Prokofiev: Peter & the Wolf

Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Mario Rossi (Conductor), Wiener Staatsopernorchester (Orchestra), Boris Karloff (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Boris Karloff
• Orchestra: Wiener Staatsopernorchester
• Conductor: Mario Rossi
• Composer: Sergey Prokofiev
• Audio CD (October 17, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vanguard Classics
• ASIN: B000HRME32
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,179 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > General
  • #9 in Music > Classical > Symphonies
  • #50 in Music > Miscellaneous

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Recording, August 5, 2010

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M. Ross "Bacchuskitty" (Orange, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Prokofiev: Peter & the Wolf (Audio CD)

There are many, many recordings of this children's classic by different narrators and more than a few of them are very good to excellent. This is my emotional favorite. I say emotional, because there are other recordings with better sound and a crisper tempo. Personal preference as to narrator also plays into it. For me, however, there is no more thrilling, enjoyable recording than this one.

Boris Karloff expertly narrates this classic tale, with emotion and verve. This is one of two versions I grew up on as a child, the other narrated by the superb Basil Rathbone, also excellent. (I have that one as well) The Karloff recording is my reference standard, though, perhaps because of my childhood remembrance. The hair on the back of my neck still stands on end as the sinister horns describe the menacing wolf.

As it was for me, this is a delightful introduction to classical music for children. The Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote this piece to tell the story of a young boy who tracks and traps a dangerous wolf, with the help of hunters and features a supporting cast of his grandfather, a bird, a duck, and a cat, all represented in the story by various musical instruments. The wolf, for example, is represented by horns, Peter by wind instruments, the cat by clarinet, etc. The story is narrated by Karloff and then given life by the musical instruments to represent the action. The story itself is entertaining and, at 25 minutes or so, easy to digest for children. That is not to say that I never find time to play it when I've had my fill of heavier fare...

Boris Karloff, for those of you unfamiliar with him, played Frankenstein (the monster, that is, not the doctor) in the 1931 classic, was the voice of the Grinch (original version), and appeared in dozens and dozens of movies. This adds a certain coolness factor to an already classic recording.

In the end, I can recommend this as a good choice among many excellent recordings. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Version, September 25, 2007

By 

MA Music Lover "music_lover159" (Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prokofiev: Peter & the Wolf (Audio CD)

Glad to see that this is back in print. As a little boy, I had the record (unfortunately misplaced) and played it until the grooves were worn. Boris Karloff's narration and the Vienna Orchestra sound spectacular on this CD, though. Hopefully my five year old will love this album as much as I did.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not all that, February 15, 2008

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C. David Claris "Davidissimo" (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Prokofiev: Peter & the Wolf (Audio CD)

I love Boris Karloff, the voice is delicious, but his reading is rather uninspired, unimaginative and cautious-sounding, but not nearly so pedestrian as the conducting of Mario Rossi, who has at his disposal the highly capable Vienna State Opera orchestra (read, Vienna Philharmonic) who could play the pants off this piece even if left to their own devices, and not held back by the willful torpor of their baton-waiver. But alas, the performance simply drags along tediously, if such a thing is possible with this most delightful of musical stories. The Kije is merely a serviceable performance, too, of something that should effervesce. I regret not being more positive; the voice of Karloff should have been coupled with a more vital conductor. The recorded sound (from 1957) as typical of Seymour Solomon's audiophile work for Vanguard and other labels is superlative analog.