Can you recommend some 'introductory' classical music for my dd please?

[Mercy]

I have no idea about classical music but dd (nearly 7) likes listening to it (for relaxing and imaginatory purposes)

Atm she likes listening/watching 'The Draughtsman's Contract' on Youtube, also Classic FM (but too many adverts Mummy). She also liked the Schubert and Bruchner (sp?) cds which we found when we were on holiday last year.

She seems to like mellow cello or violin based music so would be grateful for any suggstions.

Thanks Lio, that's very kind of you.

What did we start on ... mulls ...

various Hollywood musicals - I found these intensely life-affirmingly cheering (for me), with a bored n-month-old in a bouncy seat (if those count)

West Side Story (again, if it counts); and Little Shop of Horrors (somehow I feel I am straying from the brief here)

Sorcerer's Apprentice - inc. on the old Fantasia movie - that's a must

Peter & the Wolf - not quite as good as Sorcerer's Apprentice

BBC Proms with variety of things inc. Star Wars & Dr Who - kind of counts, it uses an orchestra

Beethoven's 5th (broadcast from the Proms) with me exaggeratingly conducting

French horns doing Harry Potter music

Hall of the Mountain King, that's fun

• I'm sure there's other stuff. Much of it is just being around while we play things (which my parents didn't do really) - certainly at 8 I wouldn't have been able to say "Mum is that Kreisleriana again?"

Thank you for the John Adams ideas Marina - Short Ride in Fast Machine an excellent extra ds b'day thing (to go with Star Wars: The Total Humongous Package - or whatever it is that he actually wants)

Hello again Mercy, I CAT-ed you on Tuesday so let me know if you didn't hear anything. ALthough Please Dont' Worry if you don't want to take me up on the offer, no offence caused

Bach Violin Concertos (Concerti?) - solo and the gorgeous, gorgeous double - I love the old Oistrakh recording (David and Igor) but plenty 'cleaner' modern versions e.g. Joshua Bell.

Rachmaninov Piano Concertos

Lots of really beautiful Haydn quartets (if she likes strings) and Schubert too - the Trout quintet is great and gets sampled a lot so she will recognise it on e.g. tv.

I would agree about ballet music and things like the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Essentially any music that tells a story, as that really helps them to understand and appreciate it.

I'm trying to think of others that haven't been suggested yet. Perhaps Mussorgsky 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and 'Night on Bare Mountain'.

And this is going to sound silly, but when I was young my introduction to classical music came through the 'Hooked on Classics' compilations - remember them? I don't know if you can still get them, but they're a great romp through the main themes of loads of pieces. I loved them when I was a child. Great music for in the car as well, because the volume is reasonably constant.

Lio, I've sent you an email but thought I would also post here as we are about to go away for a few days. The cd arrived - very many thanks

For mellow violins and cello, how about some vaughan williams, maybe lark ascending or symphony 6 pastoral? If she doesn't mind some vocal in there, Canteloube's Songs d'Auvergne are gentle and lyrical, very pretty.

i'd also suggest vaughan williams: variations on a theme by thomas tallis & good ole greensleeves.

Mozart Horn Concerto no3 is brilliant,
I loved Britten's Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra and also Haydn's Surprise Symphony. Mozart's Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, maman", Turkish Rondo and Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring were all favourites of mine when I was little.