Peter and the Commissar

Untitled

Peter and the Commissar is a musical comedy album by Allan Sherman, with Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra with 5 guest jazz musicians. It was recorded live on July 22, 1964. Released by RCA Victor in 1964, as a Red Seal Dynagroove recording. Stereo disc catalog number LSC-2773, Mono disc catalog number LM-2773. Re-released on Compact Disc by BMG special products, Collectors Choice Music catalog number CCM-488-2.

The title track pokes fun at communism in the Soviet Union, and is a spoof of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, with Prokofiev's music, and original spoken rhymed verse by Allan Sherman. Peter creates a new melody (the familiar Peter's theme from the original work) and must have it approved by the commissars of music. In the story the commissars have no musical taste or talent, and modify Peter's theme by changing a few notes here and there, then turn it into a Bossa Nova. Examples are played of other pieces "improved" by the commissars. Beethoven's Fifth Cha-Cha-Cha, Brahms Lullaby Rock-n-Roll, Pete Tchaikovsky's Blues (from Swan Lake), and Aida in Dixieland.

The second track is "Variations on How Dry I Am". In this work the first few notes of "How Dry I Am" are found in numerous well known pieces of popular and classical music, and blended together with each piece ending with the familiar notes, and them being the beginning of the next piece. Other than some introductory spoken comedy by Mr. Sherman and a solo hiccup by Mr. Fiedler, this track is completely instrumental.

The last track is "The End of a Symphony". In this one Mr. Sherman again provides original spoken verse, denigrating the lengthy endings of symphonies, as these endings are attached to simple songs such as Yankee Doodle, and "Shave and a Haircut".