The Wolf at the Door: Stalin and Prokofiev
By Michael Azerrad, eMusic Contributor
Peter and the Wolf is one of the enduring favorites of children's music. Generations of children have sat in rapt attention, listening to the tale of the plucky Peter and the scary wolf, while at the same time learning the basics of the orchestra. How ironic, then, that this benign classic, beloved of millions the world over, is actually the product of tyranny, repression and fear. In 1936, Natalia Sats, director of the Soviet-sanctioned Moscow Central… more »