Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
Peter and the Wolf, a symphonic fairy tale for children and orchestra

“’What I wanted to do, I did,’ said the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev after completing Peter and the Wolf, a work that fulfilled his long-held ambition to introduce young audiences to the world of classical music. The piece was commissioned by the Central Children’s Theater in Moscow with the aim of cultivating children’s musical appreciation from the very beginning of their education. Inspired by the project, Prokofiev wrote both the music and the text of Peter and the Wolf, a symphonic fairy tale for narrator and orchestra, in the remarkably short span of just four days. The charming story about Peter, a brave young boy who, with the help of his animal friends, succeeds in capturing a fearsome wolf, promotes respect for nature, friendship, cooperation, and the importance of helping others in times of need. Each character is represented by a distinctive musical theme and instrument: Peter by the strings, the bird by the flute, the duck by the oboe, the cat by the clarinet, the grandfather by the bassoon, the hunters by the timpani and percussion, and the wolf by the French horns. Since its premiere, Peter and the Wolf has appeared on countless concert programs and has been recorded in numerous audio and video versions, including an animated adaptation produced by Walt Disney. The role of narrator has been performed by many internationally renowned figures, among them Sean Connery, Sophia Loren, Sharon Stone, Antonio Banderas, Leonard Bernstein, Itzhak Perlman, David Bowie, and Sting, as well as former presidents Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev.”

Jelena Jovanović-Nikolić