers that his fiancée has married someone else. The Devil soon reappears, disguised as an old woman with wares to sell. The soldier isn't interested until the old woman offers...a fiddle! He buys it, but when he tries to play it, it doesn't make any sound. Angry and upset, he throws the fiddle away and tears up the magic book. In the second part, the soldier hears about a sleeping princess. Her father has said that he will allow anyone who can awaken her to marry her. The soldier decides to try, but the Devil reappears, again disguised. The two play a game of cards; the soldier loses all his money, but wins back his fiddle (the music of which awakens the princess) and his soul. The Devil tells the soldier that if he ever leaves the castle, his soul will belong to the Devil once again. The soldier and the princess get married, and the soldier soon decides to bring his mother to come and live with them. Ignoring the Devil's warning, he and his wife travel to meet her. As soon as they leave, the Devil once again takes his soul, and the soldier becomes a statue. The moral lessons which come through the story are to do with not letting oneself become overcome by greed and about learning what is truly valuable in life. As well as the complete work, Stravinsky also created other versions, including this one for violin, clarinet, and piano trio (with no narration/dance): Here is the full work, performed in English. Note that in some performances certain words which are not child-friendly/inappropriate in the 21st century (such as the "n" word) may be used. In this performance, and most performances of this century, these things are omitted! Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Amy Beach - Four Sketches "Four Sketches" by American composer Amy Beach is a work for solo piano in four movements. Each movement has a descriptive title and a short quote from a poem connected to it: I. In Autumn ("Feuillages jaunissants sur les gazons épars!" (Yellowing leaves scattered on lawns!) - Alphonse de Lamartine) II. Phantoms ("Toutes fragiles fleurs, sitôt mortes que nées!" (All fragile flowers, dead as soon as they are born!) - Victor Hugo) III. Dreaming ("Tu me parles du fond d’un rêve" (You speak to me from the depths of a dream) - Victor Hugo) IV. Fireflies ("Naître avec le printemps, mourir avec les roses" (Born with the spring, to die with the roses) - Alphonse de Lamartine) Amy Beach had a special ability called "chromesthesia", where she could "see" colours in music. People who have this ability usually see each tonality (the character of a piece of music based on the key in which it is played) as specific colours. However, one person may see a certain tonality as blue, while another may see it as yellow. In this work, the most prominent colours, according to Amy's own colour associations, are green and black. Visit the shop page to learn about our Classical Inspirations: Amy Beach activity book for ages 6-12. Gian Carlo Menotti - Amahl and the Night Visitors Gian Carlo Menotti was one of the most prominent opera composers of the 20th century. His most popular work is his Christmas opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors", inspired by the painting "Adoration of the Magi" by Hieronymus Bosch. It was the first opera ever written for television (NBC) in the USA. It was first aired on Christmas Eve in 1951, and was such a success that the broadcast became an annual Christmas tradition. It has been performed in stage productions many times, and several other film versions have also been created. The work was inspired by the painting "Adoration of the Magi" by Hieronymus Bosch. Menotti stated that the role of Amahl was to always be performed by a boy; in operatic tradition, roles such as this can often be performed by a woman (usually a mezzo-soprano). The story is sweet: A young, disabled boy and his mother encounter the Three Kings, who are on their way to meet the baby Jesus. Mother and son host the Kings in their humble abode, and the characters must confront issues such as lying, jealousy, and preconceptions about others. Humour runs throughout, and all ends well, with Amahl being miraculously cured. From a 21st century perspective, some elements of the text may bring up some talking points around 1950s beliefs (parenting methods, race) - a great opportunity to delve into history and to look at where society is today! The composer's notes from the booklet with the original cast recording: "This is an opera for children because it tries to recapture my own childhood. You see, when I was a child I lived in Italy, and in Italy we have no Santa Claus. I suppose that Santa Claus is much too busy with American children to be able to handle Italian children as well. Our gifts were brought to us by the Three Kings, instead. I actually never met the Three Kings—it didn't matter how hard my little brother and I tried to keep awake at night to catch a glimpse of the Three Royal Visitors, we would always fall asleep just before they arrived. But I do remember hearing them. I remember the weird cadence of their song in the dark distance; I remember the brittle sound of the camel's hooves crushing the frozen snow; and I remember the mysterious tinkling of their silver bridles. My favorite king was King Melchior, because he was the oldest and had a long white beard. My brother's favorite was King Kaspar. He insisted that this king was a little crazy and quite deaf. I don't know why he was so positive about his being deaf. I suspect it was because dear King Kaspar never brought him all the gifts he requested. He was also rather puzzled by the fact that King Kaspar carried the myrrh, which appeared to him as a rather eccentric gift, for he never quite understood what the word meant. To these Three Kings I mainly owe the happy Christmas seasons of my childhood and I should have remained very grateful to them. Instead, I came to America and soon forgot all about them, for here at Christmas time one sees so many Santa Clauses scattered all over town. Then there is the big Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza, the elaborate toy windows on Fifth Avenue, the one-hundred-voice choir in Grand Central Station, the innumerable Christmas carols on radio and television—and all these things made me forget the three dear old Kings of my old childhood. But in 1951 I found myself in serious difficulty. I had been commissioned by the National Broadcasting Company to write an opera for television, with Christmas as deadline, and I simply didn't have one idea in my head. One November afternoon as I was walking rather gloomily through the rooms of the Metropolitan Museum, I chanced to stop in front of the Adoration of the Kings by Hieronymus Bosch, and as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realized they had come back to me and had brought me a gift. I am often asked how I went about writing an opera for television, and what are the specific problems that I had to face in planning a work for such a medium. I must confess that in writing "Amahl and the Night Visitors," I hardly thought of television at all. As a matter of fact, all my operas are originally conceived for an ideal stage which has no equivalent in reality, and I believe that such is the case with most dramatic authors. —Gian-Carlo Menotti" Contemporary Classical There are many composers of all ages who are writing in the 21st century, including children such as Grace Moore: You can check out our Living Composer posts on our blog! Playlist If you are a Spotify user, listen to our Classical Music for Kids playlist: Learn more about Sound Garden

Our Living Composer of the month is New Zealander Nigel Keay, who has been based in France since 1998. Nigel is a freelance composer and violist (and sometimes conductor). He writes primarily for orchestral instruments, from small ensembles to larger orchestral groups, and also composes for voice. Throughout his career he has often played in or directed his own works, and he has held several composer-in-residence positions. His music has been broadcast on Radio France, and increasingly performed in Europe and beyond. Two complete album recordings have been made of his music: Music for Small Groups and the dancer leads the procession (Blumlein Records). His Oboe Sonata and Moderato à cent d'huîtres have been featured on the albums Créations (Continuo Records) and La Cuisine à l'alto (Polymnie) respectively, and he has several future recording projects in progress. For more information about Nigel and his music, visit his website: https://www.nigelkeay.com/index.htm Nigel's compositions: Fanfare for Orchestra String Quartet No. 2 Trio for Clarinet, Viola & Piano "Adagietto Antique" Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Nigel's top 5 classical music picks: Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131 Berg: Lulu Ravel: String Quartet in F major Stravinsky: Firebird Suite Tippett: Symphony No. 2 Learn more about Sound Garden

Opera as an art form has continued to grow and develop throughout the 21st century, with new works being premiered every year. Take our quiz and discover which one you are! Want to know more? On the results page, you will find a link to sign up to seven weeks (one per week) of 21st century opera discoveries! Discover the Sound Garden shop Online products and courses for all ages Learn more about Sound Garden

We're so happy to have you here! I say "we", meaning myself (Kayla Collingwood - www.kaylacollingwood.com) and the growing Sound Garden community. What started as a passion for sharing classical music to anyone who would listen has now turned into this: Sound Garden - a hub for classical music immersion, where you can come and engage on your own terms, wherever you are on your listening journey! We're really looking forward to being able to use this platform to share all kinds of content with you, to use as individuals, families, groups, classes, etc. We can't wait to get to know you and to keep learning and growing together! Feel free to take a look around the site, and we would love it if you would share our content with your friends, family, and any groups or communities you are a part of! See you soon! Kayla (and friends!) Learn more about Sound Garden

What is "early music"? Where does it fit in the timeline of classical music? Does it really count as classical music? What is a madrigal? What is a troubadour? What early music should I listen to? Read on for the answers to these questions and more! If you're interested in a more in-depth look into the world of early music, check out our online course: Introduction to Classical Music: Part I: Early Music (476-1600AD)! What is early music? Where does it fit in the timeline of classical music? Early music is loosely defined as classical music from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476AD: the beginning of the Medieval Era/the Middle Ages in Europe. Some people consider the end date of Early Music to coincide with the end of the Renaissance (approximately 1600AD), while others also include the music of the Baroque Era (ending 1750). For our purposes, we choose the end-of-the-Renaissance option, as: Medieval + Renaissance is already a huge period of time - over 1000 years! Music was much less frequently notated (written down) and codified (with established rules) during this time than it was in the "common practice" period, which began during the Baroque Era. The Medieval and Renaissance Eras set the wheels in motion for the developments of the Baroque and beyond. Most early music was for unaccompanied or accompanied voices. Purely instrumental music was primarily used for dancing or court music. Here is a basic timeline of Western classical music history divisions: Exact dates are debated: Different movements and changes happened at different times depending on the exact location - what was going on in Florence was not the same as what was going on in Paris! Just like today, people groups did not always agree on what was important, what was good, or what was appropriate/tasteful within society and art. While some people might have been ready to accept new styles of music and other changes, others did not agree! This means that some examples of music from 1650 can have more characteristics in common with what we expect of the music of the Renaissance than the music of the Baroque. Does early music really count as classical music? When the music of the Early Music period was composed, the genre of "classical music" did not exist. Music was generally either written for church contexts (in which case it was sometimes notated), or secular - often as the "pop" music of the day. Nowadays, we generally consider "classical music" to be "art music" - music which exists for its aesthetic qualities rather than simply for entertainment, composed by people with knowledge of musical structures and elements. If a lot of early music was just written and performed for entertainment, how can it be classified as classical music? Though much early music would not be considered "art" music by today's standards, it was fundamental in establishing the art music traditions and trends that would develop later. Terminology Madrigals, motets, troubadours, trouvères, viols, sackbuts... these words may be a bit, or completely, unfamiliar! There were certain things which existed previously which no longer exist today in the same way, so the terminology to describe them has largely fallen out of use. Here's a quick list of what these particular words mean: Madrigal: A type of (usually) unaccompanied song for several voices singing different parts; usually a love song. Motet: A type of polyphonic (many sounds) vocal work for several voices; usually religious. Troubadour: A poet-composer (singer-songwriter) of Old Occitan poetry. The troubadour movement spread throughout Europe, creating and influencing similar movements, such as the northern French trouvère, the German Minnesang, and the Galician-Portuguese trovadorismo movements. Viol: The predecessor to modern-day string instruments. A viol was a member of the family of hollow wooden instruments which were bowed (played with a bow), fretted (with spaces along the "neck" of the instrument to change the note), and stringed (producing sound from vibrating strings). Sackbut: A type of trombone. What early music should I listen to? That all depends on your taste in music! Scroll down for a few examples to get you started! If you find a piece you like, you can search the name of the composer or the name of the work online to get similar recommendations and more information! Ready to learn more about early music? Notker the Stammerer: Natus Ante Saecula Etienne de Liege: Gloria in excelsis Deo Adam de la Halle - Le jeu de Robin et de Marion: J'ai encore un tel pasté Guillaume de Machaut - Je vivroie liement/Liement me deport Palestrina - O magnum mysterium John Dowland - Flow my tears Learn more about Sound Garden

Announcing: Classical Inspirations: Sergei Rachmaninoff! Classical Inspirations is a series designed to introduce children to classical music figures - connecting the past to the present, integrating different topics of learning, and offering an opportunity for immersion in another world! Our second product of the series focuses on Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Through reading, listening, and completing a range of activities, your child will learn about the composer's life, about the context in which he lived and composed, and about some of his works. The content is designed to be used by independent readers, or with adult assistance. We hope this product will grow with you and your child! This product is currently available as a digital download. How it works: Purchase the product. You will receive a link to download. Print and go! Return to this blog post to listen to the musical excerpts below. Ready to buy? Other products in this series: Classical Inspirations: Amy Beach Listen: Sergei Rachmaninoff Bought the product, or just want to listen to some of Rachmaninoff's music? Here are all the featured works! Prelude in C-sharp minor Prelude in G minor 12 Romances, Op. 14: 11. Spring Waters The Bells Piano Concerto No. 3 Isle of the Dead All-Night Vigil Further Listening Listen to more of Sergei Rachmaninoff's works and relevant works by other composers! Learn more about Sound Garden