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Copyright 1997, i5ive communications inc.

June 6, 1997
More than just Peter and the Wolf

I'd be willing to bet that almost all of us have heard this wonderful piece (that is certainly suited for more than just children). I hope that the name Prokofiev is tied to the thoughts of this work. I always thought of Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) as a Russian composer, but recently learned that he was born in the Ukraine. (That's especially interesting for me as I'll be conducting some of his works with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine in the next few weeks.) Like many musicians, he traveled extensively throughout the course of his life. His opera The Love of Three Oranges was composed during an extended stay in the U.S. He was living in the Bavarian Alps (not far from my current home) when he married. But he apparently considered himself a Soviet composer, and chose to make the USSR his home from 1936 on.

If you only know Peter and the Wolf, why not take some time to get to know some of his other works. The First or Fifth Symphonies are wonderful, his cantata Alexander Nevsky is stirring, the suite from Lieutenant Kije is delightful and his ballet Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest adaptions of this Shakespearean story. And this only scratches the surface!

The Classical Music Pages
Please forgive me for plugging a site that I have been involved in developing, but for someone looking for a general guide to the world of classical music, I think this is the best place to start. Short biographies of the most important composers and explanations of the most common musical forms are available (taken with permission from the Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, a leading 'print' source). There are also many pictures of composers and instruments (great for pepping up school reports or music appreciation courses). And hundreds of sound files might help you identify a tune or figure out which composer fits your tastes. Best of all, it's well organized so that you don't waste time wandering through the Web.

G. Schirmer, Inc. and Associated
Nice job - a music publisher who is willing and interested in spreading information about (well - mostly) living composers. Shame on you if you've never heard of the fine musicians listed here.

Opera Libretti
If a synopsis isn't good enough, then try here.

Opera Synopsis
Sure the stories are sometimes a bit silly, but the music makes up for that.

Texts of Songs and Lieder
Description : Ever wonder what the singer is saying? Here's a way to find out: take advantage of Emily Ezust's obsession. Her site contains public-domain, original-language texts of thousands of Lieder and other art songs in Czech, French, German, English, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. Some translations to English are provided.