Classical dances get the Perlmutter treatment with the release of the fourth Beethoven's Wig CD, Dance Along Symphonies.
The Artist
Richard Perlmutter has been making classical music accessible to kids since 2002 by giving compositions by Bizet, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky his own personal touch. Perlmutter pairs his silly, witty, and sometimes tongue-tying lyrics with symphonic masterpieces to create comical introductions to the world of classical music.
The Music
Impeccable, as usual. Despite Perlmutter's silly lyrics, he takes the music seriously. On Dance Along Symphonies, orchestration is provided by the United States Marine Band, the Richard Hayman Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Swedish Airforce Band. This time around, dances are featured, including waltzes, rondeaus, two-steps, marches, and polkas.
Symphonic Fun
What makes Dance Along Symphonies fun is that Perlmutter's lyrics are perfectly matched with the music on most of the songs. For instance, you can totally visualize a grainy silent movie of a damsel in distress tied to the train tracks as Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" plays. And you tiptoe right along with the protagonist trying to sneak a midnight snack to the tune of Georges Bizet's "Habanera" from Carmen.
The Power and Beauty of Music
Another highlight is the inclusion of instrumental versions of all the songs. Kids and their families can enjoy the sheer beauty of Emile Waldteufel's "Les Patineurs" and Johann Sebastian Bach's "Minuet in G," and the joyful power of John Philip Sousa's "The Washington Post" (played by every single marching band that has ever existed) and Julius Fucik's "Entry of the Gladiators" (the tune that introduces the clowns at a circus).
Released August 12, 2008; Rounder Records
