Classical Baby


Classical Baby is an American animated 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, and poetry. This series first aired on HBO Family on May 14, 2005.
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, Mozart, Bach and Ellington becomes an interactive treat for young children and parents alike."
In 2017, two new lullaby-themed episodes aired on HBO and HBO Family: "Classical Baby: The Lullaby Show 1" and "Classical Baby: The Lullaby Show 2."

Episodes

Classical Baby is currently available on HBO and Max as 6 different episodes:
Two compilation episodes had been available previously, consisting of selections taken from the first two episodes, and are not included on the DVD version:
  • Classical Baby 1
  • Classical Baby 2

    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 Cappella Istropolitana, Wolfgang Sobotka, 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, Music: Gymnopédie No. 3 by Erik Satie, painting by Claude Monet
  2. I Love You, Music: Piano Trio No. 1 in B, 2nd movement, by Franz Schubert, paintings by Mary Cassatt
  3. Shapes, based on a painting by Joan Miró, with music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056: II. Largo
  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, Music: Dance of the Hours 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, Music: Salut d'Amour by Edward Elgar, painting by Marc Chagall
  9. Art Faces, Music: "Habanera" Carmen Suite No. 2 by Georges Bizet
  10. Busy Bees, Music: Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, painting by Jackson Pollock
  11. City Streets, with music by Count Basie, painting by Piet Mondrian
  12. The Sculpture Garden, Music: Solace, a Mexican serenade by Scott Joplin
  13. The Starry Night, Music: Reverie by Claude Debussy, painting by Vincent van Gogh
  14. Baby paints with music by Frédéric Chopin – Prelude in A major, Op. 28 No. 7
  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 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" by 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: Gnossienne No. 1 by 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 – narrated by Susan Sarandon
  4. The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson – performed by Beverly Gile & Frances Archer
  5. The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams
  6. Grassy Grass Grass by Woody Guthrie – narrated by Elizabeth Mitchell
  7. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear – narrated by John Lithgow
  8. Sonnet XVIII by William Shakespeare – narrated by Jeffrey Wright
  9. Mariposa by Federico García Lorca – narrated by Andy Garcia
  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 – narrated by Gwyneth Paltrow
  16. Ending credits

    The Lullaby Show 1

  17. Open, Music: Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pyotr ilyich Tchaikovsky performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  18. Naptime "Drume Negrita", a Cuban lullaby, sung by Bola de Nieve
  19. Moonlight "Liebestraum No. 3", music by Franz Liszt performed by Balázs Szokolay
  20. The Kiss "Suliram", an Indonesian lullaby, sung by Miriam Makeba
  21. Little Willow, written, sung and performed by Paul McCartney
  22. The Violin "Oyfn Pripetshik", a Yiddish lullaby, performed by Itzhak Perlman
  23. Goodnight "Goodnight", written and sung by Laurie Berkner
  24. Night Light "Gymnopédie No. 1", music by Erik Satie performed by Kiara Kormendi
  25. Night Swim "White Seal Lullaby", based on a British poem by Rudyard Kipling, written sung and performed by Corinne Bailey Rae
  26. Hush-A-Bye "Hush-a-Bye", an American traditional, sung by Peter, Paul & Mary
  27. Cradle Song "Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein", a German lullaby, sung by Rita Streich
  28. The Dream "Hush, Hush ", a Zulu lullaby, sung by Harry Belafonte
  29. Sweet Dreams "Dream Angus", a Scottish lullaby, sung by Gary Lightbody
  30. Lullaby by Johannes Brahms performed by Budapest Strings

    The Lullaby Show 2

  31. Open, Music: Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky performed by Philharmonic Slavonica
  32. The Painting "Méditation from Thaïs", music by Jules Massenet performed by Camerata Transylvanica
  33. Bedtime "Fais Do Do", a French lullaby, sung by Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb
  34. Twilight "Lullaby", music by George Gershwin performed by Serafin String Quartet
  35. Little Buckaroo "Hush Little Baby", an American traditional, sung by Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche & David Mansfield
  36. Flying "Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann", music by Jacques Offenbach performed by Keith Clark & Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
  37. Hugs "Sleep Little One ", an Arabic lullaby, sung by Oumaima Khalil and Marcel Khalife
  38. Meditation "Berceuse in D-flat major, Op. 57", music by Frédéric Chopin performed by Jane Coop
  39. Flower Dance "O cravo brigou com a rosa", a Brazilian lullaby, sung by Natasha Llerena and Heitor Pereira
  40. Underwater "Nana", music by Manuel de Falla
  41. Barefoot "Dreaming", music by Amy Beach performed by Ambache
  42. Cuddle "A la nanita nana", a Spanish lullaby, sung by Marta Gómez
  43. Falling Leaves "Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4", music by Johannes Brahms, performed by Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott
  44. Lullaby in Ragtime sung by ''Ron Sexsmith''