By Emilie Minshew
Utah Symphony’s Peter and the Wolfat Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City is a treat for parents and children alike. With a short run time of about 45 minutes, this performance of three pieces includes short works by Gustav Holst and Benjamin Britten. It culminates in Sergei Prokofiev’s familiar 1936 score of Peter and the Wolf, which is paired with a captivating dance narrative by the incredible Ballet West II company, making for a unique day at the Symphony. This final work was commissioned by the director of Moscow’s Central Children’s Theater and designed to introduce children to various musical instruments. It has been adapted frequently and the Utah Symphony even performed it in a live accompaniment of a 2006 stop-motion animation film. It is a fitting end to a concert for young viewers.
The concert is divided into three sections and Conductor Conner Gray Covington begins each third of the concert by explaining the piece about to be played in terms understandable to all. During the second movement of Benjamin Britten’sSimple Symphony for String Orchestra, Op. 4, Playful Pizzicato, for example, Covington explains that the musicians will pluck their strings rather play with their bows. This performance is a valuable and engaging learning opportunity for young audience members as they listen to both the Britten piece and Gustav Holst’s Brook Green Suite.
The concert concludes with its namesake, Peter and the Wolf. The dance ensemble, led by Noel Jensen as Peter and Vinicius Lima as the wolf, provides a stunning visual counterpart to the symphony’s music. The narrator, who is not credited in the program, begins by gleefully explaining to the audience how each animal in the story is represented by an instrument in the symphony. Every child in the audience giggles when the goofy grandfather, played by Jake Preece, stumbles on stage to the tones of a bassoon. The minimalist costumes and set only add to the beauty of the classical dancing.
The Utah Symphony and the young ensemble of dancers bring to life this classic tale in a way that captivates both young and old alike. Utah Symphony has struck gold with Peter and the Wolf in their Family Series.
Utah Symphony with Ballet West II presents Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev.
Abravanel Hall 123 W, South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Saturday March 16th, 2019 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM
Contact: 801-533-6683
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Peter and the Wolf Facebook Event
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