{"product_id":"prokofiev-peter-and-the-wolf-1","title":"Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"album.jsp?album_id=640952\"\u003eAlso available on Blu-Ray disc\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Peter and the Wolf, Prokofiev’s musical fairy tale, has been delighting children since 1936. Nearly 60 years later, in 1995, the young choreographer Matthew Hart created a witty choreographed version for the Royal Ballet School with designs by Ian Spurling. Described as ‘an utterly delightful ballet and a perfect showcase for the younger students,’ by the Royal Ballet’s Director, Monica Mason, it was staged again and recorded for this DVD.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \"...Matthew Hart’s Peter and the Wolf is one of the most beguiling children’s ballets around.” -  \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Matthew Hart, choreographer\u003cbr\u003e  The Wolf – Sergei Polunin\u003cbr\u003e  Grandfather – Will Kemp\u003cbr\u003e  Peter – Kilian Smith\u003cbr\u003e  Duck – Charlotte Edmonds\u003cbr\u003e  Bird – Laurine Muccioli\u003cbr\u003e  Cat – Chisato Katsura\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Royal Ballet School\u003cbr\u003e  Royal Ballet Sinfonia\u003cbr\u003e  Paul Murphy, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, 16 and 18 December 2010.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Bonus:\u003cbr\u003e  - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e  - Documentary feature on rehearsing Peter and the Wolf\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic \u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM 2.0 \/ DTS 5.0 \u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide) \u003cbr\u003e  Menu language: English \u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish \u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 38 mins \u003cbr\u003e  No. of DVDs: 1\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e This enchanting DVD captures 2011’s Christmas performance from the students of the Royal Ballet Lower School. All of the cast seem to be of primary school age, with the adult dancers Sergei Polunin and Will Kemp brought in as the Wolf and Narrator. Matthew Hart’s realisation of Prokofiev’s score as a ballet had first been seen in 1995 and it works very well indeed. Hart says in a short extra film that one of his aims had been to get as many dancers as possible onto the stage. He provide roles not only for the principal characters but for the corps as the physical elements of the story: dancers embody the hunters, the grass of the meadow, the waves of the pond, the trees of the forest and the wall next to Peter’s house. The choreography is simple without being simplistic and Hart tells the story very well. The principals are all extraordinarily proficient for their age, particularly the three girls playing the bird, duck and cat, who have the flexible movement of their creatures down to a T. Kilian Smith’s Peter is brave and likeable, while Polunin’s wolf embodies the sinister characteristics of a pantomime villain with that extra bit of danger. Will Kemp doubles as on-stage narrator and as Grandfather. The bright primary colours of both set and costumes work very well, and the only piece of staging is a bulky frame which is used for the tree, covered in graffiti about the story. The orchestra plays very well and the 5.1 surround sound brings the story to life. The only thing I missed, compared to an audio only recording, is the sense of intimacy with the narrator, something necessarily lost in a production such as this one, but if you don’t mind that then you’ll enjoy this very much. If you know some children who enjoy dancing, or if you want to get some children interested in dance for the first time, then this is especially for you.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -- Simon Thompson, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":49608081965336,"sku":"809478010579","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1900744.jpg?v=1777685987","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/prokofiev-peter-and-the-wolf-1","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}