Peter and the Wolf

This is a family favorite from when I was little, and one I have enjoyed with my own children. The latest telling of this great story can be purchased on itunes for $2. I strongly recommend watching it if you have not already. It is a short film, about 1/2 hour. It recently won the Academy Award for best picture in the short film category. Originally written in 1936, this version is adapted a bit, but is truely brilliant (for instance the bird that can't fly isn't the Duck, but a bird with a broken wing. And the bird that can't swim in this version is the Duck. He can't swim because the pond is frozen). I can't say enough about it, you have to see it! Masterpiece.

Here is the original story:

Peter, a young boy, lives with his grandfather in the Russian countryside. One day Peter leaves the garden gate open, and the duck takes the opportunity to go swimming on the nearby pond. She starts arguing with a little bird ("What kind of bird are you if you can't fly?" - "What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?"). Peter's pet cat sneaks up on them, and the bird – warned by Peter - flies into a tall tree. Peter's grumpy grandfather takes him back into the garden and locks the gate in case any wolves come near. Shortly afterwards "a big, grey wolf" does indeed come out of the woods. The cat climbs into the tree, but the duck, who has left the pond, is swallowed by the wolf. Peter fetches a rope and climbs over the garden wall into the tree. He asks the bird to fly around the wolf's head, while he lowers a noose and catches the wolf by his tail. In some versions, the duck is spat out of the wolf as he is hanging from the noose.

Each character in the story has a particular instrument and a musical theme

Bird : flute
Duck : oboe
Cat : clarinet
Grandfather : bassoon
Wolf : 3 French horns
Hunters (gunshots) : timpani and bass drum (The hunters' theme is actually introduced by the woodwinds)
Peter : string instruments