- Date: 20th century
- Composer: Sergey Prokofiev
- Period: Modern (1910-1949)
Review
The 1990 date of this composition would seem an impossibility since Prokofiev died in 1953. This work, however, came about when ballerina Natalia Makarova fashioned a narrative from a traditional Russian folk tale for children, using Prokofiev's Music for Children, Op. 65 (1936), a collection of 12 easy piano pieces, as background music. She recorded this delightful tale as narrator in 1990.The story concerns three Russian princes who are ordered by their father, the Tsar, to select brides by shooting arrows into the air and following their random direction. The first two find wives, but the third finds a frog who can talk. Its name is Vasilisa, and as the story unfolds we learn that she was once a princess. In the end, she is restored to her human form and the prince and princess are wed and live happily ever after.
Prokofiev's delightful score serves strictly as background music here, but its simple dramas and childish delights are perfect for this role, and the choice was an inpsired one. For those interested solely in Prokofiev's Music for Children, numerous fine recordings are available of this, perhaps his second most popular work for children. ~ Robert Cummings, Rovi
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
| Title | Date |
| Classical Princess: Music for Dress-Up | 1996 |
| Mystery Classics | 1996 |
| Prince Igor: Fantasy on a Theme by Borodin, for tuba, piano & ensemble | |
| Prince Ivan and the Frog Princess, for narrator & piano (after Prokofiev) |
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