Best Peter and the Wolf?

November 15, 2007 7:03 AM

Is there a definitive recording of Peter and the Wolf?
posted by sonofslim to media & arts (11 comments total)

Do you prefer narrated or not? Different strokes for different folks but my personal ultimate is the version narrated by David Bowie and performed by Eugene Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and I have a soft spot for the version narrated by Leonard Bernstein and performed by New York Philharmonic as well. Wikipedia has a good list of the recordings and this site reviews them and has recommended a few.
posted by iconomy at 7:41 AM on November 15, 2007

I don't know about "definitive", but the version with Patrick Stewart (a.k.a. Captain Picard, but hey, he's a well-trained Shakespearean actor) is fairly well known. However, the reviews on Amazon.com seem to indicate that the narration is kind of quiet.
posted by amtho at 7:43 AM on November 15, 2007

Got to be the David Bowie version for me.

There's an Amazon review that says "This tale is perfectly served by David Bowie's both deep and volatile voice that finds here a brand new field of artistic achievement and multiplies the music's real dramatic dimension, like a confidential story told to the listeners in their deepest ears as if he were an elfish fairy any kid would believe to be true and safe, in a word friendly." Couldn't have put it better myself. So I didn't.

The kids love it.
posted by merocet at 7:56 AM on November 15, 2007

Weird Al narrated a version with music performed by Wendy Carlos. Not exactly "definitive" but definitely noteworthy.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 7:57 AM on November 15, 2007

Oh, my brother and I used to adore the Weird Al version. Definitely worth listening to.

I think I had the recording with Andre Previn conducting the Royal Philharmonic orchestra, but I don't have anything to compare it to.
posted by bassjump at 8:05 AM on November 15, 2007

Weird Al and Wendy Carlos. Auto-win.
posted by SansPoint at 8:58 AM on November 15, 2007

How about un-narrated?
posted by sonofslim at 9:03 AM on November 15, 2007

the peter ustinov version i heard in childhood.
posted by bruce at 9:51 AM on November 15, 2007

I had the Peter Ustinov one, too, when I was a kid. But I once heard an un-narrated version and I'd love to find one.
posted by MrFongGoesToLunch at 10:45 AM on November 15, 2007

Berstein -- we have the version that also contains carnival of the animals, and we love it.
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:54 AM on November 15, 2007

Late to the party, I grew up with a Boris Karloff narrated version, with The Lieutenant Kije Suite on the backside- looks like it was a Vanguard Classics release, with the Vienna State Orchestra. It's now what I always hear in my head when I think of this...
posted by pupdog at 8:49 PM on November 15, 2007