LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, STEPHEN SIMON, CONDUCTOR: Juanita, the Spanish Lobster - Stories in Music

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Stephen Simon, conductor

Juanita, the Spanish Lobster - Stories in Music

© 2005 Simon & Simon, LLC (880626300025)

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It the tradition of Peter and the Wolf, Magic Maestro Music presents the delightfully entertaining story of a lady lobster who wants to go to the land. This passionate and spirited music, combining flamenco and operatic parody heightens the story's theme

notes

In the tradition of Peter and the Wolf, Magic Maestro Music™ presents the delightfully entertaining story of a lady lobster who wants to go to the land. David Haslam’s passionate and spirited music, combining flamenco and operatic parody, heightens the story’s themes of determination and individuality. Discussions about the music with conductor Stephen Simon, and a 1950’s Elvis-style “O Juantia!” sing-along song make this an unforgettable CD for children ages 6+ and their families.
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Stories in Music™ is the new classical music CD series for children and families produced by Magic Maestro Music®. The Stories in Music series premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC with the Washington Chamber Symphony. Maestro Stephen Simon and music educator/producer Bonnie Ward Simon have now recorded the series with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, adding additional educational and participatory tracks to each CD. Rave reviews nationwide and numerous awards have greeted this unique series with its signature format.

The first four releases in the series, Stories in Music: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Stories in Music: Juanita the Spanish Lobster (also available in Spanish language edition Juanita la langosta española), Stories in Music: Casey at the Bat, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice will soon be followed by Stories in Music: Peter and the Wolf (release date May 1, 2007) and Stories in Music: Swan Lake.

Each CD is a combination of music and educational information designed to give the listener ideas on what to listen for and how to listen. It is the “backstage pass” into the minds of the author, composer, and conductor, namely the creators of the work. The CDs also include sing-along or play-along tracks for audience participation.

The CDs are highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about classical music and are excellent for family car trips or school carpooling, music teachers’ music appreciation classes, and elementary school teachers who want to include music in their classrooms. They are the answer to, “Where do you go after Raffi?”

The Stories in Music series offers three significant benefits:

To discover the magical sounds of the symphony orchestra.”
This new series of recordings introduces young people to an orchestra's magical sounds and awe-inspiring power, and helps them understand that music can be dramatic, can paint pictures, and is often filled with humor.

“To encourage adults and children to listen to music together.”
The very young will listen for the story, the slightly older child will enjoy the music, and the adult will be surprised how much he/she has learned.

“To hone listening skills and accumulate musical memories.”
The musical discussions will sharpen listening skills of children and adults alike, the discussion of the story will promote conversation about human values, and the musical work will leave each listener whistling a new tune.

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  • author: Tamara Turner, CD Baby

    In the spirit of Peter and the Wolf, with narration and full orchestral accompaniment punctuating and underscoring the plot, this delightful children’s album tells the story of Juanita the Spanish, lady lobster who lives off the coast of Wales and sings in a flamenco style about how much she detests her life under the sea, dissatisfied to be knitting seaweed like the other lobsters in her company. Itching to go to the land, what will happen when Juanita finds herself trapped in a lobster pot, doomed for the inevitable fate of boiling water? Combining Spanish flamenco and bel canto operatic style, complete with an aria and a recitative, sung by Juanita’s admirer, the music of this tale becomes part of the interaction with your child, inviting them to not only have fun listening but also to learn and sing along. While the first track contains the adventure, the other tracks supplement the experience with fun, inviting information about the music and the author as well as a “remake” version of the Juanita aria sung in the style of Elvis Presley with follow-up tracks so that your child can try her hand at it, karaoke style. The fun never ends with this CD; as well as all that activity on the CD itself, the booklet contains a theme-related word search, crossword puzzle, a dot to dot, a map of the tale’s geography and notated music samples from the soundtrack with information about the instruments used and their identification. With the London philharmonic and Stephen Simon conducting, parents will definitely get a kick out of the high level of quality music, dynamic storytelling and multifaceted tongue-in-cheek humor. This one earns a gold medal among us.

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