The Greater Bridgeport Symphony will present the magical world of fairy tales with performances of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf and Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka on Saturday, November 10, 2007, at 8:00 p.m. These two children's stories capture the imagination while examining the ideas of good and evil.
Prokofiev wrote both the text and music to this symphonic fairy tale. In doing so, he portrayed the characters as distinct musical themes played by specific instruments of the orchestra. This pedagogical work which is read by a narrator, demonstrates the range, technique, and tone colors of each instrument for easy recognition by a child. Many illustrious individuals have narrated this piece including David Bowie, Boris Karloff and Andre Previn. Rev. Charles H. Allen will recite Prokofiev's words at the Klein Auditorium.
Petrushka was the second work that Stravinsky wrote for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with its premiere performance on June 13, 1911 in Paris. Like Prokofiev, he wrote both the libretto and the music. Alexandre Benois who designed the stage sets, aided Stravinsky in writing the story with his fond memories of the Butter Week Fair in St. Petersburg. The ballet begins with various scenes from a fair, one of which has a mysterious showman who entertains the children with a puppet show; the characters of this show are Petrushka, a well-known puppet or clown in Russian folklore, a beautiful Ballerina, and a dashing, good-looking Moor; the ensuing love triangle between the three puppets ends tragically. This ballet demonstrates Stravinsky's musical prowess as well as the smooth integration of acting, art, choreography, costumes, and music.
If you cannot attend the concert, feel free to check out the stories, the music or the films.