Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf; Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals

Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Camille Saint-Saens (Composer), Stanislav Gorkovenko (Conductor), St. Petersburg Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: St. Petersburg Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Stanislav Gorkovenko
• Composer: Sergey Prokofiev, Camille Saint-Saens
• Audio CD (February 8, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000298Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,112 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Peter and the Wolf without annoying talk, March 2, 2005

By 

HB "HB" (Fort Mill, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf; Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals (Audio CD)

The previous review complains that the CD does not mention the fact that Peter and the Wolf is without narration. He must have not looked very closely. In the left hand corner, it clearly states "without narration". That is the main reason I bought it. The performance of Peter is simply amazing. The orchestral playing is as close to perfection as you will ever hear. Heard with narration, the music sounds trite. Without the talk, it is beautiful. And the recorded sound is outstanding, clear as a bell. The second Prokofiev work is the rarely played "Tales of an old Granmother". It is quite forgettable. The Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals performance is several notches below Peter and the Wolf. Indeed, I found the performance to be on the flat side. However, at less than 5 dollars, and with a unique perspective of a highly familiar warhorse, this CD is still an excellent value. If you enjoy great orchestral playing, buy this CD before it is deleted.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No chat, but ..., June 6, 2009

By 

Mr Lapin (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf; Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals (Audio CD)

I've been looking for an "adult" performance of Peter and the Wolf for quite some years. All the narrated recordings I've heard have clearly been aimed at children. Besides, if I want to follow the story while I listen, I think I can do so reasonably well without some popular actor or rock star reading it to me. So I was pleased to see that finally someone had allowed the music to speak for itself.

But we seem to have a misunderstanding here. By "adult," I didn't mean "humorless."

I can't recall ever hearing a more wooden reading of Peter and the Wolf. Sure, most of the notes are there, although the string playing in the regional orchestra up the road rather handily beats that of this St Petersburg group for expression, ensemble, and intonation. But in spite of valiant attempts by some of the instrumental soloists to breathe a little life into the performance, our time-beater Stanislav Gorkovenko seems grimly determined to stomp it all out.

If you want your Peter without patter, it appears that you haven't many other choices. Pity.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real pleasure, May 2, 2001

By 

E. Bishop "tbbbnbab" (Deerfield, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf; Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals (Audio CD)

The first time I heard this album was the first time I had heard "Peter and the Wolf" since I was a kid. The wave of nostalgia was wonderful. The sound quality is very good (important to me) and my young sons have really enjoyed the music as way of following the story. The "Carnival of the Animals" is also a treat. I would recommend this disc highly for your own enjoyment, but also for those who want to introduce their children to classical music in a way that will capture their interest and make it fun for all of you.