Peter And The Wolf

This combination documentary/music video features Natalia Sats, the woman who first encouraged and then helped Prokofiev to create the renowned children's introduction-to-the-orchestra classic Peter and the Wolf. The first half of the program tells the story of Sats, Prokofiev and the creation of Peter through interviews with Sats and Prokofiev biographers. Although interesting, some of the editing during this section is abrupt and very strange. The second half is an American performance of the 50th anniversary of Peter, narrated by Sats, who has given performances in several languages. One can appreciate the effort and the commitment on behalf of Sats, yet there's no getting around the fact that her heavy Russian accent makes some of the narration unintelligible. As an historical documentary about the pedigree of Peter and the Wolf, this would make a good addition to a music history collection. As a performance for children, however, it is not a necessary purchase. [Note: The recent version, also titled Peter and the Wolf, distributed by Bogner Entertainment, Inc. (reviewed in our July-August, 1991 issue) is a much better choice.] (Available from most distributors.)