Aesop's Fables
Narrator and chamber orchestra (or sextet)
“The students were absolutely thrilled... even our kindergartners and 1st graders listened intently.”
Aesop’s Fables for narrator and chamber orchestra are light musical vignettes. Their descriptive and colorful character makes them attractive to the young musical ear. Aesop’s Fables was composed to introduce the instruments of the orchestra to elementary students and to teach them about the elements of music.
Select any two or three fables or present all five with the Prelude and Finale. Each movement is about three minutes in duration. Perform as a concert piece alone or collaborate with a local dance company. The themes of Aesop's Fables lend themselves well to student drawings or paintings which can be viewed during the performance.
Sample video
Aesop’s Fables is a great educational outreach. The Aesop’s Fables Video Series, featuring composer Richard Maltz, prepares students for a rewarding concert experience. Videos and related educational materials are included with the purchase of the score and parts (orchestra or sextet).
Instrumentation
flute (piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bassoon,
horn, trumpet, 2 percussion, strings
narrator
Sextet arrangement
flute (piccolo), clarinet (bass clarinet), horn, percussion, violin, cello
narrator
Duration
ca. 20 minutes
“Thank you very much for providing this musical gem.”
“Fables is a wonderfully crafted work... much on the same scale as Peter and the Wolf.”
“We are delighted to perform Aesop’s Fables and integrate the work as a foundation element of our Music for Young People’s program.”
“What fun we all had with Aesop’s Fables! Players, conductor and narrator were all having a good time.”