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In 1936 Sergei Prokofiev was commissioned by the Central
Children's Theatre in Moscow to write a new musical symphony
for children. The intent was to cultivate 'musical tastes
in children form the first years of school'. Intrigued by
the invitation, Prokofiev completed Peter & The Wolf
in just four days. The debut on 2nd May 1936 was, in the composer's
words, inauspicious at best: '[attendance] was poor and failed
to attract much attention'. He could scarcely have foreseen
quite how successful his playful classic would become or how
consistently it would delight and inspire children and adults
of all ages for years to come.
'Peter & The Wolf' by Gavin Friday and the Friday-Seezer
Ensemble and illustrated by Bono is a modern take on Prokofiev's
children's tale. Having adapted the theme to use such instruments
as the accordion, the banjo and the mandolin, Gavin and Maurice
have produced a clever and humorous take on the much-loved
original, which is presented as an enhanced CD with a 64-page
cloth-bound book illustrated by Bono, with help from his daughters
Jordan and Eve.
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