Peter and the Wolf

This is one of the very best, I think. I loved the now deleted Paul Hogan version because of his use of Australianisms,but the orchestra was not outstanding. Barry Humphries has been paired with a terrific Australian conductor and orchestra, and has sensibly narrated something other than the usual Carnival of the Animals, though he did observe tradition by narrating the Britten Young Person's Guide. The Dame Edna narration and orchestral playing in Peter and the Wolf are very enjoyable.

Humphries drops his persona for the lovely Poulenc work, and tells the story tenderly.

Highly recommended.


Wonderfulness!   February 21, 2002
Jeffrey Lehman (Market Harborough, UK)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Dame Edna has entered the world of classical music. In case you have never heard of her, Dame Edna, an Australian, is the hilarious host of a talk show. (Actually, she is a he--think Mrs. Doubtfire, but with an hideously outrageous sense of style.) What makes her a good choice for narrator? In her own words, "I have always loved music and I'm not ashamed to say that music rather loves me!" She also claims to be the reincarnation of Sergei Prokofiev's mother. (Remember, this is meant to be funny!)
At the end of the day, it is the performances that count, and they are great here. Not for purists, because Dame Edna throws in the occasional extra word (like "This is the story of Peter and the wolf, possums"). But in doing so, she injects the necessary life and humor into her narration. It is meant to be light-hearted, and so it is.
The orchestra also does an admirable job, and the recording is quite good. My only complaint is that there is a bit too much reverb on the voice, which is obvious only when she speaks without the instruments (especially at the very beginning of the CD).
My two-year old son used to listen to this in the car, and he loved it.


A pleasant surprise   July 7, 2001
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Many years ago I remember hearing another friend of Barry Humphries', Sir Les Paterson, narrate a piece entitled Peter and the Shark, which climaxed, as I recall, with a platypus receiving a "noah's ark up his blurter". (And if you're not an Australian, or au fait with the Australian vernacular, I suspect that the platypus's plight will remain a mystery to you) So I approached the notion of Dame Edna Everage narrating "Peter and the Wolf" with some trepidation. Some terrible things have been done to the work over the years in the name of "relevance" and I wasn't sure that this wouldn't be yet another jokey updating. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the great lady plays the whole thing remarkably straight. Apart from a "Hello possums!" at the beginning, Dame Edna narrates the work as if she's your favourite aunt, who probably smelt of lavender and perhaps a little splash of brandy. My two year old and four year old children enjoyed the work very much. I also had the old Cyril Pritchard / Eugene Ormandy version, but they both prefer the Grande Dame. As Dame Edna herself says in the notes, Barry Humphries tries very hard in the Poulenc and he aquits himself with great style and taste. And how good it is to find another work for children. The Blessed Trinity of Saint-Sains / Britten / Prokofiev is getting to be a bit of a cliche. The Melbourne Symphony (and as an Adelaide resident it pains me to say this) plays very well indeed. My son is a big fan of the tympanist in Peter and the wolf. Their performance of the Britten Guide to the Orchestra is particularly fine. Here again, Dame Edna's narration is well judged. A very good performance of three delightful works. A CD full of charm and a great favourite in our household. And could I take this opportunity to point out to the reviewer who felt a need to warn the world that Dame Edna is a "female impersonator": Not so - she is the doyenne of style - the arbitrix of taste here in Australia. Far from being a impersonator of females, she is the woman females impersonate.