Classical Baby

I own around 20 Baby Einstein videos (bought the DVD collection), some Baby Genius and some Brainy Baby too. After watching them a lot, I can be certain than HBO's Classical Baby is the very best baby video ever made. Why?* The music is played by an actual orchestra, not by a computer like similar products. This makes the video a really listening pleasure, even for adults.* Music selection is wide, not just classical music, many contemporary and world music pieces are present, even jazz and mambo. The kind of music that will make your child smarter.* The animations are so beautifull that I don't mind my baby watching it over and over. The replay value of this video set is huge.* When my baby don't want to eat, I put any of these videos and problem solved, by baby eats anything I put in his mouth, even adult food.* When my baby don't want to sleep, I put these videos and he get relaxed, and it is easier to take him to bed.* The animations are based on real life art pieces, so you are giving a lot of culture to the baby. When I took my baby to a real museum, he felt as in home.* Dance scenes are a pure work of art, they touches my soul every time, incredible choreography.* It does not matter the language (english only), this is all about music.* I played this video to my newborn since he was 3 month old, and now he is 16 month old and still his favorite. I also played this video to nephews and neices between two and eight years old, and all of them were glued to the tv.* This production is unique. All competition looks similar when compared to each other, but HBO Classical Baby looks really different from other baby videos available. So if you are looking for variety, buying a cople of Baby Einstein, a cople of Baby Genius and some other Brainy Baby, your are not really buying different things, they all look alike.Finally I would like to add that the reviewer that said that these 3 videos had the same content "is wrong", only the introduction is the same, but all the content from each video is original and related to the title, so Music in mainly Music, Dance is about dancing, and Art is about paintings and sculptures.I have said so many times, thanks HBO, that I decided to make this little review.

My wife and I are over 65, our grandaughter is two. When we sit down to watch this video, which has both classical and modern classical mucsic, with terrific colored animation, animated classical art reproductions, I am not sure which of us enjoys this more. It has 3 dvd's in the pack. I could not describe this better than they did on the HBO website, so I just copied and pasted it here---all true:"From the Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning producer of "Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales," HBO presents a delightful half-hour animated special for small children and their parents. Winner of a Peabody Award and three Emmy® Awards and ingeniously designed to introduce young children to masterpieces of classical music, painting and dance, "Classical Baby" is a creative kaleidoscope of color, motion and music, played out in an accessible, comforting format. The program's premise involves a diapered baby "conductor" who leads an all-animal orchestra though imaginative renderings of short (2-3 minute) musical pieces, all played in front of a rapt animal audience. Each segment features iconic music from some of the world's great composers, including Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Johann Sebastian Bach, Erik Satie, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Robert Schumann, Johann Strauss, Georges Bizet, Giacomo Puccini and Claude Debussy. Through this inspiring music (performed by some of the world's great musicians), the segments also pay imaginative tribute to the art of Claude Monet, Joan Miro, Fernand Leger and others, as well as the dances of choreographers like George Balanchine.Stimulating, soothing, and full of heart, "Classical Baby" fulfills the potential for TV to inspire and engage a baby's imagination and sense of wonder, while serving as a wonderful tool for family bonding."This is a great video to watch when a little "quiet" time is needed. All you grandpas and grandmas out there understand this. A great value for the price.------Vincent

One individual indicated that this DVD was "atrocious". You have to remember that this DVD is geared for very young children. My 10 month old calms down and is incredibly engaged with this DVD. My three year old likes to watch it as well. Young children need to experience music in this format. They can't sit through an entire performance and are often not allowed in the symphony before age five. This is a perfect introduction to music and can help children imagine and explore beyond the music. Demonstrating the art and dance involves all the senses. These DVD's are very well done and the animation is very good. Again, the animation can't be overdone. For a baby the animation must be slower and less defined or it would simply overwhelm. I find these delightful and calming to watch as well! The bad reviewer also asserts that because the DVD's are entitled "Classical Baby" that individuals who purchase them know nothing about music. Trust me, my husband and I know music!