Baby Bach

Michael Grover wrote (July 5, 2001):
< Boyd Hobbitonroad wrote, regarding the topic My First Cantata: <snip> Musical art is among the greatest of gifts we can impart to our children. And we must introduce them to works such as the Cantatas at an early age so they will have the ability to appreciate it later. My 18 month old great-neice loves her "Bach Collection" CD! When I hold that CD up, she gets her blanket and sits beside me - ready for a relaxing trip into Bach's wonderful world! >
I have three children ranging in age from 7 years to 7 months, so we have a household full of every children's video imaginable. Disney, Barney, Teletubbies, Pokemon... you name it, we've probably got it. (And please, no condolences. I actually LIKE most of them... :-))

But the video they like the best (and, as Dave Berry would say, I am not making this up) is our "Baby Bach" video from the Baby Einstein company. This delightful little video has bright, close-up images of toys and lava lamps and kinetic things in motion while Bach's music, synthesized, plays in the background. And a good selection of music, too! It has the usual suspects (choruses from BWV 147 & BWV 140, Brandenburg movements, Air from Orch. Suite #3...) but one of the most enjoyable sections is at the end, when they present what they call a "Goldberg Suite" consisting of the aria and several variations, all while toy giraffes walk about, clowns' heads bob up and down, and two little girls play together.

Best of all, my kids are recognizing "real" Bach because of the video... the video has the last movement from the 2^nd flute sonata (BWV 1031) and one time I was listening to my Petri/Jarrett CD and when it got to that movement, my four-year-old daughter's head popped around the corner and she smiled and shouted, "That's Baby Bach!" And sometimes, when my 7-month old baby is crying and won't eat and refuses to be comforted, honestly, that video will do it. She calms right down as soon as the Anna Magdalena minuet starts over the beginning titles.

If you have children and don't mind the sound of Bach on simple synthesizer, I HIGHLY recommend this video. And when I say simple synthesizer, don't be fooled. The sound is actually quite good, with multiple voices and sounds and layers, and the playing is very good, also.

P.S. A little girl tells a great joke on the video: "Why did Mozart get rid of all his chickens?

Because they kept going, 'Bach, Bach, Bach, Bach.'" :-)

Bob Sherman wrote (July 5, 2001):
(To Michael Glover) Thanks, Michael. I have 2-year-old twins and will get Baby Bach for them pronto.