PETER AND THE WOLF/L'ENFANT ET LES SO

"In Peter and the Wolf, Matthew Hart has taken Prokofiev's ever-popular piece for solo narrative voice and orchestra and made a delightful children's ballet, danced in this studio recording by pupils from the prestigious Royal Ballet School, with the great Anthony Dowell as the Storyteller/Grandfather. Hart's choreography and Ian Spurling's designs give a contemporary feel to the traditional tale of the boy who saves his animal friends from a wolf. There is a captivating simplicity to their highly entertaining production. In L'Enfant et les Sortileges, Jir Kylin's fantasy ballet about a naughty boy is set to an opera by Ravel, which the composer based on a libretto by Colette. Angry because he does not want to learn his lessons, the boy destroys his books and vandalises the room he is in. But his surroundings come to life, seeking revenge, and he finds himself in some tricky situations before the restoration of normality. Lorin Maazel conducts the Orchestre National de Paris and a fine cast of young singers, and the enchanting scenery and costumes are by award-winning designer John MacFarlane. A short introduction by Kylin is included in this studio recording featuring the Nederlands Dans Theater."