Tips and Pieces: Peter and the Wolf

Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"
In 1936, Natalya Sats, who was the director of the Moscow Musical Theater for Children, asked Prokofiev to write a work that would introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra. She worked with Prokofiev on the idea and often acted as the narrator, telling the story at performances. In "Peter and the Wolf", each character is represented by its own instrument and musical theme. When it is performed, a narrator stands in front of the orchestra while the music is playing and tells the story.

The Story:
Peter
A young boy named Peter lives with his grandfather in a forest clearing. One morning Peter opens the gate and goes out into the meadow. Peter has a lively theme that is played by the violins and other string instruments.
The Duck
Peter has left the gate open, and a duck soon waddles out of the yard and goes for a swim in a pond in the meadow. The oboe plays the part of the duck.
The Bird
A small bird sits on the branch of a nearby tree. The bird's twittering song is played by the flute. When the bird sees the duck, he asks, "What kind of bird are you if you can't fly?" The duck quacks back, "What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?"
The Cat
As they argue, Peter notices his cat prowling through the grass, stalking the bird. The deep, dark low notes of the clarinet sound like the sneaky cat.
"Oh, look out!" cries Peter. Quickly the bird flies into the tree to escape from the cat, and the duck swims out to the middle of the pond.
Grandfather
All at once, Peter's grandfather appears, looking very angry. Peter is not supposed to be outside the fence. It is not safe because a wolf could come out of the forest. The grandfather is played by the bassoon, which is a big, deep instrument.
Peter says that he isn't afraid of wolves, but his grandfather takes him back into the garden and locks the gate behind them.
The Wolf
Suddenly, a wolf does come out of the forest, played by three horns. The wolf catches the duck and swallows her in one big gulp. Peter sees this and wants to help. He gets a rope, climbs over the wall and into the tree. He tells the bird to fly around the wolf's head to distract him, and then he throws a lasso around the wolf's tail and catches him.
Hunters
Suddenly hunters come out of the woods, shooting rifles. Their theme is played by the trumpet and woodwinds, with timpani and bass drums making sounds for the gunshots. Peter calls out to them, "Don't shoot! I have caught the wolf. Help us take him to the zoo." The hunters and Peter make a triumphant parade with him leading the way. Grandfather and the cat come too, and the birds chirp merrily in the music.