Maestro Classics™, winner of over 50 prestigious awards for its Stories in Music™ series of recordings, proudly announces the June 23rd release of the company's eleventh album for family listening, a sparkling rendition of Richard Strauss's colorful tone poem Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, presented here for narrator and orchestra as Merry Pranks of Master Till.
A major goal of Maestro Classics is to encourage active, creative music listening by employing storytelling in its recordings. This innovative production of
Merry Pranks of Master Till, Strauss' musical account of the mischievous adventures of Till Eulenspiegel (a prankster and social commentator from medieval German folklore), features an engaging narration recited by Maestro Classics' beloved storyteller,Yadu.
Some critics did not understand
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks when it was premiered in 1895, but today it is often ranked as one of the finest tone poems ever composed, and Richard Strauss is considered one of the world's greatest composers. In this magnificent, intricately woven work, the music depicts a a colorful cast of characters, including jealous boys, a priest who dishonestly pockets money, ladies offput by Till's greeting, a group of vain academics, a tailor, and a baker. The story of Till's adventures is a reminder that lightness of heart and cheerfulness of mind are valuable assets, but we should choose our audience wisely because, for some people, humor is no laughing matter!
In addition to the narrated version of
Merry Pranks of Master Till, this album includes a track featuring eminent conductor Stephen Simon'selegant interpretation of the work with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, sans narration. The glowing sound of the London Philharmonic Orchestra excels in its sumptuous lyricism, as well as its robust frolicking through Strauss' beloved score.
As a special bonus,
Merry Pranks of Master Till includes a blazingly virtuosic chamber music performance that reduces Strauss' masterpiece to only eight minutes and five players, re-scored by the Austrian composer, Franz Hasenöhrl. There are also engaging, informative, age-appropriate comments on the music, the composer and his time by Maestro Classics' "elucidator," Bonnie Ward Simon, along with an array of activities and information offered in a beautifully illustrated, 24-page program booklet graced by enchanting paper cutout illustrations by noted artist Giles Laroche. This recording of
Merry Pranks of Master Till will be treasured forever by children and adults alike, joining the other ten installments of this masterful series.
In addition to
Merry Pranks of Master Till, the
Stories in Music series includes
Carnival of the Animals,
The Soldier's Tale, My Name is Handel: The Story of Handel's "The Water Music," Peter and the Wolf,
The Tortoise and the Hare,
The Story of Swan Lake,
The Sorcerer's Apprentice,
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel,
Casey at the Bat, and
Juanita the Spanish Lobster (also available in Spanish).
Maestro Classics recordings are available at
maestroclassics.com,
amazon.com, iTunes, and other major distributors and retailers, including the LA Philharmonic store at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the
Metropolitan Opera store at Lincoln Center, the
Carnegie Hall store, and the Boston
Symphony Orchestra store at Tanglewood.
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