Peter and the Wolf
With illustrations and additional music
The family concert presents Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” in a very special version performed by the City Light Chamber Orchestra under Kevin Griffiths.
It only took Sergei Prokofiev four days to write his musical fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf”. He composed the music for this story he had written himself for the Moscow children’s theatre directed by Natalya Saz. At the premier in 1936, she took on the role of narrator herself. In this work, the Russian composer introduces children to the instruments of the orchestra in a playful way. The strings play Peter’s signature tune. The flute stands for the bird, the oboe for the duck, the bassoon for the grandfather, the three horns for the wolf and finally the timpani for the hunters’ gunshots.
What makes the performance as part of Klosters Music so special are the illustrations of “Peter and the Wolf” by Roger Krütli, based on traditional silhouettes, which are shown on a large screen, with the story being set in the Grisons mountains. “I see the illustrative accompaniment as a delicately animated picture book. Gentle animations such as lighting effects, colour overlays and movement support the scenes. However, the animations are used very discreetly”, says the illustrator and agency owner, who lives near Zug. A link to the present is created in particular through the clothes Peter is wearing so that children can identify even more strongly with the courageous boy. The fairy-tale atmosphere is meant to be retained though.
Before the fairy tale begins at the Klosters Music family concert, on 30 July 2025 at 3 pm in the Arena Klosters concert hall, the City Light Chamber Orchestra and its conductor Kevin Griffiths will introduce other instruments – for example the trumpet with the beautiful ballad “Abbiamo Vinto” from the film “La vita è bella” (Life is Beautiful). The colourful “Flying Theme” from Steven Spielberg’s 1982 hit film “E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial” and the waltz from “Finding Neverland” (Peter Pan) can also be heard during this exciting introduction.
Just like at the last two family concerts, the children will be close to the action. Sitting on gym mats and benches they can join in the suspense as to whether Peter really will catch the big bad wolf in the end. And afterwards they will be rewarded for the excitement with an ice cream.
