Peter and the Wolf Trivia Quiz

Answer: strings

Peter's theme has a light, skipping sound as played by the violin section and accompanied by the viola, cello, and bass sections, all of which are in the string family.

Answer: flute

This is a very high, fast part which paints the picture of an energetic little bird who likes to pick fights with other characters in the story. (This is my instrument)

Answer: oboe

A nasal, slightly melancholy sound, except when the duck is arguing with the bird, when the music is fast and excited.

Answer: clarinet

Prokofiev composed some good "tiptoe" music to paint the scene when the cat is sneaking up on the bird. The arpeggios played by the clarinet when the cat climbs the tree are really impressive!

Answer: bassoon

A very low, grumpy sound for a cranky old man who has to scold his disobedient grandson for the hundredth time about not going into the meadow alone.

Answer: french horns

They play in a low register, and it sounds like growling.

Answer: bass drum and timpani

Oddly enough, the hunters' theme is played by a variety of instruments (at different times, the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and trumpet), but the instruments most associated with the character are the timpani and bass drum, which sound like great cannons going off. Cymbals make a crashing sound, the tambourine jingles, and the triangle dings.

Answer: Serge Prokofieff

While all of the choices were Russian composers, this symphonic tale for children was composed by Prokofieff (also spelled Prokofiev). He also wrote the narration.

Answer: 1936

It premiered at the Moscow Children's Theatre Centre. The US premiere was in 1938 and the London premiere was held in 1941.

Answer: trumpet and trombone

The trumpet can be heard playing the hunters' theme with the oboe at one point, but is not assigned a specific character. The trombone is used for accompaniment.

Answer: in the meadow

Peter is locked in the garden behind the gate when his grandfather discovers that he has been in the meadow alone again. None of the action takes place in the house. The only character that goes in the pond is the duck. Everything else happens in the meadow.

Answer: She is arguing with the duck

The argument is about which of them is a real bird. The bird tells the duck that she can't be a real bird because she doesn't fly. The duck responds by saying that the bird can't be a real bird because she doesn't swim. (This is one of my favorite parts of the story)

Answer: No

The cat wants to eat the bird for breakfast, and they even end up in the same tree together, but the cat will have to wait for another day for that feathery meal.

Answer: duck

The duck jumps out of the pond and tries to run from the wolf, but the wolf catches her and swallows her whole.

Answer: 3

1) The bird flies up when the cat comes around.
2) The cat joins the bird when the wolf enters the meadow.
3) Peter climbs the garden gate, gets on the stone wall, and swings himself into the tree with a rope to capture the wolf.

Answer: Peter

Answer: By a noose tightened around his tail

Peter lowers a noose from the tree, and when the wolf inadvertently puts his tail through it, Peter pulls on the rope and tightens the noose around his tail so he can't get free. Then Peter ties the other end of the rope to the tree so he doesn't get pulled to the ground by the wolf.

Answer: the bird

Peter asks the bird to fly down and distract the wolf by flying close to his head, and she does so without getting caught.

Answer: to the zoo

In the original, Peter and the others don't want the wolf to come around again, so they decide to take him to the zoo. In another version which I read to my students, the wolf begs to go back to the forest and says he won't come back ever again. They take him to the forest, but I wouldn't believe a wolf who was mean enough to swallow a duck whole!

Answer: in a parade

First comes Peter, followed by the hunters, the wolf, the grandfather with the cat, and the bird flies overhead. The duck, of course, is in the wolf. In the Disney animated version of this story, the wolf is suspended from a pole with ropes, and is carried by the hunters.