Classical Baby


Classical Baby is a 2005-2008-2017-2020 American television series for young children and families directed by Amy Schatz and produced by HBO. The animation was created and designed by Maciek Albrecht and MaGiK World Animation. Classical Baby is designed to introduce young children to masterpieces from the worlds of music, art, dance, poetry, lullaby 1, lullaby 2, symphony, holiday 1 and holiday 2.
The series has won 4 Emmy Awards, the Peabody Award, the Directors Guild of America Award, Parents’ Choice Awards, and others.
The series won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children's Program and two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, one given to animator Barbara Wierzchowska, and one to Jarek Szyszko.
It won a Peabody Award in 2005. The judges wrote: "This whimsical, charming, deceptively simple marriage of animation to the music of Tchaikovsky, Puccini, Beethoven, Bach and Ellington becomes an interactive treat for young children and parents alike."
In 2017, two new lullaby-themed episodes aired on HBO: "Classical Baby: The Lullaby Show 1" and "Classical Baby: The Lullaby Show 2."
In 2020, "Classical Baby: The Symphony Show" & two new Christmas themed episodes aired on HBO Max: "Classical Baby: The Holiday Show 1 " and "Classical Baby: The Holiday Show 2. "

Episodes

Classical Baby is currently available on HBO On-Demand as nine different episodes:
Additional Episodes had been available previously, which consisted of selections taken from the first nine episodes, and are not included on the DVD version:

The Music Show

  1. Open, Music: "Piano Concerto No. 1"
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  1. Bear Hugs, Music: "The Flower Duet" from Lakmé
by Léo Delibes
performed by Mady Mesplé and Danielle Millet
Orchestre du Théatre National de l'Opéra-Comique, Alain Lombard
  1. Baby's Hands, "Von fremden Ländern und Menschen" from Kinderszenen, Op. 15, No. 1
by Robert Schumann
performed by Vladimir Horowitz, piano
  1. Baby Steps, "Dance of the Reed-Flutes"
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, Peter Wohlert, conductor
  1. Busy Caterpillar, "Prelude" from Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
by Johann Sebastian Bach
performed by Yo-Yo Ma, cello
  1. The Cow Song, "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi
by Giacomo Puccini
performed by Ying Huang, soprano, London Symphony Orchestra, James Conlon, conductor
  1. Good Morning, Peer Gynt: "Morning Mood"
by Edvard Grieg
performed by CSFR State Philharmonic Orchestra, Stephen Gunzenhauser
  1. Night Music, "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
performed by Capella Istropolitana Wolfgang Sobotk, conductor
  1. Aquarium, "Aquarium" from The Carnival of the Animals
by Camille Saint-Saëns
performed by Chamber Ensemble Philippe Entremont and Gaby Casadesus, pianos
  1. Musical Faces, "A Mare Encheu"
by Heitor Villa-Lobos
performed by Christina Ortiz
  1. Appalachian Spring, "Appalachian Spring Ballet Suite" Moderato coda movement
by Aaron Copland
performed by London Symphony Orchestra, Aaron Copland, conductor
  1. The Cricket on the Roof, "Stamping Dance" from Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56
written by Béla Bartók
performed by Midori, violin, Robert McDonald, piano
  1. My Blanket, "Clair de Lune"
by Claude Debussy
performed by CSR Symphony Orchestra, Keith Clark, conductor
  1. "Lullaby"
by Johannes Brahms
performed by Budapest Strings

The Art Show

  1. Open, Music: Piano Concerto No. 1
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  1. Frogs, with music by Erik Satie, painting by Claude Monet
  2. I Love You, paintings by Mary Cassatt, with music by Franz Schubert
  3. Shapes, based on a painting by Joan Miró, with music by Johann Sebastian Bach
  4. The Museum, with music by Gabriel Fauré, Dolly Suite, Op. 56
  5. Trucks, with music by Duke Ellington, painting by Fernand Léger
  6. Dance Class, with music by Amilcare Ponchielli, painting by Edgar Degas
  7. The Conductor, Music: The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss, performed by Vienna Opera Orchestra
  8. The Kiss, with music by Edward Elgar, painting by Marc Chagall
  9. Art Faces, Music: "Habanera" Carmen Suite No. 2 by Georges Bizet
  10. Busy Bees, with music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, painting by Jackson Pollock
  11. City Streets, with music by Count Basie, painting by Piet Mondrian
  12. The Sculpture Garden, with music by Scott Joplin
  13. The Starry Night, with music by Claude Debussy, painting by Vincent van Gogh
  14. Baby paints with music by Frédéric Chopin – no title
  15. Lullaby by Johannes Brahms performed by Budapest Strings

    The Dance Show

  16. Open
Music: "Piano Concerto No. 1" Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  1. Waltz of the Flowers
Dance inspired by George Balanchine
Music "Waltz of the Flowers" from "The Nutcracker" Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  1. Dancing Sheep to Sheep, featuring Cheek to Cheek
Music Irving Berlin performed by The Boston Pops
  1. Barn Dance
Dance inspired by the "Dance of the Little Swans"
from "Swan Lake" Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  1. Mambo
Music "Mambo No. 5" performed by Pérez Prado
  1. The Ugly Duckling - The Swan
Dance inspired by Anna Pavlova
Music "The Swan" from "The Carnival of the Animals" Camille Saint-Saëns by Joshua Bell
  1. The Rectangles
Dance inspired by Jerome Robbins
Music "Prologue" from "West Side Story" Leonard Bernstein
  1. The Scarecrow
Dance inspired by Martha Graham
Music Aaron Copland
  1. Tap Dance
Dance inspired by the Nicholas Brothers
Music "I Got Rhythm" George and Ira Gershwin
  1. Sleepy Lion
Music "Mbube" performed by Miriam Makeba & the C. Mitchell Trio
  1. Dancers
dance inspired by Pilobolus
Music Erik Satie
  1. The Hippo Dance
Music "Sugar Rum Cherry" by Duke Ellington
  1. Dancin' in the Rain
  2. Lullaby by Johannes Brahms performed by Budapest Strings

    The Poetry Show

  3. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
  4. The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson
  5. The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams
  6. Grassy Grass Grass by Woody Guthrie
  7. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear
  8. Sonnet XVIII by William Shakespeare
  9. Mariposa by Federico García Lorca
  10. This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams
  11. Skylark by Johnny Mercer
  12. April Rain Song by Langston Hughes
  13. A Very Valentine by Gertrude Stein
  14. Who Has Seen the Wind? by Christina Rossetti
  15. How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

    The Lullaby Show 1

  16. Open, Music: Piano Concerto No.1 by Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  17. Naptime “Drume Negrita” a Cuban Lullaby, sung by Bola de Nieve
  18. Moonlight “Liebesträum No. 3” music by Franz Liszt
  19. The Kiss “Suliram” an Indonesian Lullaby, sung by Miriam Makeba
  20. Little Willow, written and performed by Paul McCartney
  21. The Violin “Oyfn Pripetshik” a Yiddish lullaby, performed by Itzhak Perlman
  22. Goodnight “Goodnight” written and performed by Laurie Berkner
  23. Night Light “Gymnopédie No. 1” music by Erik Satie
  24. Night Swim “White Seal Lullaby” based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling, written and performed by Corinne Bailey Rae
  25. Hush-A-Bye “Hush-a-Bye” an American traditional, sung by Peter, Paul & Mary
  26. Cradle Song “Schlafe, mein prinzchen, schlaf’ ein” a German Lullaby, sung by Rita Streich
  27. The Dream “Hush, Hush ” a Zulu lullaby, sung by Harry Belafonte
  28. Sweet Dreams “Dream Angus” a Scottish Lullaby, performed by Gary Lightbody
  29. Canon In D by Johann Pachelbel performed by Sally Fletcher

    The Lullaby Show 2

  30. Open, Music: Piano Concerto No.1 by Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  31. The Painting “Méditation from Thaïs” music by Jules Massenet
  32. Bedtime “Fais Do Do” a French lullaby, sung by Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb
  33. Twilight “Lullaby” music by George Gershwin performed by Serafin String Quartet
  34. Little Buckaroo “Hush Little Baby” American traditional, performed by Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche & David Mansfield
  35. Flying “Barcarolle from Tales of Hoffmann” music by Jacques Offenbach
  36. Hugs “Sleep Little One ” an Arabic Lullaby, performed by Oumaima Khalil and Marcel Khalife
  37. Meditation “Berceuse in D-Flat Major, Op. 57” music by Frédéric Chopin performed by Jane Coop
  38. Flower Dance “O Cravo Brigou Com A Rosa” a Brazilian lullaby, performed by Natasha Llerena and Heitor Pereira
  39. Underwater “Nana” music by Manuel de Falla
  40. Barefoot “Dreaming” music by Amy Beach
  41. Cuddle “A La Nanita Nana” a Spanish Lullaby, sung by Marta Gómez
  42. Falling Leaves “Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4” music by Johannes Brahms, performed by Yo-Yo Ma
  43. Canon In D by Johann Pachelbel performed by Sally Fletcher

    The Symphony Show

  44. Open, Music: Piano Concerto No. 1 music by Pytor llyich Tchaikovsky performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  45. Sunrise "The Four Seasons " by Antonio Vivaldi
  46. Kaleidoscope "Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.2" music by Frédéric Chopin, performed by Idil Biret
  47. The Enchanted Forest “Symphony No. 94 in G Major Surprise" music by Joseph Haydn, performed by The Boston Pops Orchestra
  48. Allegro "Symphony No. 5" music by Ludwig Von Beethoven, performed by The London Symphony Orchestra
  49. Garden Song "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly music by Giacomo Puccini, performed by Maria Callas
  50. Butterflies "Minuet in a Major" music by Luigi Boccerini
  51. Woodpecker "Symohony No. 36" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  52. The Instruments "Sabre Dance" music by Aram Khachaturian, Performed by Arthur Fiedler
  53. Roses "The Sleeping Beauty Waltz" music by Pytor llyich Tchaikovsky
  54. Musical Notes "Symphony No. 43" music by Joseph Hadyn
  55. The Grand Finale "Symphony No. 9 " music by Ludwig Von Beethoven
  56. "Alla Hornpipe" from Water Music by George Freideric Handel

    The Holiday Show 1

  57. Open, "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" performed by Percy Faith
  58. Musical Flowers
  59. Snowy Trees "Jingle Bells" performed by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians
  60. The Snowflakes "Carol of the Bells" performed by David Foster
  61. The Gingerbread House
  62. Little Lights
  63. The Nutcracker performed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  64. The Hollies
  65. Christmas Carolers
  66. Beauty and the Beast - Musical Princess
  67. The Conductor "Winter Wonderland" performed by Kenny G.
  68. The Nativity Scene "O Little Town of Bethlehem" sung by Nat King Cole
  69. Silent Night performed by Phil Spector

    The Holiday Show 2

  70. Open, "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" performed by Percy Faith
  71. Crystal Lights
  72. The Tinsel
  73. The Battle between the Mouse King
  74. The Snowman
  75. Glitter
  76. The Princess and the Pea - Frosty Windows
  77. White Christmas sung by Tony Bennett
  78. The Reindeer
  79. The Nutcracker Suite
  80. Ice Skating
  81. Fossils from The Carnival of the Animals
  82. The Choir "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" sung by The Mormon Tabernancle Choir
  83. Silent Night performed by Phil Spector