Peter and the Wolf

Lore & Background

The composition is a programmatic symphonic tale for children, Op. 67, in which a narrator tells a Russian folk story while the orchestra illustrates the action. Each character is represented by a specific instrument and musical theme: the Bird by a flute, the Duck by an oboe, the Cat by a clarinet, the Grandfather by a bassoon, the Wolf by French horns, the Hunters by a woodwind and trumpet theme with gunshots on timpani and bass drum, and Peter by the string instruments. The work was commissioned in 1936 by Natalya Sats, director of the Central Children's Theatre in Moscow, to introduce children to orchestral instruments and musical keys. Prokofiev initially rejected a libretto by children's author Nina Sakonskaya about a Young Pioneer, instead writing his own in which Peter and his animal friends capture a wolf, promoting Pioneer virtues of vigilance, bravery, and resourcefulness while illustrating Soviet themes of the stubborn older generation and the triumph of Man taming Nature. He completed a piano version in under a week, finishing on 15 April, and the orchestration on 24 April. The premiere on 2 May 1936 at the Moscow Conservatory attracted little attention, but a later performance at the Moscow Pioneers Palace was more successful. The U.S. premiere occurred in March 1938, with Prokofiev conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A performance lasts about 25 minutes.

Reader's Guide

The work’s educational intent is central to its design: each character is assigned a distinct instrument and melodic theme, allowing children to associate timbre with narrative. The bird is voiced by a flute, the duck by an oboe, the cat by a clarinet, the grandfather by a bassoon, the wolf by three French horns, Peter by the string section, and the hunters by woodwind and trumpet themes punctuated by timpani and bass drum. The story follows Peter, a Young Pioneer, who defies his grandfather’s warnings, captures a wolf with a rope, and enlists hunters to help parade the animal to a zoo. The plot promotes vigilance, bravery, and resourcefulness, while also reflecting Soviet themes: the grandfather represents stubborn older generations, and Peter’s triumph symbolizes Man taming Nature. Prokofiev wrote the libretto himself after rejecting a rhyming version by a popular children’s author. He completed a piano score in under a week and finished the orchestration shortly after. The premiere at the Moscow Conservatory attracted little attention due to an inexperienced narrator, but a later performance at the Moscow Pioneers Palace with its original commissioner, Natalya Sats, was more successful. The piece remains a foundational tool for introducing orchestral instruments to young audiences.

Did You Know?

• The duck is swallowed whole by the wolf, and careful listeners can hear her quacking inside the wolf's belly at the end.
• The 2006 stop-motion adaptation by Suzie Templeton won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
• The original libretto was about a Young Pioneer who rights a wrong by challenging an adult, but Prokofiev rewrote it.