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Al Bachmann : Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano
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Classical: A very entertaining story for children about the history of classical music
Genre: Classical: Classical era
Release Date: 2011
Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano
Al Bachmann
Record Label: DJ Companion Records
  • Buy CD - $14.97
  • Download Album (MP3) - $9.99
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Preview Song Name Time Buy
1. C'Est La Vie (Intro Music) 0:34 + MP3 $0.99
2. This Is the Story 5:08 + MP3 $0.99
3. The Sound of the Piano 0:33 + MP3 $0.99
4. Muriel Woke Up 2:03 + MP3 $0.99
5. Mary Had a Little Lamb 0:31 + MP3 $0.99
6. There Is That Sound Again 1:52 + MP3 $0.99
7. Exercises (Op. 824) 0:40 + MP3 $0.99
8. He Worked and Lived in Vienna 1:14 + MP3 $0.99
9. Fur Elise (Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO59) 0:48 + MP3 $0.99
10. Muriel Got All Excited 1:09 + MP3 $0.99
11. Sonata In A Major (Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major K.331) 0:45 + MP3 $0.99
12. Now That Is a Much Happier Music 0:29 + MP3 $0.99
13. Prelude No. 1 in C. Minuet in G (BMV 846) 1:10 + MP3 $0.99
14. That Sounds Very Different 1:14 + MP3 $0.99
15. Serenade in C (String Quartet in F Major Op. 3/5 "Serenade Quartet" II. Andante Cantabile) 0:33 + MP3 $0.99
16. Oh That Is Beautiful 1:24 + MP3 $0.99
17. Lullaby (Op. 49 No. 4) 0:46 + MP3 $0.99
18. This Is Heavy 1:09 + MP3 $0.99
19. Traumerei (Dreaming) (Op. 15 No. 7) 1:42 + MP3 $0.99
20. This Music Makes Me Very Sleepy 3:06 + MP3 $0.99
21. My Love 1:52 + MP3 $0.99
22. I Wonder Who Wrote That Music 0:57 + MP3 $0.99
23. Song Without Words (Book 5 Songs Without Words Number 6 Op. 62 Spring Song in A Major) 0:58 + MP3 $0.99
24. He Also Wrote A Number Of Symphonies 1:30 + MP3 $0.99
25. Piano Out of Tune 0:23 + MP3 $0.99
26. Of Course the Children and Their Mother Knew 1:38 + MP3 $0.99
27. Piano in Tune 0:22 + MP3 $0.99
28. What a Joy to Hear Good Music Again 1:23 + MP3 $0.99
29. Piano Concerto in A Minor (Op. 16) 1:14 + MP3 $0.99
30. This Piano Concerto Was The Only One 1:38 + MP3 $0.99
31. Finlandia (Op. 26) 0:49 + MP3 $0.99
32. My Goodness 2:13 + MP3 $0.99
33. Song to the Evening Star (from Tannhauser WWV70) 0:42 + MP3 $0.99
34. That Was the Song 1:13 + MP3 $0.99
35. Waltz of the Flowers, Op. 71 0:41 + MP3 $0.99
36. Isn't That Just Wonderful 1:57 + MP3 $0.99
37. Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314 0:42 + MP3 $0.99
38. Muriel Was Very Excited 1:21 + MP3 $0.99
39. Waltz in A Flat, Op. 69, No.1 0:49 + MP3 $0.99
40. Mostly for the Piano 1:20 + MP3 $0.99
41. Liebestraum (Love-Dream) (Liebestraum No.3 in A Flat Major Op. 62, No.3) 0:48 + MP3 $0.99
42. I Feel Like Crying and Laughing 1:53 + MP3 $0.99
43. C'Est La Vie (Exit Music) 0:32 + MP3 $0.99
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Album Notes

Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano is a story that was originally told by Al Bachmann and his granddaughter Shawndel in 1986 on a cassette. On the 25th anniversary of its original release DJ Companion Records felt it was time to re-master the material, re-design the cover, and re-introduce it on cd to the world via the internet as well as children's and classical music stores throughout the world. Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano truly is a very entertaining story for children about the history of classical music.

When Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano was originally released in 1986, Barbara Martindale of the Grand River Sachem wrote the following review:

"MURIEL'S MUSICAL ADVENTURES: ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL

I listened to an audio tape recording that was so enjoyable I had to play it again to get the full benefit.

A Children's Story called "Muriel And Her Musical Adventure" (note: it was earlier released with this title) is something music teachers would use. School teachers and parents who have aspirations for their children to learn more about good music and where it comes from will find it informative and educational.

Muriel And Her Musical Adventures is about a little mouse who lived in a piano. It's a fascinating 50 minutes of entertainment that introduces us to the world of classical music; the easy listening, wonderful, familiar kind of classics.

Produced right here in Caledonia, Muriel And Her Musical Adventures is the creation of well-known Caledonia musician and composer Al Bachmann. It's his voice, his piano, his piano performance, a few of his own compositions, his idea and it was produced professionally in his studio.

The voice of the mouse is that of Bachmann's 9 year old grand-daughter, Shawndel Bachmann; she is now 10. The story is portrayed in the farmhouse of a family of four where the mother and her two children are musical and all take lessons on the piano.

Muriel discovers the world of music through their playing and through the narrator, Al Bachmann who introduces the composers by telling a simple background story about each one of their 18th and 19th century lives. Czerny, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelsohn, Strauss, and Tchaikowsky are just a few who, through Bachmann's own piano interpretation , come alive.

His grandfatherly German accent is just perfect in the story telling of the famous European composers.

Bachmann came to Canada in 1956, has lived in Caledonia for most of those years and has entertained at clubs, fine dining places and functions all over Southern Ontario. He was a on a local FM Radio Station for more than four years, and he appeared on CHCH TV 11's The Best Is Yet To Come for two seasons. He has composed more than 170 of his own works which date back to 1948 when he still lived in Germany. He has recorded four LP records, five audio cassettes and one video entitled appropriately "Grand River Reflections" which is a collection of his own original compositions.

Muriel And Her Musical Adventures is a beautiful story, beautiful music and it would delight you, your children, your grandchildren, your musical students or your school students."

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July 2, 1993

To Whom It May Concern:

I have known AL BACHMANN for many years and was pleased to have AL perform regularly on CKLH-FM on his own show called "REVERIE" when we first launched the FM station.

Al has made me aware of an interesting new musical project called "THE MOUSE WHO LOVED MUSIC". What a fascinating way to entertain children while introducing them to the great world of classical music! I am hopeful Al will find a record label prepared to help him develop this production because it could be a lasting catalog item selling to children for many years and would no doubt be a welcome teaching aid in our schools.

Sincerely,

Nevin E. Grant

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

OLDIES 1150, HAMILTON

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REVIEWS

Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano
author: Tom Mroczka
                            
As a former public and Catholic school music teacher, I would have welcomed this recording as another way to introduce classical music into the studen'ts lives. I love the musical examples using all the different composers interspersed with the dialogue. The main drawback I see is the length of the CD (50 minutes). Since most music periods are generally around 30 minutes, that means the teacher will have to have to use multiple classes to get through all the material. Either that or the teacher will have to carefully choose which parts of the CD to feature in one or two classes if you are to allow some discussion with the students. Although not a criticism as such, Al Bachman's narration, while informative and succinct and expressive, can be a bit hard to digest with his slight accent. I actually wish I could have rated it at 4 1/2 stars. Here's one more suggestion: Al should consider making a DVD counterpart to this CD.
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