1. Written by: Sergei Prokofiev

2. Peter and the Wolf is an example of P rogram M usic. ♪ Program Music is music that tells a story ! It was written by Sergei Prokofiev, a Russian composer and pianist.

3. The Music tells the tale of Peter, a little boy in Russia, who is staying with his grandfather, and all of the characters he meets in the meadow behind the house. Each new character is represented by a different instrument, or family of instruments.

4. Peter is represented by the String Family. Close your eyes and listen to the music, can you imagine Peter wandering off into the meadow? What instruments are in the string family? Violin Viola Cello String Bass

5. The first animal Peter meets on his adventure is a bird. The Bird is represented by the flute Listen to the music, can you hear the bird excitedly flying around Peter’s head? What instrument family is the Flute a member of? Woodwind What sound does a bird make?

6. Next, Peter and the bird run into a Duck. Can you Quack like a duck? The Duck is represented by the Oboe The Oboe is a double reed instrument. That means the sound is made by the vibrations of two reeds. It is also a part of the Woodwind family. Can you hear the duck paddling around the water in the music?

7. Sneaking in the grass, Peter saw a cat What noise might a sneaking cat make? The Clarinets represent the sneaky Cat Clarinets also use reeds to make the sounds, but unlike an Oboe the clarinet does not have two reeds. How many reeds does a Clarinet have? Listen to the Clarinets, can you hear the cat watching the bird and the duck?

8. Peter’s grandfather warns him about being in the meadow. “What are you doing out there??” He calls, “there’s a wolf living in the meadows!” The Grandfather is represented by the Bassoon A bassoon, like an oboe, is a member of the woodwind family and is played using a double reed. The Bassoon is very very large, however, and makes a very low sound. Listen to the Bassoon and imagine the grandfather calling out to Peter in the meadow!

9. The wolf Peter’s grandfather warns him about is in the meadow. He tries to eat the bird, the duck, the cat, and even Peter! He must be a very hungry wolf, what sounds would he make? The Wolf is represented by a French Horn The French Horn is part of the Brass family. What other instruments are in the Brass family? Trumpet Trombone Euphonium Tuba Listen to the music, can you picture the very hungry wolf?

10. When Peter and the Animals are in danger from the wolf, the Hunters come to the rescue!! The Hunters are represented by Percussion Instruments Why do you think Drums are used to imitate the Hunters? Can you imitate what the Hunters might sound like by patting on your legs? Listen to the music, if you were the wolf, would you be afraid of the Hunters too?

11. Sergei Prokofiev used instruments to represent all of the different characters in his story Peter and the Wolf. The music is telling the story instead of words. What do we call this kind of music??

12. Can you name some of the instruments used in Peter and the Wolf? Bassoon Oboe Clarinet Drums Strings Flute French Horn GREAT JOB!!!

13. c. Victoria Aubele 2007