THE LITTLE MERMAID:
A MUSICAL TALE FOR FAMILY CONCERTS
The Little Mermaid Music
This page features The Little Mermaid musical repertoire for family concerts. It presents mermaid-themed pieces and concert adaptations for kids, showcasing family-friendly mermaid music. This includes orchestral selections for children's performances.
THE LITTLE MERMAID
a musical story
Duration:
36 minutes
Instrumentation:
The Little Mermaid is based on the same instrumentation of Saint-Saëns’ Le Carnaval des animaux
version I: chamber ensemble
Actress, flute/piccolo, clarinet, percussion (1), two pianos and
string quintet (2 vln, vla, vcl, DB)
version II: chamber orchestra
Actress, flute/piccolo, clarinet, percussion (1), two pianos and
string section
Year Composed:
2006
Story by:
Hans Christian Andersen
Libretto By:
Lior Navok
Language:
Any Language. Currently available:
English: translation by Evan Fallenberg
German: translation by Julia Freienberg
Hebrew: by Lior Navok
Spanish
Written For:
The Silver-Garburg Piano Duo
Commissioned By:
Sommerkonzerte (AUDI)
Premiere Performance:
28 July 2007
Sommerkonzerte (AUDI)
Neuburg, Germany
The Silver-Garburg Piano Duo
Hans Jürgen Schatz, actor
soloists from the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Podiumbeesten! De Kleine Zeemeermin - Lior Navok
About The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is a 36‑minute musical tale for actress and ensemble, composed in 2006 and based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original story. Written for the Silver‑Garburg Piano Duo and commissioned by Sommerkonzerte (AUDI), the work blends narration, theatrical timing, and expressive musical storytelling to create a family‑concert experience that is both engaging and emotionally rich. Scored in two versions — chamber ensemble or chamber orchestra — the piece shares its instrumentation with Saint‑Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, allowing for vivid colors, characterful motifs, and a flexible performance setup. The work has been adapted into multiple languages and presented in formats ranging from pure concert performance to shadow theatre, artistic lighting, and full staging, making it a versatile and imaginative addition to family‑concert repertoire.
For the Performers
Level: Ideal for professional ensembles and advanced conservatory groups experienced in theatrical timing, narration, and family‑concert presentation.
Programming: Designed for family concerts, educational programs, narrated orchestral events, and themed performances introducing children to classical music through storytelling.
Style: A narrative‑driven musical tale combining spoken text with vivid instrumental characterization; flexible staging options allow for concert, semi‑staged, or fully theatrical presentations.
Venue Fit: Effective in concert halls, theaters, community venues, and family‑friendly festival settings where narration and visual elements can be clearly appreciated.
Performance Notes: Requires close coordination between narrator and conductor; adaptable to various visual concepts including shadow theatre, projections, and lighting design.
Program Notes
The Little Mermaid is one of the most beloved children's stories written by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the tale of the little mermaid, the young daughter of the sea king, who, at the age of 15, leaves the deep waters to explore the haunting sea surface and saves a prince from drowning when his ship is struck by a storm. She falls in love with the prince but cannot reach him or talk to him.
Deeply in love with the prince, she decides to consult the sea-witch, who gives her human legs in exchange for her beautiful voice. The sea-witch also tells her that if the prince marries another girl, the Little Mermaid will turn into sea foam the day after the wedding. The Little Mermaid agrees.
Able to walk, she finally meets the prince and radiates happiness. The prince, though he likes the Little Mermaid, does not know that she is the one who saved his life from drowning. He plans to marry another girl—a princess. A wedding voyage to a distant kingdom is arranged, and the wedding is set.
Desperately in love, the Little Mermaid fears for her life and asks only to return home to her family. Suddenly, her sisters appear above the surface of the water. They offer her a knife and encourage her to kill the prince to save her life. She approaches the sleeping prince but cannot bring herself to kill him. The next morning, she turns into sea foam, yet suddenly feels herself being carried up to the sky to become a fairy. As a benevolent fairy, she watches over the prince from above and protects him. [This is the original story and ending by Hans Christian Andersen, unlike the Disney version.]
Related Music:
Selected Works for Family Concerts
Herbert Chappell
Paddington Bear’s First Concert
Narrator and orchestra
Composed: 1976 (premiered 1986)
Francis Poulenc
L’Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant
Narrator and piano (or orchestra, orchestrated by Jean Françaix in 1962)
Composed: 1940–1945
Sergei Prokofiev
Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67
Narrator and orchestra
Composed: 1936
George Kleinsinger
Tubby the Tuba
Narrator and orchestra
Composed: 1945
Robert Kapilow
Green Eggs and Ham
Narrator (soprano and boy soprano) and orchestra
Composed: 1995
Gregory Smith
The Animated Orchestra
Narrator and orchestra
Composed: 2006
Nathaniel Stookey
The Composer Is Dead (text by Lemony Snicket)
Narrator and orchestra
Composed: 2006
Camille Saint-Saëns
The Carnival of the Animals
Originally for two pianos and chamber ensemble; often performed with narrator
Composed: 1886
Benjamin Britten
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34
Narrator and orchestra (optional narration)
Composed: 1945
Robert Xavier Rodríguez
Colorful Symphony
Narrator and orchestra
Composed: 2004