Peter and the Wolf- A classic revisited

When I popped the newly adapted Peter and the Wolf CD into my player I was immediately transported back to my first grade classroom. It was there that I first heard this musical piece played. We would sit and identify instruments, listen to the story and generally feel whisked away into another time and land. I loved it. I love it still today especially when I can hear it all over again with my daughter.

Running at just over 68 minutes director Stephen Simon and Yadu the narrator take you away to a new land where a boy learns valuable life lessons all to the sounds of Russian folk music. It is lovely to hear and so well done by, who else but the London Philharmonic. Magic Maestro’s Stories in Music is a great addition to your child’s CD collection any day and would make an excellent holiday gift ($16.98) this year. My daughter loves to listen to it before nap time and when she wakes up in the morning and I don’t mind playing it in the car either. I love how you can experience both music and a story in one place and teaching that to my daughter as well. We identify the instruments each time and listen to the backstory of how Peter and the Wolf was created. This type of collaboration is a beautiful art form that sometimes gets lost these days.

Peter and the Wolf comes with a colorful fold out booklet to accompany the CD that aides the listener in the story. It is great for children ages five and up. The website says it best,

“Each CD is a combination of music and educational information designed to give the listener ideas on what to listen for and how to listen. It is the "backstage pass" into the minds of the author and composer, the creators of the work.”

The narrator’s identification of each instrument to the according character is a nice refresher for us adults and learning experience for children. It is a wonderful classical music for children and adults alike that everyone should own.

For more information on this CD and others by Magic Maestro's Stories in Music please visit their website here.