David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” (APE)

Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra
Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
Composer: Sergey Prokofiev, Benjamin Britten, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: RCA
Size: 266 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

01. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/Introduction
02. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Story Begins
03. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Bird
04. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Duck, Dialogue with the Bird, Attack of the Cat
05. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/Grandfather
06. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Wolf
07. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Duck is Caught
08. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Wolf Stalks the Bird and the Cat
09. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/Peter Prepares to Catch the Wolf
10. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Bird
11. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/Peter Catches the Wolf
12. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Hunters Arrive
13. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67/The Procession to the Zoo
14. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Theme: Full Orchestra
15. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Theme: Woodwinds
16. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Theme: Brass
17. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Theme: Strings
18. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Theme: Percussion
19. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Theme: Full Orchestra
20. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation I: Flute, Piccolo (Presto)
21. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation II: Oboes (Lento)
22. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation III: Clarinets (Moderato)
23. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation IV: Bassoons (Allegro alla marcia)
24. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation V: Violins (Brilliante alla pollaca)
25. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation VI: Violas (Meno mosso)
26. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation VII: Cellos
27. The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra/Variation VIII: Doublebasses (Comminciando Lento, Ma Poco Accel.)
28. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation IX: Harp (Maestoso)
29. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation X: French Horns (Il stesso tempo)
30. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation XI: Trumpets (Vivace)
31. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Variation XII: Trombones & Tuba (Allegro pomposo)
32. The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra/Variation XIII: Percussion (Moderato)
33. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Fugue: Full Orchestra (Allegro molto)
34. The Nutcracker Suite/Overture
35. The Nutcracker Suite/March
36. The Nutcracker Suite/Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies
37. The Nutcracker Suite/Russian Dance
38. The Nutcracker Suite/Arab Dance
39. The Nutcracker Suite/Chinese Dance
40. The Nutcracker Suite/Dance of the Merlitons
41. The Nutcracker Suite/Waltz of the Flowers

At least RCA kept it in print!

Having first had this album on green vinyl no less back in 1977/8 I was not at all suprised to learn that Mr. Bowie had narrated such a classic opera in fact I was very pleased and would listen to it often.
Having played in the public school orchestras for over ten years back then it was also a shot in the arm to know that (at that time) a young teenager could not only identify with classical music and a leading pop idol of the times. Now at the age of forty and with my own children I find it an interesting way for my own to learn about classical music, the Philadelphia Orchestra (5 Stars to them) and Eugene Ormandy (10 stars to him).
As far as the previous review goes don’t be dismayed because the ending was changed to siut the narrators needs or whatever, this is hardly as back-handed as what Disney studios has been doing for the past 20 odd years and making much more money doing it.
Buy this if you like the story, the narrator, the conductor or the orchestra, your children (if you have any, and not a prerequisit) will love it and you will too when you share this recording. Not often a fan of cheap RCA records, but at least they kept this one in print.