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Please note - the following text and layout is copyrighted UK Back Issues (2017)

THE MAGICAL MUSIC BOX
MARSHALL CAVENDISH (1995/96)

MAGAZINE & CD

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The Magical Music Box was a 52 issue fortnightly partwork from the great partwork publishing house of Marshall Cavendish. First launched in 1995, the aim of the magazine was to introduce children to classical music. As a result, it became extremely popular with music teachers and parents and remains so today.

The stories followed the fictional adventures of two siblings, Sarah and Jamie who find a magical music box through which they are able to enter other worlds. The stories are generally related to other children's tales or fables.

Each issue features:-

Main Story
The Listening Guide - a guide to the piece of music featured in the issue
The Composer - information about the composer of the piece
Music Sheet - a simplified musical score of the main theme 
Orchestra - a detailed feature of a specific instrument found in an orchestra

This entertaining partwork is a great resource for teaching

Please note - Issue 22 (On Thin Ice) - the version on sale in this listing is the correct version (the cover matches the contents). When this issue was first published in the mid 1990s, some subscribers received a copy of the magazine which had the On Thin Ice cover, but the contents of Issue 23 (The Savage Flames). Marshall Cavendish quickly realised the error and sent the correct magazine to all subscribers who had received this misprinted version. The issue which hit the shops was the correct version. This makes the issue with the On Thin Ice cover but The Savage Flames contents extremely rare.

Issue 1 - Journey to the Stars - Gustav Holst / The Planet Suite
Launched into Space, Sarah and Jamie must save the Universe by judging a music contest between angry gods Mars, Venus and Jupiter on the Mountains of the Moon.

Issue 2 - Hall of the Troll King - Edvard Grieg / Pier Gynt Suites
Sarah and Jamie crash-land in a pine forest and discover the sinister secrets of the beautiful Troll Princess and her cavern kingdom, deep in the mountains of Norway.

Issue 3 - Sky Racers - Beethoven / The Pastoral Symphony
Sarah and Jamie enter a thrilling air race. But how can they beat Max, ruthless pilot of the powerful Sky Baron, who just hates to lose...

Issue 4 - The Wizard's Spell - Tchaikovsky / Swan Lake Suite
Sarah and Jamie rescue a mysterious girl from a watery grave, but on the moonlit shores of Swan Lake, the evil Wizard Rothbart is lying in wait....

Issue 5 - House of Terrors - Hector Berlioz / Symphonie Fantastique
Danger lurks round every corner when you're only three inches tall...In an old, dark house, Sarah and Jamie come face to face with their deepest fears

Issue 6 - Daylight Robbery - George Gershwin / Rhapsody in Blue
A stolen brooch leads Sarah and Jamie onto a spine-tingling chase across New York City, with a bunch of murderous gangsters hot on their trail.

Issue 7 - The River God - Maurice Ravel / Bolero
Saved from death in the South American jungle, Sarah and Jamie join an explorer in his search for the fabled Sucuriju - a terrifying living dinosaur...

Issue 8 - Night of the Aliens - J.S.Bach / Orchestral Suite No. 4
They came from Outer Space. But why had they come, what did they want and who were they after? Only one person on Earth knew the answer to those questions.

Issue 9 - The Bull Fights Back - Georges Bizet / Carmen Suites 1 & 2
The bloodthirsty matador raised his sword. The bull, Ramon, was at his mercy. Sarah and Carmen hid their eyes in horror; but Jamie had a trick up his sleeve...

Issue 10 - Animal Rescue - Saint-Saens / Carnival of the Animals
It is the year 2020 and wildlife everywhere is menaced by pollution. How can one man save his animals from the clutches of the Zoo Police?

Issue 11 - Sinbad and the Kraaken - Rimsky-Korsakov / Scheherazade
Sinbad turns to Sarah and Jamie for help on a death-defying mission, but first they must face the terrible Kraaken and steal its skin...

Issue 12 - Musical Misfits - Mozart / Flute and Harp Concerto
After Sarah and Jamie swap places with a couple of musical prodigies, they are summoned to play before the Emperor - with almost disastrous results.

Issue 13 - Nightmare Gallery - Mussorgsky / Pictures at an Exhibition
While visiting an art gallery, Sarah and Jamie find themselves inside a strange painting - and face to face with an evil witch and her sinister cauldron

Issue 14 - The Highwayman's Mask - Johann Strauss / Viennese Waltzes
Can Sarah and Jamie come to the rescue in a duel - over a beautiful lady - between a young highwayman and a wicked nobleman whose treachery is well known?

Issue 15 - The Dell of Time - Vivaldi / The Four Seasons
Nothing grows in the Dell of Time and living creatures who enter it soon die yet, by chance, Sarah and Jamie help to break its deadly curse

Issue 16 - The Big Freeze - Johannes Brahms / Violin Concerton in D
A magical Silver Note whisks Sarah and Jamie away to a frozen landscape, where the evil sorcerer Killjoy tries to entomb them in a block of ice.

Issue 17 - The Bowman and the Baron - Overtures by Gioacchino Rossino
When William Tell confesses he cannot shoot an apple from his son's head because he is a poor shot, Sarah and Jamie must devise a plan to save the boy's life...

Issue 18 - The Valkyries - Richard Wagner / Ride of the Valkyries
On a mercy mission to save children dying of a mystery plague, Sarah and Jamie find themselves hunted by sinister horsewomen in a ghostly green armour...

Issue 19 - The Spinning Wheel - Tchaikovsky / The Sleeping Beauty Suite
Sarah and Jamie find playing extras in a Hollywood movie is more exciting than they bargained for when they try to save the Wicked Fairy from the Sleeping Beauty

Issue 20 - Wagon Train West - Dvorak / The New World Symphony
Transported suddenly to the Oregon Trail, Sarah and Jamie are caught up in a conflict between trail riders, outlaws and Indians as the wagons roll west.

Issue 21 - Fireworks! - Handel / Music For The Royal Fireworks
A chance encounter with a firework manufacturer takes Sarah and Jamie on an exciting trip to Farovna - where someone is trying to sabotage the royal fireworks!

Issue 22 - On Thin Ice - Borodin / Polovtsian Dances
When Sarah and Jamie befriend a beautiful Russian peasant girl, they get caught up in a hair-raising adventure involving wild Cossacks and an evil holy man.

Issue 23 - Fire-bringers - Beethoven / Symphony No. 5
In an alarming trip back to the dawn of history, Sarah and Jamie meet a primitive caveman - and manage to tame a threatening tribe with some powerful magic...

Issue 24 - The Captain's Curse - Debussy / Nocturnes
On an expedition to dig up a pirate captain's ill-gotten gains, Sarah and Jamie come face to face with the terrifying ghostly guardian of the treasure.

Issue 25 - Eve of Battle - Chopin / Solo Piano Pieces
On the eve of the Battle of Waterloo Sarah and Jamie go on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines in a bid to capture Emperor Napoleon's battle plan.

Issue 26 - Black Angus - Mendelssohn / Overtures
Stumbling on a hidden cave in the Scottish Isles, Sarah and Jamie uncover a smuggling ring that threatens the peaceful life of the Isles and puts them in danger too...

Issue 27 - The Imperial Robes - Mozart / A Little Night Music (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)
In fairy-tale country, Sarah and Jamie help to unmask two undercover agents who plan to discredit the Emperor by inducing him to parade in the all-together!

Issue 28 - Space Envoys - Rachmaninov / Piano Concerto No. 2
Catapaulted into the 23rd century, Sarah and Jamie help a planet of super-children to ward off a threatened invasion by beating an alien at an antique computer game!

Issue 29 - Boomerang! - Mahler / Sympony No. 5 & 6
In the land of Aborigine Dreamtime, Sarah and Jamie experience the potent magic of the Sky Heroes when a sacred site is threatened by gold miners.

Issue 30 - Bird of Fire - Stravinsky / The Firebird Suite
When they come to the aid of a sheik's daughter, Sarah and Jamie get involved in a desperate bid to reach the magical Firebird before the evil Ben Samadi...

Issue 31 - Lost and Found - Schumann / Symphony No. 1 "Spring"
Sarah and Jamie become servants in a great Victorian mansion - and while spring cleaning uncover a dastardly plot to get rid of the family's eldest son and heir.

Issue 32 - Pyramid of Khonsoul - Haydn / "Surprise" Symphony
Inside a computer game, Sarah and Jamie help an ancient mummy and a lonely armadillo to rescue the Pharaoh from the evil designs of the Grand Vizier.

Issue 33 - Showdown in Maverick - Aaron Copland / Rodeo
A painful encounter with a cactus patch near the Mexican border shows Sarah and Jamie how to outwit a bunch of desperados that threaten the peaceful life of Maverick.

Issue 34 - The Long Shadow - Liszt / Piano Concerto No. 1

Issue 35 - Festival of the Sun - Prokofiev / The Love of Three Oranges
A night out under canvas turns into a chilling adventure when Sarah and Jamie find themselves helping a young Inca prince to save his father from a horrible fate.

Issue 36 - The Sea Princess - Debussy / La Mer
Drawn down into the watery world under the sea, Sarah and Jamie help a haughty sea princess to brave some terrifying ordeals in order to find her true prince.

Issue 37 - The Monks' Treasure - J.S. Bach / Solo Pieces for the Organ
Posing as choirboys in a 12th-century monastery, Sarah and Jamie help to foil two crooks trying to steal the monks' long-lost hoard of priceless treasure.

Issue 38 - King Arthur's Sword - Mozart / Symphony No. 40
Annoyed at being woken when Jamie throws a stick in the water, the Lady of the Lake sends Sarah and Jamie on a dangerous mission to rescue King Arthur's sword...

Issue 39 - The Magic Lyre - Beethoven / Piano Sonatas
Sailing among the Greek Islands, Sarah and Jamie meet a strange character with a magical musical touch who take them on a sinister adventure in the Underworld

Issue 40 - The Great River - Smetna / The Moldau
In deepest Africa, Sarah and Jamie befriend a young warrior and tangle with the powerful Water Spirits that control the destiny of the tribes living by the Great River.

Issue 41 - In The Spotlight - Tchaikovsky / The Nutcracker Suite
Stumbling into a production of The Nutcracker, Sarah and Jamie foil a crook trying to steal the theatre takings - and make a memorable contribution to the ballet.

Issue 42 - Beyond The Wall - Richard Strauss / Also Sprach Zarathustra
When a pickpocket is caught by Roman soldiers, Sarah and Jamie are imprisoned with him - and escape into a dangerous wilderness beyond the Wall...

Issue 43 - The Lady's Tale - Carl Orff / Carmina Burana
On the road to Canterbury, Sarah and Jamie fall in with a company of travelling players - and help to expose the villain who has stolen the Lady's treasure.

Issue 44 - Outlanders - Rachmaninov / Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
In a desolate, post-holocaust landscape, Sarah and Jamie befriend a community of people exiled from City life - whose young children have strange, compelling powers.

Issue 45 - The Savage Flames - Stravinsky / The Rite of Spring
A mistletoe-gathering trip leads Sarah and Jamie into a terrifying encounter with the demons of the Otherworld - and a narrow escape from a fiery end!

Issue 46 - Sealed Orders - Brahms / Symphony No. 1
Sailing with Captain Cook, Sarah and Jamie are among the first explorers to set foot in New Zealand - and while under attack by Maoris Jamie makes a vital discovery!

Issue 47 - Caught in the Act - Bela Bartok / Dance Suite
Visiting a circus, Sarah and Jamie help to solve the mystery of the robberies that are making the circus folk unpopular - and finish up in the circus ring themselves!

Issue 48 - On The Battlefield - Tchaikovsky / Festival Overture "1812"
After escaping from the cross-fire at the Battle of Borodino, Sarah and Jamie help to rescue the Countess Rostova who is being held hostage by a sinister character.

Issue 49 - Trouble With Time - Mussorgsky / A Night on the Bare Mountain
Sarah and Jamie meet up with the young apprentices of three space-age witches - and find themselves tangled up in the time lines of their experiments.

Issue 50 - Treason and Plot - Albinoni, Pachelbel & Corelli / Baroque Music
Visiting the Tower of London, Sarah and Jamie enter the court of Elizabeth I, where they help a young maid of honour to save her father from a traitor's death.

Issue 51 - The Happy Dragon - Schubert / Symphony No. 5
Searching for sheep among the Welsh hills, Sarah and Jamie meed a madcap mythical beast who helps them escape from the clutches of a very unfriendly giant.

Issue 52 - The Little Soldier - Shostakovich / Symphony No. 9
Sarah and Jamie meet a small soldier with big ideas - and help him achieve his loftiest ambition, aided by an enormous dog with eyes as big as mill-wheels...