HOW DOES EACH CHARACTER INDENTIFY WITH EACH SOUND & WHY?

Peter : Our main character is played by the string instruments; violins, violas, cellos and double basses. A bouncy and childish melody is played by the violins, appearing innocent and fun in the beginning, but, as the story grows the harmony starts to change, suggesting danger. Can you hear the change in the music? What should we expect to happen in the story?

The Bird : Represented by the Flute, the bird begins as a whistling and light tune, imitating the bird's song with high pitches. Flying fast, the flute plays fast notes to keep up, just like the swiftness of the birds flapping wings. Can you hear it?

The Duck : Played by the Oboe, this instrument in the orchestra can actually imitate a "quacking" sound. The Oboe uses a double-reed, which actually looks like a duck's bill, allowing the instrument to mock quick, snappy movements while still playing slow chromatic patterns like the waddle of the duck as it walks. The duck is accompanied by the bassoon (grandfather) who is also a slow moving character - both double-reed instruments!

The Cat : Represented by the Clarinet, we hear the lowest notes first, playing tones similar to that of a purr. These short and accented notes highlight the personality and confidence of the cat with its "self-important" attitude. How very cat-like! 

The Grandfather : Played by the Bassoon, at first he appears in the story asleep playing very low notes. As he slowly starts to wake up, the notes start to climb. You will continue to hear these notes repeated throughout the story in triplet rhythms to help identify and warn the children in the story that the grandfather is coming! Can you identify when you hear the grandfather appear in the story?

The Wolf : Represented by the horns, you are immediately on high alert! Does it make you feel uneasy when you first hear the entrance of the horns? Well, it should! This means the WOLF is coming. At the same time, the strings begin to play tremolando chords, indicating that the mood is changing in the story - is Peter in danger? The tension builds as we change to a minor key and the notes, dissonant as we transition to a gloomy and scary tone.

The Hunters : Played by the Timpani and Percussion section of the orchestra, these BIG, striking instruments indicate a group much larger than one person and represent an alerting and dangerous moment - alternating between two notes on beats 1 and 3, we hear a majestic sound that captivates us and catches our attention! What should we expect?

CAN YOU HEAR WHERE THE SOUNDS APPEAR IN THE STORY?