The Tortoise and the Hare and other tales CD

Music by DANIEL DORFF

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THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE & Other Tales

THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE & OTHER TALES entertains children, adults, musicians, and teachers alike with new and familiar stories narrated by Broadway star Ann Crumb and TV/movie personality Ukee Washington - the perfect introduction to classical music for children around the world! The narrations for these works may be (and have been) translated, and adapted to the performers' preferences (gender, story details).

BLAST OFF! An original travel guide to an outer space visit, composed for a real NASA astronaut to narrate, BLAST OFF! has been performed over 100 times on family and school concerts. CLOSE-UP on Blast Off! including the recording, educational objectives, and perusal score. GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS The familiar tale, told in a cartoonish style with a bumbling Papa Bear (bass trombone), sweet Mama Bear (cello), cute little Baby Bear (clarinet), and a surprisingly polite Goldilocks (flute & harp). The storyline and musical motifs for each character "secretly" model variations and small/medium/large contrasts. CLOSE-UP on Goldilocks and the Three Bears including the recording, educational objectives, and perusal scores for the orchestral version and the octet version. BILLY AND THE CARNIVAL - A Children's Guide to the Instruments In this custom-made story of a child's trip to his local park, Billy discovers all the instruments of the orchestra on their way to a carnival. An ideal introduction to each instrument's sounds. CLOSE-UP on Billy and the Carnival including the recording, educational objectives, and perusal score. THREE FUN FABLES 1. The Fox and the Crow (featuring Trumpet and Bass) 2. The Dog and his Reflection (featuring Trombone and Violin/Harp) 3. The Tortoise and the Hare (featuring Contrabassoon and Clarinet) These familiar fables are told using humor to engage and entertain listeners (of all ages) while demonstrating contrasts as well as instruments. Aesop's morals are implicit but not stated. The composer's primary moral for young listeners is "I like going to the orchestra, can we go again." CLOSE-UP on Three Fun Fables including the recording, educational objectives, and perusal scores for the orchestral version and the octet version. REVIEWS OF THE ALBUM
In-depth Interview by Peter Burwasser (Fanfare, July 2013) Full-length Review by David DeBoor Canfield (Fanfare, July 2013) MORE REVIEWS "Composer Daniel Dorff was asked to compose music for a series of shows that would cover the joy of various children's fairy tales and stories. The Tortoise and The Hare & Other Tales (Bridge) is a CD that honors his work and the stories that have excited children for decades, and does so by utilizing a full orchestra as well as smaller groups. "Blast Off!" and "Billy And The Carnival" are the pieces with full orchestral arrangements, both featuring narration from Ukee Washington, a news anchor on Philadelphia's CBS3. When he asks the listeners if they ever dreamed of being able to fly into outer space, one can imagine a child feeling as excited about the possibility as they are hearing Washington, perhaps believing he may have been someone to take flight as well. Dorff's music steadily shows the anticipation of that flight before eventually heading beyond the atmosphere, and I'm sure Washington had a lot of fun doing this. Actress Ann Crumb handles the narration for "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "Three Fun Fables," these accompanied by smaller orchestras. For those who may know her for her singing (she was the vocalist on a double CD which displayed her father's work, Complete Crumb Edition, Volume Ten (her father being composer George Crumb), you will no doubt be delighted by her spoken performances here, especially in "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Again, the music in these pieces is enthusiastic, and hopefully the listener will be moved and remember these versions of the stories when they grow up. For the adult, I think it's nice to hear these stories done in a manner that isn't dated. It reveals the power of classical music, and of course the beauty and mystery of the human voice, all meant to prepare a child for the big world they will become a part of when it is their time." - therunoffgroove.blogspot.com "Daniel Dorff's compositions cover the full range of concert music. His works for young audiences are wonderful orchestral renderings - some with original lyrics - that tell fun stories while teaching about music, instruments and orchestras. "The Tortoise and the Hare & Other Tales" collects four of his commissions with strong performances by vibrant narrators and the notable Symphony in C orchestra." - behindthebeat.com "Dorff's works have already begun to establish themselves with programmers looking for repertoire for children's concerts, and that's a significant contribution to the future of classical music. - Stephen Eddins, allmusic.com
	last updated May 31, 2026 home