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', Sara Mohr-Pietsch charts a course to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in 'Music Map', 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.