Peter and The Wolf

Orchestra rehearsals these days have taken an interesting turn as we play Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Not your ordinary symphonic work, Peter and the Wolf is a piece intended expressly for young listeners, mainly small children. Unlike a more conventional composition, Prokofiev's piece actually tells a story beyond that of the music.
The characters are the different instruments:
Peter: Violin
Grandfather: Bassoon
Bird: Flute (That's me)
Wolf: Horn
Duck: Oboe
Cat: Clarinet
Hunters: Trumpet
Narrator: Conductor

The piece goes along like this:
The conductor will introduce the scene, saying something like "Peter played in the meadow" and then will cue the violins, playing Peter's theme sprightly and cheerily. Or perhaps, "the bird and the duck argued" and the oboe and flute will have a duet. The listener can follow each scene by not only listening to the conductor, but by hearing the different qualities of each of the characters (expressed by the timbre of the instruments) as they interact within the music.

The general plot is the story of Peter, who defies his grumpy old grandfather by playing in the meadow and proclaiming himself "not afraid of wolves." Peter interacts with the wildlife around him, listening to the bird, letting the duck out of the gate accidentally, watching the cat stalk the bird and duck etc. But meanwhile, the hungry wolf is prowling the area, ready to snatch up Peter and his friends...

The whole process reminds me of sitting in the back of my parent's sedan, listening to Peter and the Wolf of cassette tape (remember those?). The parts are wicked, and so is the nostalgia.

Curious? Come see and hear the DHS Orchestra play Peter and the Wolf  on Thursday, May 17, 2012 in the auditorium. This concert is to be broadcast on the radio as well! Tune in to Chicago's classical station WFMT 98.7 over the summer to hear the Prokofiev and more!