Sergei Prokofiev's fanciful musical tale "Peter and the Wolf" is given new life in this innovative new animated interpretation.

For a man conducting a performance nearly every day of the year, Valery Gergiev remains the calm center of the frenzied world of musicians, singers, administrators, politicians, and managers swirling around him.

Peter and the duck enjoy a frozen pond while the hapless cat stalks the raven in this scene from the film.

View the production credits for "Maestro: Portrait of Valery Gergiev."

Russian dynamo Valery Gergiev -- world-famous conductor and tireless promoter of his nation's rich musical heritage -- sits for his GREAT PERFORMANCES portrait.

In this lesson, melodies from Peter and the Wolf are used to introduce students to pitch, rhythm and meter.

View the production credits for "Peter & the Wolf."

Director Suzie Templeton spoke to GREAT PERFORMANCES Online about the five-year effort to bring this updated "Peter & the Wolf" to the screen.

If Sergei Prokofiev had composed nothing except "Peter and the Wolf," he would have left a sizable mark.

Use these procedures to guide your lesson about "Peter & The Wolf."