Little Einsteins is an animated series for preschoolers, shown from 2005 to 2009. Each episode is built around one piece of classical music and one famous work of art. This page lists 14 of the pieces, with the composer of each and a guide for hearing the whole thing.
Quick facts
- The show: two seasons and 67 episodes, first shown on Playhouse Disney
- The team: Leo, June, Quincy, and Annie, and their ship, Rocket
- The jobs: Leo conducts, June dances, Quincy plays instruments, and Annie sings
- The plan for each episode: one piece of classical music and one work of art
- The theme song: written for the show by Billy Straus
How the show uses music
One piece runs through each episode. The tune comes back again and again, so that a child knows it by the end. The characters sing along with it, and they use music words such as crescendo, allegro, and adagio. The show asks children at home to pat the beat and to conduct.
The stories were written around the music. According to Wikipedia’s account of how the show was made, the writers adjusted each script to fit the piece. Before that, a music consultant chose 50 pieces to test, and children’s ratings helped to narrow the list.
Fourteen pieces from the show
This list does not cover every episode. The first ten pieces come from Wikipedia’s episode list. The last four come from the show’s fan wiki.
| Piece | Composer | Where it turns up |
|---|---|---|
| “Morning Mood” from the Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 | Grieg | The episode where a bald eagle takes Leo’s baton |
| Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” | Dvořák | “Ring Around the Planet” |
| Hungarian Dance No. 5 | Brahms | “Hungarian Hiccups” and “The Legend of the Golden Pyramid” |
| “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from the Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 | Grieg | More than one episode |
| Carmen Suite No. 1 | Bizet | An episode paired with a famous Japanese print of a wave |
| Eine kleine Nachtmusik | Mozart | Two episodes, one about Little Mouse and the moon |
| L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 | Bizet | Two episodes, one where Annie flies Rocket alone |
| Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 | Bach | “Farmer Annie” |
| Für Elise | Beethoven | The hunt for Annie’s wish box on Mount Everest |
| Horn Concerto No. 2 | Mozart | The search for Little Whale |
| Swan Lake | Tchaikovsky | Season 2 |
| The Nutcracker Suite | Tchaikovsky | Season 2 |
| 1812 Overture | Tchaikovsky | Season 2 |
| Rondeau from the Suite de symphonies No. 1 | Mouret | Season 2 |
The music and the art
Each piece shares its episode with a work of art. These pairs come from the episode list.
| Piece | Art |
|---|---|
| “Morning Mood” | The Peaceable Kingdom, by Edward Hicks |
| Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” | Tree of Life, by Gustav Klimt |
| Hungarian Dance No. 5 | Tiger in a Tropical Storm, by Henri Rousseau |
| Carmen Suite No. 1 | Under the Wave off Kanagawa, by Katsushika Hokusai |
| Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 | The Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun, by Vincent van Gogh |
| Für Elise | The Starry Night, by Vincent van Gogh |
| Horn Concerto No. 2 | The Shore at Bas-Butin, Honfleur, by Georges Seurat |
Hear each piece in full
The show uses a short part of each piece. The full piece is longer and has more in it.
“Morning Mood” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Both come from music that Grieg wrote for a play. In the first, a flute and an oboe pass a rising tune back and forth. In the second, one creeping tune gets faster and louder. Read the Peer Gynt Suite listening guide and the story of the Mountain King.
Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Dvořák wrote it in New York. The slow second movement has a famous tune for the English horn. Read the New World Symphony listening guide.
Hungarian Dance No. 5. The music charges ahead, pulls back, stops, and charges again. Read the Hungarian Dance No. 5 listening guide.
Carmen Suite No. 1. The suite gathers music from Bizet’s opera Carmen. Read Carmen for kids.
Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Mozart wrote it for a small group of strings. Read the Eine kleine Nachtmusik listening guide.
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2. The last piece in the suite is the “Farandole,” where a stern march and a fast dance end up playing at once. Read Bizet for kids.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Near the end of the first movement, the other players stop, and the harpsichord plays a long, wild solo. Read the Brandenburg Concertos listening guide.
Für Elise. Read who was Elise?
Horn Concerto No. 2. Mozart wrote four concertos for the horn. Read the French horn for kids.
The Tchaikovsky pieces. Read the Swan Lake listening guide, the Nutcracker Suite listening guide, and the 1812 Overture for kids.
The Rondeau by Mouret. Jean-Joseph Mouret was a French composer of the Baroque era. Many adults in North America know this bright trumpet tune as the theme of the television series Masterpiece Theatre.
Things to do together
Name it. After an episode, say the name of the piece and the composer. Play the full piece the next day and ask your child where the tune from the show comes in.
Pat and conduct. Pat the beat on the knees, as the show asks. Then try the real beat patterns. Read how to conduct music for kids.
Find the painting. Look up the work of art that goes with the piece. Play the music while your child draws a picture of their own.
Use the words. Call out “crescendo” when the music grows and “allegro” when it is fast. Read dynamics in music and tempo words in music.
Draw a map. Read listening maps for kids.
After Little Einsteins
A child who knows these tunes is ready for longer listening.
- Classical music in Bluey
- Classical music in cartoons
- The Fantasia music list
- Peter and the Wolf: the story
- The Carnival of the Animals listening guide
- Classical music for preschoolers
Print and play
Print a listening journal page for each piece. Tick off the pieces your child knows on the 25 classical pieces checklist.
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- Wikipedia. Little Einsteins.
- Wikipedia. List of Little Einsteins episodes.
- Little Einsteins Wiki. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
- Little Einsteins Wiki. Jean-Joseph Mouret.
More from this guide
This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
1812 Overture for kids: what to listen for
A parent's listening guide to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the story of the battle, the two tunes that fight, the cannons and bells, and games to play.
Air on the G String by Bach for kids: what to hear
A parent's guide to Bach's Air on the G String: where the nickname came from, the walking bass and long notes to listen for, and calm things to do.
Album for the Young by Schumann: a guide for piano families
A parent's guide to Schumann's Album for the Young: the 43 piano pieces he wrote for his children, ten to hear first, and his rules for young musicians.
Amahl and the Night Visitors for kids: the story and the music
Amahl and the Night Visitors explained for kids and parents: the story of the one-act Christmas opera, the music to hear first, and ways to watch it.
Ave Maria for kids: Schubert's song and the Bach and Gounod one
Two famous pieces are called Ave Maria. How to tell Schubert's from the one by Bach and Gounod, where each came from, and what to listen for.
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony for kids: a listening guide
A parent's listening guide to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: five scenes from the countryside, the birds by the brook, the storm, and things to do.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.