91Èȱ¬

"If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?" These are the words of Peter’s grandfather from Prokofiev’s much loved musical fairy story, Peter and the Wolf. This blood-chilling question is accompanied by a curmudgeonly bassoon, imprinted on the memories of millions of children whose first introduction to an orchestra was through this magical work.

Wolf stories abound in folk and fairy tales. Shepherd boys who cry wolf; children who foolishly trust wolves; wolves in sheep’s clothing. The earliest stories about boys and wolves are Aesop’s fables, and it’s likely that this was Prokofiev’s source for the story. He was enthused by the commission from childrens’ theatre director Natalya Sats: he composed the work in a few short weeks ahead of its premiere in May 1936 in Moscow. "We must start with something specific, something full of contrasts, something that makes a strong impression," he told her. "The most important thing is to find a common language with the children."

Prokofiev had a lifelong love of fairy stories, myths and folklore and he threw himself into the fantasy world of Peter and the Wolf - a place far, far away from the cold musical and cultural climate around him, where Soviet artists were learning to fear for their lives. Peter and the Wolf became his most-performed work. It has been recorded over 400 times, with a bewildering array of narrators, and has become the voice of many: music that we can sing along to, and a story that we can all tell in our own way. It simply feels like it belongs to us.

This is one of 100 significant musical moments explored by 91Èȱ¬ Radio 3’s Essential Classics as part of Our Classical Century, a 91Èȱ¬ season celebrating a momentous 100 years in music from 1918 to 2018. Visit bbc.co.uk/ourclassicalcentury to watch and listen to all programmes in the season.

This archive recording features narrator Sir David Attenborough with the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic and conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier.

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