There's a real sense that Sting is enjoying being part of the music-making, adding to the drama with his quaking grandfather voice… and sending shivers down our spine as the wolf appears. There's no hint of a rock-star image here… The Chamber Orchestra of Europe's playing under Claudio Abbado is consistently immaculate with an outstanding string sound, brilliant dynamic contrasts, and superb soloists.

Abbado and the multi-talented Sting offer a lively and beautifully crafted account of Prokofiev's ever popular Peter and the Wolf. Any fears that the original freshness of Prokofiev's creation may be lost in favour of a less formal approach are soon dispelled – Sting is an effective and intelligent storyteller capable of capturing the imagination of adults and children alike, and there's never a feeling of contrivance or mere gimmickry.