Peter and the Wolf--Interesting Random Facts

While looking up Peter and the Wolf on Wikipedia the other day, I was surprised to discover just how recent it was.  1936.

I always imagine "classical music" as coming from the 18th Century--you know, the scene--the lords and ladies all sitting stiffly in their powdered wigs and long stockings.  Sometimes I forget just how much classical music is from after World War I.

This means that when Disney did their cartoon version of Peter and the Wolf in 1946, the composition was only just 10 years old.  And yet Disney was already treating it like a classic just 10 years after it debuted.  

The other thing that strikes me about 1936 is that this means it came from Communist Russia.  You would think that would have prejudiced it's reception in the USA, but I guess not, huh?

But there is (apparently) a Soviet political dimension to this symphony that I was completely unaware of as a kid.  According to Wikipedia:

 As well as promoting desired Pioneer virtues such as vigilance, bravery, and resourcefulness, the plot illustrates Soviet themes such as the stubbornness of the un-Bolshevik older generation (the grandfather) and the triumph of Man (Peter) taming Nature (the wolf).^[2]