It's happening less and less these days, but some folks are still intimidated by classical music - afraid of its complexities, nervous about concert-hall decorum and of a mind that all those glorious works were created by superhuman geniuses.

One way to sweep away that silly image of the composer-as-god is to place these men and women of music in their proper context: as hard-working people who lived (and struggled) in some of the great cities of Europe.

In that light, we have the stunning PBS series Classical Destinations, a travelogue that mixes music and sightseeing. Though it won't be telecast locally until October at the earliest (says a KRMA-Channel 6 spokesman), the 13 episodes have just been released as a two-DVD set along with a two- CD collection of musical highlights, both on EMI.

A handsome coffee-table book of the same name was released earlier in the year (Amadeus Press, $30).

Whatever the format - and whatever your traveling or listening experiences - you'll be captivated by Classical Destinations.

Hosted by English actor Simon Callow, with assistance from Matt Wills (who wrote the informative if flowery scripts) and Niki Vasilakis (who also supplies occasional on-location fiddling), each of the episodes explores a great European city and the composer or composers who lived there.

If you've been to Europe, you'll enjoy revisiting the likes of Salzburg and Vienna, Austria; Berlin; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Venice, Italy. London and Paris aren't among Callow's destinations, but production has begun on a second season that will include England and France.

If you've never been over there, these programs might well be the next-best thing. Thanks to some breathtaking photography and detailed narration, it's possible to sense a closeness to these cities and their impressive sense of history.

You can almost feel the chill as you visit Tchaikovsky's St. Petersburg, almost breathe the clear air of Grieg's Norway and Sibelius' Finland, almost taste those round Mozart chocolates on sale everywhere in Salzburg.

Thankfully, the series doesn't waste time with predictable concerts or rambling conversations with musicians. Instead, we're led on some thrilling, picturesque journeys:

• Stroll down the streets of Beethoven's hometown of Bonn, Germany.

• Cruise along the scenic, narrow waterways of Venice, where Monteverdi and Vivaldi lived.

• Visit a gilded room in Schnbrunn Palace, outside Vienna, where the 6-year-old Mozart plopped himself on the lap of Maria Theresa after performing for the empress.

• Peek inside a small hut by an Austrian lake where Mahler wrote his Second and Third Symphonies.

All the while, heard softly in the background, are the melodies that sprang out of these gorgeous settings. Sure, the music is what we most associate with the great composers, but through this series, we realize that their masterworks weren't created in a vacuum:

• Beethoven and Johann Strauss drew inspiration from the woods outside Vienna (seen during our visit to that city).

• Mahler once scolded his protegé Bruno Walter for gazing at the mountains that loomed above his composing hut: "Don't bother looking - I've already set them to music."

• Sibelius and Grieg shunned the noise and distractions of big cities in favor of humble, rural digs far from the madding crowd.

We hear all that in their music.

The photography is spectacular throughout, and the on- and off- screen narration remains illuminating, though Callow's delivery is a bit too measured and self-conscious for my taste. Wills and Vasilakis bring just the right touch of natural enthusiasm to keep the viewer engaged.

Enlightening though their words might be, what makes the greatest impression are the sights of such musical landmarks as the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany, where Bach spent his final 27 years (and where he now lies buried); the hut at Troldhaugen, Norway, where Grieg composed; and the Villa Bertramka near Prague, where Mozart lived while completing Don Giovanni.

After the videos, the book serves as a nice souvenir. In addition to a sampling of photos and a helpful text adapted from the TV scripts, this "armchair guide to classical music" also includes sidebars on the composers and the cities, including Web sites and suggestions on tourist attractions and coffeehouses.

Kids and music: If you have a musically inclined young person in the house (or if you are one), you may be interested in a series of features airing on KVOD-FM (90.1) next week titled The Gift of Music. Hosted by Stephanie Wendt, these segments will examine such topics as choosing the right instrument, instructor and program for the promising student and tips on providing encouragement.

Wendt talks with several guests about the importance of music education. Segments air at 6 and 8 a.m. and at 4 and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday on KVOD in Denver and online at kvod.org.

Viewing suggestion: The Mark Morris Dance Group will perform his Mozart Dances in a Live From Lincoln Center program at 9 p.m. Monday on Rocky Mountain PBS, Channel 6. Premiered at the Mostly Mozart Festival last year, Morris' piece features two concertos and a two-piano sonata by Mozart. Emanuel Ax and his wife, Yoko, are soloists.

A tribute to the late Beverly Sills will be shown at intermission.

Marc Shulgold is the music and dance writer. Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296

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