Activities & program guide
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Sergei Prokofiev wrote his first piece of music when he was just five years old, and wrote an opera when he was nine. At age 13 he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he spent 10 years learning from Russia’s most important musicians and teachers. After World War I and the Russian Revolution, Prokofiev lived for a time in America, Paris, and also Germany, performing as a pianist and conductor and composing music, before returning to Russia in 1936. Prokofiev wrote the story and music for Peter and the Wolf in about two weeks in 1936 for the Moscow Theatre for Children. He called it “a present for the children of Moscow.” The story is told through a brief series of narrations with episodes of orchestral music throughout. Each character in the story is represented by an instrument in the orchestra. Prokofiev is honored in Russia and around the world as a great composer of piano music, operas, ballets, and music for orchestra and films.
THE BIRD high and chirpy flute THE DUCK plaintive and sad oboe THE CAT cool and limber clarinet GRANDFATHER low and grumpy bassoon THE WOLF rumbling and mysterious French horns PETER warm and full strings THE HUNTERS timpani and bass drum bursts like gunshots
RUSSIA
The Story OF “PETER AND THE WOLF” Peter is a young boy who lives with his grandfather near a forest in Russia. One day Peter ventures into the meadow outside his own garden. He meets a bird singing in a tree and a duck swimming in a pond. A cat comes by, ready to pounce on the bird, but Peter scares the cat away and saves the bird. Peter’s grandfather discovers that Peter has left the safety of his own yard and scolds Peter for being in the meadow where there are dangerous animals. He takes Peter back home. While Peter is inside, a big, hungry wolf comes into the meadow. The bird and cat climb high in the tree to get away, but the duck is unable to escape. The wolf swallows him in one gulp. Peter comes back outside and sees the wolf. He gets a rope and climbs from a wall into the tree. With help from the bird, Peter uses the rope to catch the wolf by the tail. The wolf tries to pull free but can’t! Just then, a group of hunters arrive and help Peter tie up the wolf and take him to the zoo. As Peter leads the parade with the wolf, the cat, and the hunters, his grandfather continues to worry about him. The bird boasts about how he helped Peter capture the wolf. You can even hear the duck quacking inside the wolf’s belly!
Who’s Who Match Up
BIRD
bassoon
violin
DUCK
CAT French horn
GRANDFATHER
flute
clarinet
WOLF oboe
PETER
HUNTERS timpani
Each character his represented by an instrument and musical theme that gets played whenever they appear in the story. Listen for the different instruments and melodies representing Peter, the bird, the duck, the cat, the wolf, Peter’s grandfather, and the hunters. At the end of the story Peter leads a procession as everyone takes the wolf to the zoo. Listen for all the instruments of the orchestra to play.
Word Search
O R C H E S T R A B I F L U T E B E S I U L C O O Q K W I T O W O H T W T N R T I A C I S T Z O E T R E Z I T O R S U O E C H O L A I U T Y P E S P D C S U E D V F N U K C T R R Q O G N O R W S D G S R E X O H A N T A C O I V N S E P R O K O F I E V L T N I A D R I B E M R S B U I A C D O R W O L F A T N S E B R R U E L G O F N E T R E A U A D I D C I Z S W P A T A M R O P I N N W N I O S C O I I R B N W A E O M J Y S A T I M P A N I O P T C E
PETER
CAT
GRANDFATHER
OBOE
CLARINET
ORCHESTRA
WOLF
PIANO
HORN
VIOLIN
HUNTER
ZOO
STRINGS
TIMPANI
WOODWIND
BIRD
DUCK
BRASS
FLUTE
CONDUCTOR
PROKOFIEV
Follow the Story Path
q Peter opened the gate and went out into a big green meadow.
1%
w
e
On the branch of a big tree sat a little bird, Peter’s friend.
Soon a duck came waddling around.
1$
1# The cat climbed quickly up the tree.
No sooner had Peter gone when a big, gray wolf came out of the forest
1^ The duck quacked and jumped out of the pond. No matter how hard the duck tried to run, she couldn’t escape the wolf— he swallowed her in one gulp!
2^ Listen carefully, and you can hear the duck quacking in the wolf’s belly!
1@ Peter paid no attention to Grandfather’s words, but Grandfather took him home and locked the gate.
1&
Peter watched from behind the closed gate.
Then the cat was sitting on a branch, the bird on another, not too close, with the wolf circling below.
They parade to the zoo.
r
Seeing the duck, the little bird flew down. “What kind of bird are you if you can’t fly?” said she. To this, the duck replied, “What kind of bird are you if you can’t swim?”
2%
Read the entire narrative on the next page!
t They began to argue.
y Peter noticed a cat crawling through the grass.
1! Grandpa came out. He was angry. “If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?”
1) The cat stalked around the tree and thought “Is it worth climbing up so high?”
1(
1* Peter ran home, took a strong rope and climbed up the high, stone wall to reach a tree branch.
Peter told the bird to fly around the wolf’ s head . . .
2$ Peter said, “Don’t shoot! Help us take him to the zoo.”
2#
u
i
“The bird is busy arguing…I’ll just grab her,” thought the cat.
o The duck quacked angrily from the middle of the pond.
“Look out!” shouted Peter, and the bird immediately flew up into the tree.
2) . . . to create a diversion so he could capture the wolf by roping his tail from the tree.
2@
Hunters came. Peter tied the other end of the rope to the tree.
2! Feeling himself get caught, the wolf began to jump wildly trying to get loose!
Follow the Story Path
q
Early one morning, Peter opened the gate and went out into a big green meadow.
w
On the branch of a big tree sat a little bird, Peter’s friend. “All is quiet,” chirped the bird happily.
e
Soon a duck came waddling around. She was glad that Peter had not closed the gate. She decided to take a nice swim in the deep pond in the meadow.
r
Seeing the duck, the little bird flew down upon the grass, settled next to the duck and shrugged her shoulders. “What kind of bird are you if you can’t fly?” said she. To this, the duck replied, “What kind of bird are you if you can’t swim?” and dived into the pond.
1)
The cat stalked around the tree and thought, “Is it worth climbing up so high? By the time I get there, the bird will have flown away.”
1!
Grandpa came out. He was angry because Peter had gone to the meadow. “It is a dangerous place. If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?”
1@
Peter paid no attention to Grandpa’s words. Boys like him are not afraid of wolves. But Grandfather took Peter by the hand, led him home, and locked the gate.
1#
No sooner had Peter gone when a big, gray wolf came out of the forest.
t
1$ The cat climbed quickly up the tree.
y Suddenly, something caught Peter’s attention. He noticed a cat crawling through the grass.
The duck quacked and in her excitement jumped out of the pond. But no matter how hard the duck tried to run, she couldn’t escape the wolf. He was getting nearer…nearer…catching up with her…and then…he got her. With one big gulp, he swallows her.
They argued and argued – the duck swimming in the pond, the bird hopping on the shore.
u
The cat thought, “The bird is busy arguing…I’ll just grab her.” Stealthily, she crept toward the bird on her velvet paws.
i
“Look out!” shouted Peter, and the bird immediately flew up into the tree.
o
The duck quacked angrily from the middle of the pond.
1%
1^
And this is how things stood: the cat was sitting on one branch, the bird on another, not too close to the cat. The wolf walked around and around the tree looking at them with greedy eyes.
1&
In the meantime, Peter, without the slightest fear, stood behind the closed gate watching all that was going on.
1*
Peter ran home, took a strong rope and climbed up the high, stone wall. One of the braches of the tree around which the wolf was walking stretched out over the wall. Grabbing a hold of the branch, Peter climbed over onto the tree.
1(
Peter said to the bird, “Fly down and circle around the wolf’s head. Take care that he doesn’t catch you.”
2)
The bird almost touched the wolf’s head with her wings while the wolf snapped angrily at her from this side and that. Surprise! The bird really worried the wolf. He wanted to catch her. The bird was clever and the wolf couldn’t do anything about it. Meanwhile, Peter made a lasso and carefully lowered it down. He caught the wolf by its tail and pulled with all his might.
2!
Feeling himself get caught, the wolf began to jump wildly trying to get loose.
2@
Peter tied the other end of the rope to the tree. The wolf’s jumping only made the rope around his tail tighter.
2#
Just then, the hunters came out of the woods following the wolf’s trail and shooting as they went.
2$
But Peter, sitting in the tree said, “Don’t shoot! Birdie and I have already caught the wolf. Now, help us take him to the zoo.”
2%
Imagine the parade with Peter at the head. Next, the hunters lead the wolf and at the end are Grandpa and the cat. Grandpa shook his head and said, “Well! And if Peter hadn’t caught the wolf, what then?” Above them, birdie flew chirping merrily “My, what fine ones, Peter and I! Look what we have caught!”
2^
In his hurry, the wolf swallowed the duck alive. Listen very carefully to hear the duck quacking in the wolf’s belly.
Story There are five important elements that make up a story: character, setting, conflict, plot and theme. Characters: Characters are the “who” of a story: all the people or animals who are in the story. The characters in Peter & the Wolf are Peter, bird, duck, wolf, cat, grandfather & hunters. Setting: The settings is the “where” of a story: the time and place where the story happens. Peter & the Wolf takes place in the meadow surrounding Peter’s house. Conflict: Conflict is the “what” of a story: the problem or struggle between people or things in a story. In Peter and the Wolf, the conflict is that a hungry wolf is trying to catch the animals to eat them. Plot: The plot is the “how” of a story: the series of events and actions that happen in the story that all relate back to the conflict & characters. The plot is organized into a beginning, middle and end. Beginning: Peter and his friends, Bird and Duck, go into the meadow. Bird and Duck play at the pond. Cat tries to grab Bird but fails. Grandfather warns Peter about The Wolf, takes him home, and locks the gate. Middle: As soon as Peter and his grandfather leave, The Wolf comes out of the forest. The Wolf catches Duck and swallows her! The Wolf turns his attention to Cat and Bird, who are up in a tree. Peter watches all of this and makes a plan to capture The Wolf. End: Peter and Bird work together and catch The Wolf with a rope. When the hunters arrive, Peter asks them to help take The Wolf to the zoo. In celebration, everyone parades The Wolf towards his new home. As they parade, Duck is still alive and can be heard quacking inside The Wolf. Theme: Musical instruments are the main characters of an orchestra, the way people and animals are the main characters in a story. Using your imagination: The composer, Prokofiev chose to leave the story open-ended. This gives us an opportunity to imagine what will happen next. · Does the duck ever escape from inside the wolf’s stomach? If so, how? · What happens on the way to the zoo? · Do all of the characters reach the zoo? · What happens once they arrive at the zoo? · What happens to Peter and the animals the next day? In the future? Write your own ending by making up a story about what happens to the characters after they leave for the zoo he play is over. Draw a picture to illustrate something that happens next in the space provided.
The Lawrence Arts Center’s 940 Classical performance series was inspired by the gift of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano. Arts Center performing arts and early childhood have come together to develop a series of concerts for children who come to our arts-based preschool and early childhood organizations from throughout the community. Classical pianists and other musicians conduct mini-concerts for young audiences, stopping for interaction and story telling while the children gather around the Steinway on the stage. The Arts Center’s theater department and School of Dance have expanded the 940 Classical music education series into a full stage production of Peter and the Wolf to entertain, engage, and educate children of all ages. The Lawrence Arts Center offers a wide range of art classes in visual and performing arts for students of all ages. Pre-K thru 12 grade classes include our award-winning arts-based preschool and early childhood programming; STEAM-based Art Space curriculum, which brings science, technology, engineering, and math into the art studio; and Arts Institutes for 6th thru 12th grade students of all skill levels to learn from professional working artists. THEATER • DANCE • JEWELRY • METALS • DRAWING • PAINTING • CERAMICS DIGITAL MEDIA • PHOTOGRAPHY • PRINTMAKING • ARTS-BASED PRESCHOOL
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HUNTERS
J Y S A T I M P A N I O P T C E
PETER
N I O S C O I I R B N W A E O M I Z S W P A T A M R O P I N N W L G O F N E T R E A U A D I D C
WOLF
O R W O L F A T N S E B R R U E I A D R I B E M R S B U I A C D V N S E P R O K O F I E V L T N
GRANDFATHER
S D G S R E X O H A N T A C O I V F N U K C T R R Q O G N O R W L A I U T Y P E S P D C S U E D
CAT
E T R E Z I T O R S U O E C H O O H T W T N R T I A C I S T Z O B E S I U L C O O Q K W I T O W
DUCK
O R C H E S T R A B I F L U T E BIRD