David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

Benjamin Britten, Pyotr Il'vich Tchaikovsky, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra Sergey Prokofiev (Artist), Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Benjamin Britten (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
• Composer: Sergey Prokofiev, Benjamin Britten, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (July 26, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003F6R
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,773 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Forms & Genres > Variations
  • #5 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Noels
  • #6 in Music > Classical > Chamber Music > By Period > Modern & 20th Century

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for pre-schoolers, December 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" (Audio CD)

My 3 1/2 year old son loves to listen to classical music on the radio. I bought this CD for him for Christmas, and it has him transfixed. Bowie's narration is excellent, and the changed ending (though it may offend purists) is much better for the preschool set. Peter and the Wolf is nicely complemented by the Nutcracker. Highly recommened for parents to share with their children.

70 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars David Bowie tells us a fearful story, August 9, 2002

By 

Jacques COULARDEAU "A soul doctor, so to say" (OLLIERGUES France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" (Audio CD)

Prokofiev here produces a rare and fresh musical story for children. A young boy decides one day to push the gate at the bottom of the garden and move into the big wild world and its dangers, a wolf and a cat. The boy is followed by his friend the duck and meets his other friend the bird who is saved by a split-hair chance from the teeth of the cat by Peter's cry of alarm. All dangers in the world are not from the deep forest. But a far worse danger comes from there : the wolf. If Peter is saved by his grandfather who takes him home, the duck is less lucky and ends up in the wolf's stomach. But Peter is looking after things with the help of the bird and they catch the wolf that is then taken to the zoo by the hunters. We are not always saved from dangers by big strong armed men, but mostly by our courage and inventive imagination. And the music tells us to be creative.

This tale is perfectly served by David Bowie's both deep and volatile voice that finds here a brand new field of artistic achievement and multiplies the music's real dramatic dimension, like a confidential story told to the listeners in their deepest ears as if he were an elfish fairy any kid would believe to be true and safe, in a word friendly.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My son's discovery of classical music, May 16, 2003

By 

Ei "crzybookmoovielover" (Seekonk, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" (Audio CD)

My son's growing obsession with this story has truly sprouted since the purchase of this album.
Oddly enough, I never really knew this story or I don't remember it from my childhood, but once my dear sweet boy discovered it's haunting and charging sound, it's become a staple in my vehicle.

A perfect way to introduce classical music to any child -- tell them a story and have all the parts of the story be different instruments from an orchestra. Beautiful, just beautiful..