My four-year-old grandson was fascinated by the music from Peter and the Wolf but his attention span waned long before it finished. I produced an orchestral suite to capture the best parts of the story and music in a time frame he could handle. Later, I rescored it for woodwind quintet to make it more accessible for musicians giving school concerts. The rehearsal numbers refer to Prokofiev’s original score.

1. The Story Begins – Peter’s theme is introduced.

2. The Bird – A tour de force for the flute.

3. The Duck – The oboe is featured in this slow melody.

4. The Cat – The cat is portrayed by the clarinet.

5. Grandfather – The bassoon impersonates the grumpy old man.

6. The Wolf – The horn suggests the power and danger of the wolf.

7. The Wolf Catches the Duck – The oboe scrambles to escape but in vain.

8. Peter Catches the Wolf – All the instruments contribute to this cunning feat.

9. Hunters – Sneaking through the forest, they fire their guns.

10. Triumphal March – All the themes are recapped.

This work can be performed with the members of the quintet giving the narration if desired, or a narrator could join the group.

The clarinet in A is needed in movement 4 because of the range Prokofiev used. I also employed it in movement 5 to give the player an easier key. The other movements are much easier to play on Bb clarinet. If the clarinettist does not wish to change instruments, the part is also available for clarinet in A only.

I have dedicated this to my long-time colleagues in the fiVe Woodwind Quintet with sincere thanks for all the years of great music making.

David Sale

Score: 30 pages. Parts 75 pages.