''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no)
Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by
Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's story, while the
orchestra illustrates it by using different instruments to play a "theme" that represents each character in the story. It is Prokofiev's most frequently performed work and one of the most frequently performed works in the entire classical repertoire.
Background
In 1936, Prokofiev was commissioned by
Natalya Sats
Natalya Il'inichna Sats (sometimes spelled Natalia Satz; russian: Наталия Ильинична Сац; 27 August Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._14_August.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki> O.S._14_Augus ...
, the director of the
Central Children's Theatre
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
in Moscow, to write a musical symphony for children. Sats and Prokofiev had become acquainted after he visited her theatre with his sons several times.
The intent was to introduce children to the individual instruments of the orchestra. The first draft of the
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
was about a
Young Pioneer (the Soviet version of a
Boy Scout
A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...
) called Peter who rights a wrong by challenging an adult. However, Prokofiev was dissatisfied with the rhyming text produced by (real name Antonia Pavlovna Sokolovskaya, 1896–1951), a then-popular children's author. Prokofiev wrote a new version where Peter captures a wolf. As well as promoting desired Pioneer virtues such as vigilance, bravery, and resourcefulness the plot illustrates Soviet themes such as the stubbornness of the un-Bolshevik older generation (the grandfather) and the triumph of Man (Peter) taming Nature (the wolf).
Prokofiev produced a version for the piano in under a week, finishing it on April 15. The orchestration was finished on April 24. The work was first performed at a children's concert in the main hall of the
Moscow Conservatory with the
Moscow Philharmonic on 2 May 1936. However, Sats was ill and the substitute narrator was inexperienced, and the performance failed to attract much attention.
Later that month a much more successful performance with Sats narrating was given at the Moscow
Pioneers Palace. The American premiere took place in March 1938, with Prokofiev himself conducting the
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...
at
Symphony Hall, Boston with
Richard Hale narrating. By that time Sats was serving a sentence in the
gulag, where she was sent after her lover Marshal
Mikhail Tukhachevsky was shot in June 1937.
Plot
Peter, a
Young Soviet Pioneer, lives at his grandfather's home in a forest clearing. One day, Peter goes out into the clearing, leaving the garden gate open, and a
duck that lives in the yard takes the opportunity to go swimming in a pond nearby. The duck and a
bird argue on whether a proper bird should be able to swim or fly. A local
cat stalks them quietly, and the bird—warned by Peter—flies to safety in a tall tree while the duck swims to safety in the middle of the pond.
Before long, Peter's grandfather scolds him for being outside and playing in the meadow alone because a wolf might come out of the forest and attack him. When Peter shows defiance, believing he has nothing to fear from wolves, his grandfather takes him back into the house and locks the gate. Soon afterwards, a ferocious
grey wolf does indeed come out of the forest. The cat quickly climbs into the tree with the bird, but the duck, who has jumped out of the pond, is chased, overtaken, and swallowed by the beast.
Seeing all of this from inside, Peter fetches a rope and climbs over the garden wall into the tree. He asks the bird to fly around the beast's head to distract him, while he lowers a noose and catches the wolf by his tail. The beast struggles to get free, but Peter ties the rope to the tree and the noose only gets tighter.
Some hunters, who have been tracking the wolf, come out of the forest with their guns readied, but Peter gets them to instead help him take it to a zoo in a victory parade (the piece was first performed for an audience of Young Pioneers during
May Day celebrations) that includes himself, the bird, the hunters leading the wolf, the cat, and lastly his grumbling Grandfather, still disappointed that Peter ignored his warnings, but proud that his grandson caught the beast.
At the end, the narrator states those listening carefully could hear the duck still quacking inside the wolf's belly, due to being swallowed whole.
Performance directions
Prokofiev produced detailed performance notes in both English and Russian for ''Peter and the Wolf''. According to the English version:
Instrumentation
''Peter and the Wolf'' is scored for the following orchestra:
*
Woodwinds: a
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
, an
oboe, a
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
in A, and a
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
*
Brass: 3
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
s in F, a
trumpet in B and a
trombone
*
Percussion:
timpani, a
triangle, a
tambourine,
cymbal
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
s,
castanets, a
snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
, and a
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
*
Strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
: first and second
violins,
violas,
violoncellos, and
double basses
Each character in the story has a particular instrument and a
musical theme
In music, a subject is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based. In forms other than the fugue, this may be known as the theme.
Characteristics
A subject may be perceivable as a complete mus ...
:
;Bird:
Flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
:
\relative c'
:
;Duck:
Oboe
:
\relative c'
:
;Cat:
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
:
\relative c
:
;Grandfather:
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
:
\relative c
:
;Wolf:
French horns
:
\relative c
:
;Hunters: woodwind and trumpet theme, with gunshots on
timpani and
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
:
\relative c'
:
;Peter:
string instrument
String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner.
Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...
s (including
violin,
viola,
cello, and
double bass)
:
\relative c''
:
A performance lasts about 25 minutes.
Recordings
According to an article by
Jeremy Nicholas for the classical music magazine ''
Gramophone
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
'' in 2015, the best overall recording of ''Peter and the Wolf'' is by the
New Philharmonia Orchestra, narrated by
Richard Baker and conducted by
Raymond Leppard in 1971. ''Gramophone''s best DVD version is the
2006 film
The following is an overview of events in 2006, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
Evaluation of the year
Legendary film critic Philip French of ''The Guardian'' de ...
by
Suzie Templeton
Suzanah Clare Templeton (born 1967 in Hampshire, England) is a British animator. Her film ''Peter and the Wolf'' has won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2008.
Early life
Raised at Highfield in Sout ...
; its music is performed, without narrator, by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by
Mark Stephenson
Mark Stephenson (born 29 September 1976 from Yarm) is a former English professional darts player who has played in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was formerly an official, working as a marker.
Career
Stephenson fell one ...
.
Adaptations of the work
Walt Disney, 1946
Prokofiev, while touring the West in 1938, visited
Los Angeles and met
Walt Disney. Prokofiev performed the piano version of ''Peter and the Wolf'' for "''le papa de''
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
" (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
for "Mickey Mouse's dad"), as Prokofiev described him in a letter to his sons. Disney was impressed, and considered adding an animated version of ''Peter and the Wolf'' to ''Fantasia'', which was to be released in 1940. Due to
World War II, these plans fell through, and it was not until 1946 that Disney released his adaptation of ''Peter and the Wolf'' narrated by
Sterling Holloway. It is not known if Prokofiev, by that point behind the
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...
, was aware of this. It was released theatrically as a segment of ''
Make Mine Music'', then reissued the next year, accompanying a reissue of ''
Fantasia
Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
'' (as a short subject before the film), then separately on home video in the 1990s.
This version makes several changes to the original story. For example:
* During the character introduction, the pets are given names: "Sasha" the songbird, "Sonia" the duck, and "Ivan" the cat.
* As the cartoon begins, Peter and his friends already know there is a wolf nearby and are preparing to catch him.
* The hunters get names in a later part of the story: "Misha", "Yasha", and "Vladimir".
* Peter daydreams of hunting and catching the wolf, and for that purpose exits the garden carrying a wooden
pop gun.
* At the end, in a reversal of the original (and to make the story more child-friendly), the narrator reveals that the duck Sonia has been eaten by the wolf. Earlier in the film, the wolf is shown chasing Sonia, who hides in an old tree's hollow trunk. The wolf attacks out of view and returns in view with some of her feathers in his mouth, licking his jaws. Peter, Ivan, and Sasha assume Sonia has been eaten. After the wolf has been caught, Sasha is shown mourning Sonia. She comes out of the tree trunk at that point, and they are happily reunited.
In 1957, for one of his television programs, Disney recalled how Prokofiev himself visited the Disney studio, eventually inspiring the making of this animated version. Disney used pianist
Ingolf Dahl
Ingolf Dahl (June 9, 1912 – August 6, 1970) was a German-born American composer, pianist, conductor, and educator.
Biography
Dahl was born Walter Ingolf Marcus in Hamburg, Germany, to a German Jewish father, attorney Paul Marcus, and his Swed ...
, who resembled Prokofiev, to re-create how the composer sat at a piano and played the themes from the score.
British–Polish co-production, 2006
In 2006,
Suzie Templeton
Suzanah Clare Templeton (born 1967 in Hampshire, England) is a British animator. Her film ''Peter and the Wolf'' has won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2008.
Early life
Raised at Highfield in Sout ...
and
Hugh Welchman
Hugh Stewart Jasper Welchman (born February 1975) is a British filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer.
Life and career
Welchman comes from Bracknell in Berkshire and attended the Dolphin School in nearby Hurst until moving on to Keble Coll ...
directed and produced respectively, a stop-motion animated adaptation, ''
Peter & the Wolf''. It is unusual in its lack of any dialogue or narration, the story being told only in images and sound and interrupted by sustained periods of silence. The soundtrack is performed by the
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...
, and the film received its premiere with a live accompaniment in the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
. The film won the Annecy Cristal and the Audience Award at the 2007
Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and won the 2007
Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. This version makes some changes to the original Prokofiev story; for example:
* Peter bumps into one of the "hunters" (teenage bullies in this telling) who throws him in a rubbish bin and aims at him with his rifle to scare him; the second hunter watches without interfering (thus, a dislike towards the hunter/bullies is immediately created).
* Because of a broken wing, the bird has trouble flying and takes Peter's balloon to help it get aloft.
* After Peter has captured the wolf in a net, the hunter gets him in his rifle's telescopic sight coincidentally, but just before shooting, the second hunter stumbles, falls on him and makes him miss the shot.
* The caged wolf is brought into the village on a cart where Peter's grandfather tries to sell it. The hunter comes to the container and sticks his rifle in to intimidate the animal (as he did with Peter earlier on). At that time Peter throws the net on the hunter, who becomes tangled in it.
* Before the grandfather has made a deal, Peter unlocks the cart after looking into the eyes of the wolf. They walk side by side through the awestruck crowd and then the freed wolf runs off in the direction of the silver moon shining over the forest.
Others
Up to 1959
* In 1958, a videotaped television special entitled ''Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf'', with
Art Carney as main entertainer, along with the
Bil Baird Marionettes, was presented by the
American Broadcasting Company, and was successful enough to have been repeated twice. The show had an original storyline in which Carney interacted with some talking marionette animals, notably the wolf, who was the troublemaker of the group. This first half was presented as a musical, with adapted music from ''
Lieutenant Kijé
Lieutenant Kijé or Kizhe (russian: Пору́чик Киже́, translit. Poruchik Kizhe), originally Kizh (Киж), is a fictional character in an anecdote about the reign of Emperor Paul I of Russia, in which the cover up of a transcript ...
'' and other Prokofiev works which had special English lyrics fitted into them. The program then segued into a complete performance of ''Peter and the Wolf'', played exactly as written by the composer, and "mimed" by both "human" and "animal" marionettes. The conclusion of the program again featured Carney interacting with the animal marionettes. The show was nominated for three
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s.
1960s
* Circa 1960,
Hans Conried recorded the narration with a
Dixieland musical band. Because a Dixieland band uses different instruments than an orchestra, Peter is played by the trumpets, the Bird is played by a clarinet, the Duck by a banjo, the Cat by a "cool cat" tenor saxophone, the Wolf by a tuba, the Hunters by the percussive ensemble, and Grandfather by a slide trombone. The characters of the Bee and the Flea are briefly introduced to demonstrate the "versatility of our chief percussionist" (played by a xylophone and glockenspiel, respectively).
* The
Clyde Valley Stompers Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a to ...
recorded a jazz version on Parlophone Records (45-R 4928) in 1962, which registered on the popular music charts of the time.
*
Allan Sherman parodied the work in the album ''Peter and the Commissar'' (1964), made with
Arthur Fiedler and the
Boston Pops Orchestra.
* In 1966,
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
player
Jimmy Smith performed for
a jazz album arranged by
Oliver Nelson without the narration, but based on the original themes.
* In 1969, American-Canadian filmmaker
Caroline Leaf used
sand animation to adapt the work in ''Sand or Peter and the Wolf'', her first film.
1980s
* American film and television actor
Ray Bolger
Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era.
Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...
served as the narrator for a 1981 live-action version with real animals, directed by Dan Bessie and produced by Pyramid Media. The music was performed by the Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dr. Lewis Keizer.
* The 1983 film ''
A Christmas Story
''A Christmas Story'' is a 1983 Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book '' In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash'', with some elements from his 1971 book ''Wanda Hickey's ...
'' features music from ''Peter and the Wolf'' prominently during scenes of the character Scott Farkus bullying other characters. The surname Farkus is a variation of ''
farkas'', which is Hungarian for "wolf".
* Justin Locke wrote a 1985 sequel to the story, using the original score. ''Peter VS. the Wolf'' is the Wolf's trial, where he defends himself against the charge of "Duckicide in the first degree, with one gulp." The original music is presented as evidence, but then the Wolf calls individual musicians to the stand and cross-examines them. It requires five actors for a stage presentation.
* In 1985,
Arnie Zane
Arnie Zane (September 26, 1948 – March 30, 1988) was an American photographer, choreographer, and dancer. He is best known as the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
Early years
The second so ...
choreographed a
punk music ballet version of ''Peter and the Wolf''.
* In 1988,
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specifi ...
and
Wendy Carlos produced a
comedic version, using a synthesized orchestra and many additions to the story and music (e.g., Peter captures the wolf using his grandfather's dental floss, leading to the moral of the story: "Oral hygiene is very important").
* In 1989, in an episode of the ''
Muppet Babies'' entitled, "Skeeter and the Wolf", Skeeter fills in for Peter, Gonzo is the bird, Scooter is the cat, Fozzie is the duck, Nanny is the grandparent, and Kermit and Piggy are the hunters.
1990s
* A 1990 episode of ''
Tiny Toon Adventures'' titled "Buster and the Wolverine" featured
Elmyra Duff providing narration for a story wherein
Buster Bunny
The ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' animated television series features an extensive cast of characters. The show's central characters are mostly various forms of anthropomorphic animals, based on Looney Tunes characters from earlier films and shows. ...
and his friends, represented with musical instruments, combat an evil "wolverine". In this episode, the characters' instruments are: Buster Bunny, a trumpet;
Babs Bunny
The ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' animated television series features an extensive cast of characters. The show's central characters are mostly various forms of anthropomorphic animals, based on Looney Tunes characters from earlier films and shows. ...
, a
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
;
Furrball
The ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' animated television series features an extensive cast of characters. The show's central characters are mostly various forms of anthropomorphic animals, based on Looney Tunes characters from earlier films and shows. ...
, a violin;
Sweetie, a
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
;
Hamton J. Pig
The ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' animated television series features an extensive cast of characters. The show's central characters are mostly various forms of anthropomorphic animals, based on Looney Tunes characters from earlier films and shows. ...
, a
tuba;
Plucky Duck
The ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' animated television series features an extensive cast of characters. The show's central characters are mostly various forms of anthropomorphic animals, based on Looney Tunes characters from earlier films and show ...
, a
bike
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bic ...
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
(later,
bagpipes
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...
, then an
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
, and finally a
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
); and the
wolverine, drums.
*
Peter Schickele (aka
P. D. Q. Bach
P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer invented by the American musical satirist Peter Schickele, who developed a five-decade-long career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines ...
), wrote an alternate, comedic text for the score entitled ''Sneaky Pete and the Wolf'', converting the story into a
Western, including a showdown between Sneaky Pete and the gunslinger El Lobo (which never happens due to some local boys' giving El Lobo a
hotfoot and sticking a
paper airplane
A paper plane (also known as a paper airplane in American English or paper aeroplane in British English) is a toy aircraft, usually a glider made out of single folded sheet of paper or paperboard. A simple nose-heavy paper plane, thrown like ...
in his eye, and Sneaky Pete's girlfriend Laura rendering El Lobo unconscious with a vacuum cleaner). It was recorded with the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Yoel Levi, in 1993.
* In the 1993 ''
Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...
'' episode "
Krusty Gets Kancelled
"Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the twenty-second and final episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1993. In the episode, a new show fea ...
", guest star
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
plays a portion of ''Peter and the Wolf'' on wine glasses.
* In 1995, a
45-minute television special was made with a mix of
live-action, animation, and characters from the story designed by
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...
. The film featured
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakout role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 ...
(as the narrator),
Lloyd Bridges (as the grandfather), and
Ross Malinger (as Peter), in a live-action "wraparound" segment. The version debuted on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
on 8 December 1995. This version keeps the duck-friendly ending by having the swallowed duck pop out of the wolf's mouth alive, well, and dancing as the wolf is being captured. The wolf, described as "not a ballet fan", grabs the duck again before being forced to drop him by the hunters. As the story ends, Peter finds the duck crouching at the pond's edge, shivering and frightened because of his terrible experience, and Peter reassures it that he will always be there to protect it. This version even places the bird as a mother, with six eggs that hatch near the ending. The music for this version was performed by the
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra conducted by
George Daugherty. The version received a 1996
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program and received a second Emmy nomination for Daugherty, for Outstanding Music Direction. Daugherty (also one of the writers) and Janis Diamond received a
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949.
Eligibility
Th ...
nomination for the script. The production received a Gold Hugo and Silver Hugo at
Chicago International Film Festival.
* During September 1996,
Coldcut (a duo of scratch/mix DJs from south London) released a scratch version of the main theme, included on the track "More Beats + Pieces", from their album ''
Let Us Play!
''Let Us Play!'' is the fourth album by Coldcut, released on 8 September 1997. It was their first album to be released on their own label, Ninja Tune.
It was featured in the video game LittleBigPlanet PSP, LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation Por ...
''.
*Matthew Hart choreographed ''Peter and the Wolf'' for television in 1997, performed by the dancers of the
Royal Ballet School and narrated by Sir
Anthony Dowell (who also danced the role of "The Grandfather").
2000s
* In 2001,
National Public Radio produced ''Peter and the Wolf: A Special Report'', which treats the familiar plot as if it were a developing news story. Robert Siegel, Linda Wertheimer, Ann Taylor, and Steve Inskeep of NPR's ''
All Things Considered'' report on the event against a performance of the score by the
Virginia Symphony Orchestra conducted by
JoAnn Falletta
JoAnn Falletta (born February 27, 1954 in Queens, New York) is an American conductor.
Biography
Falletta was raised in the borough of Queens in an Italian-American household. She was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard Sch ...
.
*
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...
produced a version with ''
Sesame Street'' characters in 2000, as told by way of a trip to a
Boston Pops Orchestra concert. Dubbed as "Elmo's Musical Adventure", the story unfolds inside
Baby Bear's imagination as he attends a performance with
Papa Bear, conducted by
Keith Lockhart. In the story, Peter is played by
Elmo, the cat by
Oscar the Grouch
Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character created by Jim Henson and Jon Stone for the PBS/HBO children's television program ''Sesame Street''. He has a green body, no visible nose, and lives in a trash can. Oscar's favorite thing is trash, as eviden ...
, the duck by
Telly Monster
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson, many for the purpose of appearing on the children's television program ''Sesame Street''. Some of the best known Muppets on ''Sesame Street'' include Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch ...
, the bird by
Zoe, the grandfather by
Big Bird, and the hunters by the Two-Headed Monster. Each character is followed around by a soloist playing that character's instrument, but Telly Monster's "Duck" quits the story after learning the wolf eats the duck. (He returns as one of the hunters later.)
* In February 2004, ex-president
Bill Clinton,
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
, and
Sophia Loren
Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...
won a
Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children
The Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality "spoken ...
for narrating the album ''
Peter and the Wolf/Wolf Tracks''. This recording was performed by the
Russian National Orchestra conducted by
Kent Nagano and included Loren narrating ''Peter and the Wolf'' and Clinton narrating ''The Wolf and Peter'' by
Jean-Pascal Beintus, which is also a narrated orchestral piece, but the story is told from the perspective of the wolf and has the theme of letting animals live in peace.
* In 2004, Russian model
Tatiana Sorokko narrated an arrangement of Beintus' ''Wolf Tracks'' with musicians from the
Russian National Orchestra on tour in the United States.
* In 2004, the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra recorded a klezmer version of ''Peter and the Wolf'', called ''Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale''. The recording was narrated by
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 200 ...
and featured his illustrations.
* In 2005,
theatre organist Jelani Eddington performed and recorded with narrator George Woods the only existing theatre organ adaptation of ''Peter and the Wolf''.
*
Psy-trance
Psychedelic Trance, Psytrance or Psy is a subgenre of trance music characterized by arrangements of rhythms and layered melodies created by high tempo riffs. The genre offers variety in terms of mood, tempo, and style. Some examples include full ...
artist Eliad Grundland released a musical interpretation of the work, as Space Buddha, titled "Land of The Wolves", on his album ''Full Circle'' (2006).
* In 2006,
Neil Tobin produced a
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
-themed narrative called ''Peter and the Werewolf'' with the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008.
The MSO relies on f ...
,
John Lanchbery
John Arthur Lanchbery OBE (15 May 1923 – 27 February 2003) was an English-Australian composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements. He served as the Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet from 1959 to 1972, Principal Conductor ...
conducting.
* In 2009, an ''
Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps'' episode named "Angelina's Musical Day", Angelina and her friends do a school play of ''Peter and the Wolf''.
* In 2009, musical group
Project Trio released their second studio album, ''Brooklyn'', on which a modernized version of the story was recorded. All three members narrate.
2010s
* In 2010, Denver musicians
Munly and the Lupercalians released ''
Petr & the Wulf'', an alternative take on the original story. Told from the different perspectives of all the characters: Grandfater, Petr, Scarewulf, Cat, Bird, The Three Hunters, Duk, and Wulf. Released on the
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...
label.
* In 2012,
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
used a version of the main theme as the title music for their coverage of the
European Football Championships
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
, because Prokofiev was born in present-day Ukraine, one of the host countries.
*In 2013, filmmaker
Wes Hurley premiered his short film ''Peter and the Wolf'' – a graphic adult version of the story featuring Peter as a gay werewolf-hunter and imagery inspired by
Tom of Finland.
* In 2015, a recording done on the
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...
organ, arranged by Josh Perschbacher, and narrated by
Michael Barone (host of the radio program ''
Pipedreams
''Pipedreams'' is a radio music program produced and distributed by American Public Media (APM) based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, created and hosted since its inception by J. Michael Barone.
History
Each one or two-hour show features organ music ...
'' from
American Public Media)
* In 2015, the New England Jazz Ensemble (with the
Wallingford Symphony Orchestra) debuted pianist Walter Gwardyak's jazz arrangement of ''Peter and the Wolf'' for big band. The narration was written and performed by vocalist
Giacomo Gates
Giacomo Gates (born September 14, 1950) is an American jazz vocalist.
Career
Gates was born and raised in Connecticut. His father was a classical violinist. He made his public debut as a vocalist at the age of six. Soon after, he picked up guita ...
.
"''Peter and the Wolf'': World Premiere of Big Band Adaptation at Paul Mellon Arts Center (Choate Rosemary Hall)"
April 2015, newhaven.jazznearyou.com The recording was self-released on April 22, 2018.
* In 2019, composer Lior Navok
Lior Navok (born September 6, 1971) (Hebrew: ליאור נבוק) is an Israeli classical composer, conductor and pianist. He was born in Tel Aviv. His music has been performed internationally by orchestras and ensembles including the Oper Frankf ...
released ''Brave Little Timmy'' for narrator and orchestra, (same instrumentation as ''Peter and the Wolf''). The libretto, written by the composer, tells the story of Timmy, whose distant friendship with a wolf has saved the latter from the hunters.
In copyright law
In 2012, the US Supreme Court's decision in ''Golan v. Holder
''Golan v. Holder'', 565 U.S. 302 (2012), was a Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court case that dealt with copyright and the public domain. It held that the "limited time" language of the United States Constitution's Copyright Clause do ...
'' restored copyright protection in the United States to numerous foreign works that had entered the public domain. ''Peter and the Wolf'' was frequently cited by the parties and amici, as well as by the Court's opinion and by the press, as an example of a well-known work that would be removed from the public domain by the decision. The restored copyright is for 95 after publication, so to the end of 2031.
References
Notes
Sources
*
External links
*
''Gramophone:'' Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf – which recording is best?
''Peter and the Wolf'' in Brooklyn (December 2008)
*
in ''Three Oranges'', No. 12: November 2006, Serge Prokofiev Foundation; retrieved 23 May 2009.
{{Authority control
Children's music
Compositions by Sergei Prokofiev
Compositions with a narrator
1936 compositions
Fictional wolves
Big Bad Wolf