Classical music can be a daunting arena for children to enter. However, if you introduce them to the right pieces, you it can spark a love that lasts a lifetime. So next time they ask for the Frozen soundtrack, why not try one of these pieces instead. Here's our round-up of some of the more familiar – and less familiar – great pieces of classical music for kids.
Best classical music for kids: trolls, donkeys, tortoises and sugar plum fairies
1. The Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saëns)
Fearing that its frivolity would sabotage his reputation as a serious composer, Saint-Saëns insisted that The Carnival of the Animals be published only after his death. Yet, ironically, this charming zoological fantasy - in which each movement describes a different animal or group of animals - is perhaps his most famous work.
There's so much wit, colour and melodic flair in these 14 little musical portraits. These include a lion, elephant, donkey, tortoises, kangaroos, an aquarium, fossils and even that dangerous breed: pianists. But probably the best-known and loved of them all is The Swan, scored for two pianos and cello solo. Its delicate melody perfectly captures the animal's gliding elegance.
2. The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)
At a time when 'outreach' was not a word much heard in classical music circles, Tchaikovsky arguably did more than any classical composer since to win over a young audience. His 1892 Christmas ballet The Nutcracker is a firm favourite among families and children.
That's thanks both to its charming story - based on ETA Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King - and hit tunes, including the thrilling Russian Dance, the delicate Dance of the Reed Flutes and the magical Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Ballets are always a great way to introduce your children to classical music, so why not start here?
As well as being one of the best composers ever, we named Tchaikovsky one of the greatest ballet composers of all time and The Nutcracker one of the best Christmas ballets and one of the best ballet scores.
3. Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky)
Mussorgsky wrote Pictures at an Exhibition as a tribute to his friend, the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, who had died in 1873 aged 39. Shortly after Hartmann's death, Mussorgsky visited a retrospective exhibit of the artist's sketches, stage designs and architectural studies and decided to capture the experience in music.
What emerged was a series of ten piano pieces, each based on a different exhibit. All of them were packed full of fantastical, even downright bizarre, imagery. Some, including The Hut on Fowl's Legs and The Great Gate of Kiev, pack the biggest punch when heard in Ravel's masterful orchestration of 1922. But there's a lot to be said for the vivid, pictorial detail of the original 1874 piano composition. This makes a great introduction to classical music for kids.
4. 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' from Peer Gynt (Grieg)
Telling the mysterious, fantastical story of Peer Gynt sneaking through the trolls' kingdom, this piece at the centre of Edvard Grieg's magnificent music for Henrik Ibsen's play starts quietly and builds with intensity, making it a thrilling listening experience for children.
5. Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Based on One Thousand and One Nights, the same story that gave us Aladdin, this tone poem of 1888 is bursting with wonderful melodies and drama - played out across four highly characterful movements. Its composer Rimsky-Korsakov deliberately made their titles vague to avoid association with specific tales or voyages of Sinbad. Nonetheless, children will have no difficulty in imagining a fairy-tale narrative, thanks to Rimsky-Korsakov's feel for colourful scene-painting.
Best classical music for kids: a solar system and a symphonic fairytale
6. The Planets (Holst)
First things first. This ever-popular 1914 piece by Holst is not really about the planets. Rather, Holst aimed, in his music, to create a series of what he called 'mood pictures,' assigning different personalities to the various planets, partly inspired by mythology.
And so we have 'Mars – the bringer of war'; 'Venus – the bringer of peace'; 'Mercury, the winged messenger', 'Jupiter – the bringer of jollity', 'Saturn – the bringer of old age', 'Uranus – the magician' and 'Neptune – the mystic'. It makes for a work of great personality and humour, with huge dramatic contrast and some smashing tunes - most famously in the central section of 'Jupiter'.
7. Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev)
Expressly written as a symphonic fairytale for children, Prokofiev's 1936 piece is a fantastic introduction to classical music, with each character in the story represented by a different instrument: the wolf by three horns, the duck by the oboe, the bird by a flute and the grandfather by the bassoon. Plus, you'll find versions narrated by all sorts of great personalities, from David Bowie to Alexander Armstrong.
8. Children's Corner (Debussy)
Claude Debussy adored his only daughter, Claude Emma, whom he affectionately called Chou-Chou. In 1906, when she was just one year old, he started writing a piece of music for her. His aim was both to entertain her, and to capture the essence of watching a child grow up from a nostalgic parent's point of view.
The result was a suite of six delightful little pieces inspired by her favourite toys. So we have Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum, Jimbo's Lullaby, Serenade for the Doll, The Snow Is Dancing, The Little Shepherd and Golliwogg's Cakewalk - whose music was charming, despite the problematic nature of the doll it was named after.
We named Debussy one of the greatest French composers of all time.
9. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)
Plenty of music by Mozart, one of classical music's greatest melodists, would suit us here. But this playful, rhythmic serenade is bright, cheerful and instantly memorable, making it a perfect way to introduce kids to classical music. The first movement, in particular, has a catchy, joyful melody that's easy for kids to follow.
10. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Britten)
Benjamin Britten takes his young listeners on a whirlwind tour in this 1945 piece, using a stately tune by the Baroque composer Henry Purcell to show off the characteristics of all the instruments in a symphony orchestra. It begins with a statement of the theme, followed by several variations that each feature a particular instrument in-depth.
It then concludes in climactic style: with a fugue of astounding complexity, originality and tuneful brilliance. You'll find recordings of both narrated and unnarrated versions, but my favourite is of Britten himself conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.
More best classical music for kids: an iconic beginning
11. Symphony No. 5: 1st movement (Beethoven)
Ah, Beethoven's incredible Fifth Symphony. Where do we start? Well, in this case, at the beginning. That iconic 'da-da-da-dum' is instantly recognizable and so very powerful (so much so that Mahler drew heavily on it for the beginning of his own Fifth). This piece shows the dramatic and intense side of classical music, great for holding kids’ attention.
12. Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck)
Hänsel und Gretel is not only for children. Its composer Humperdinck had worked closely with Wagner, and that Wagnerian influence can be heard throughout this 1892 opera. That's thanks both to its sophisticated orchestration and its luxurious harmonic language. Yet, with its familiar fairy-tale story and folk-inspired melodies, one of the most famous being the 'Abendsegen' ('Evening Benediction'), from Act 2, this is the perfect gateway into opera for children, particularly since it's less than two hours long.
13. Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
Tchaikovsky's 1876 ballet Swan Lake about the cursed love of Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette, who was turned into a swan by the evil Baron Von Rothbart, ranks up there with The Nutcracker in terms of its popularity with families. Like The Nutcracker, it lures huge crowds every Christmas, but it's much more than a Christmas cracker.
In creating a score that was more like a symphonic work, Tchaikovsky set his sights far higher than those typical for dance music in his time. Among the work's most famous tunes is the Swan Theme, a delicate oboe solo heralded by string tremolos and harp arppegios. But the melodic pickings in this magical work are richly varied. A beautiful way to introduce classical music for kids.
14. 'Toreador Song' from Carmen (Bizet)
We could have picked quite a few moments from Georges Bizet's sultry Spanish-set opera Carmen, to be honest: it's overflowing with bold, catchy, easily memorable tunes. Kids might want to start, though, with the lively 'Toreador Song'. That main melody, once heard, is never forgotten.
