Peter and the Wolf
Program Notes by Paul Hyde

Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, composed in 1888, is one of the Norwegian composer’s most celebrated works. The suite consists of incidental music that Grieg wrote for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. The play follows the adventures of the title character, Peer Gynt, through a series of dramatic and often surreal episodes.

Grieg's music for Peer Gynt is notable for its vivid orchestration, capturing the diverse moods, characters and settings of the play.

The suite consists of four movements:

1. Morning Mood: Warm and lyrical, the opening movement evokes the freshness of morning and a slow sunrise. Flute and oboe introduce the gentle main theme, which is soon taken up by strings.

2. The Death of Åse: The somber, emotional movement depicts the death of Peer's mother, Åse. The music is chordal in nature, rising passionately in the beginning before falling back poignantly.

3. Anitra's Dance: This lively and rhythmic movement features a seductive, exotic dance that reflects the character Anitra, a desert princess who captivates Peer.

4. In the Hall of the Mountain King: Perhaps the most famous of the suite's movements, this piece is characterized by its relentless drive and building intensity. It represents a scene in which Peer Gynt finds himself in the home of the Mountain King, and it creates a sense of mounting excitement and danger. Bassoons introduce the theme that the strings will take up in frenzied fashion.

Peter and the Wolf
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Peter and the Wolf is a charming and imaginative piece of music, written in 1936 by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. It’s a symphonic fairy tale, designed to introduce listeners, especially children, to the sounds of different orchestral instruments.

The story is about a young boy named Peter who lives with his grandfather in a meadow. Despite his grandfather's warnings about the dangers of a wolf that prowls nearby, Peter ventures out and decides to capture the wolf. The narrative is accompanied by music that represents different characters and elements of the story:

-- Peter is represented by the spirited, frolicsome strings.

-- The Bird is portrayed by the flute, with its bright, fluttering notes.

-- The Duck is symbolized by the oboe, with a quacking sound.

-- The Cat is played by the clarinet, reflecting its sly and sneaky nature.

-- The Wolf is represented by the French horns, creating a menacing, growling sound.

-- Grandfather is depicted by the bassoon, with a gruff and somewhat comical tone.

-- The Hunters are illustrated by the timpani and bass drum, providing a rhythmic, marching sound.

The story unfolds as Peter outsmarts the wolf with the help of his animal friends, eventually leading to the wolf being captured by the hunters. The engaging music vividly depicts the characters and action, making the piece a delightful experience for listeners of all ages.

Paul Hyde, a longtime Upstate journalist, is an English instructor at Tri-County Technical College. He writes regularly for the Greenville Journal, the S.C. Daily Gazette, EarRelevant, ArtsATL, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Concert Hall Series
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Peter and the Wolf
November 1 at 3:00 pm
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