TOS Crew Review - Maestro Classics - Peter and the Wolf

Maestro Classics is a company that produces beautiful classical music CDs for children. However, more than just CDs with various pieces of classical music, Maestro Classics offers something even more captivating - Stories in Music! For this review, we were sent the classic story of "Peter and the Wolf" on CD.


I grew up listening to "Peter and the Wolf" and have always loved it, so I was excited for this review! The CD not only comes with the narrated "Peter and the Wolf" story, but also has several other tracks that caught the children's interest and attention. The main narrated musical piece (performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra) is a little over 25 minutes long, and then there is a short bio about the composer (Sergei Prokofiev, in case you were interested!). There's still more! There are several short musical pieces relating to Russian Folk music or the Peter and the Wolf theme, another full-length version of "Peter and the Wolf" (instrumental only, this time), and a little more information about the music from the conductor himself. Wow! It all adds up to over an hour of musical enjoyment and education!

In my house, there's something about an Audio Book or Narrated Musical CD that captivates my children. They can easily sit and color at the table for an hour, absorbing all the good information while they keep quiet and busy - something I'll never complain about! Even my littlest ones caught on quickly to this story and would point out during various instrumental parts, "Mama, that's the wolf coming!" or "The duck sounds so funny!". They got as much enjoyment out of it as I remember getting from it when I was their age - it is timeless!

Along with the CD, there is also a program book that offers still more interesting facts and fun activities. Several lesser-known (to me, anyway) instruments are introduced, there is an interview with the conductor, more background about the composer, as well as an introduction to some of the musicians featured on the CD. Activities include matching instruments, decoding Russian, a crossword, and more! It is a rich accompaniment to the CD.

One thing that really stood out to me while we listened to this CD over the weeks was how easily something like this could springboard into some great Unit Study Material! Not only could the composer be highlighted, but Russian music and culture, and learning about various instruments could quickly grow into a wide and fascinating study - all from one little Story in Music! But even if you're not the Unit Study kind of homeschooler, the story and music all by themselves is delightful enough.

I also have to add some big kudos for their customer service. For some reason, the original CD I was sent was a bit fickle - it wouldn't always start up right away, and made some odd noises while playing. When the company was notified about this, they immediately responded to me, letting me know they'd be sending a replacement promptly, as well as a prepaid return envelope for the slightly defective CD. The replacement CD arrived within days via Priority Mail! They were friendly, efficient, and super fast - what more could you ask for in customer service? That experience gave me even higher confidence in the quality of their products!

Maestro Classics offers many "Stories in Music" CDs such as this one. Each CD and program book is priced at $16.98 each, or you can get 3 for $45. There are also several gift sets available, which include the CD, program book, as well as the actual book telling the story featured on the CD. One I'd love to get is "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel" - that book is a huge favorite at our house! If you're curious for more, be sure to check out their website for some samples - I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Also be sure to see what other Crew Members thought by going to the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.