A journey to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf

As part of the BBC's 'Once Upon a Time...' week, Sara Mohr-Pietsch explores musical connections that lead to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. It was composed in 1936, a children's piece set against the backdrop of Stalinist Russia. We hear music based on fairy tales, other classical pieces for children, and music inspired by animals - ending with the classic recording of Peter and the Wolf with David Bowie as narrator, with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy.

The BBC’s ‘Once Upon a Time…’ week celebrates fairytales and storytelling in partnership with the British Library. On BBC Radio 3 Edith Bowman explores fairytales and fantasy in Sound of Cinema, actors Pearce Quigley and Lydia Wilson delve into the worlds of princesses, frogs, and spells in Words & Music, and Elizabeth Alker presents music inspired by enchanted lands, magical creatures, and timeless tales, in Classical Live and Unclassified. Just search ‘Once Upon a Time…’ in BBC Sounds. The British Library’s major new exhibition Fairy Tales runs from 27th March – 23rd August 2026.