THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO — MUSICAL TALE FOR NARRATOR AND ENSEMBLE
Contemporary Family Concert Music
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a contemporary opera for family audiences, composed by Lior Navok. Designed for narrator and ensemble, the work brings Carlo Collodi’s classic story to life through vivid orchestration, humor, and theatrical storytelling. This piece is part of a larger series of family‑concert works by the composer, created to introduce young listeners to the world of classical music through narrative, character, and imagination.
THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO
a musical tale
Duration:
61 minutes in two acts
Instrumentation:
version I: woodwind quintet and piano
3 actors (F,M,M), flute/piccolo, oboe / English- horn, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano
version II: chamber orchestra
3 actors (F,M,M), flute/piccolo, oboe / English- horn, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion (1), harp, piano, strings
Year Composed:
2009
Story By:
Carlo Collodi
Libretto By:
Lior Navok
Language:
English: translation by Evan Fallenberg
German: translation by Julia Freienberg
French: translation by Stéphane Mooser
Hebrew: by Lior Navok
Written For:
The Hindemith Quintet
Supported in Part By:
The Eric and Edith Siday Charitable Foundation
Premiere Performance:
19 September 2010
Oper Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Michaela Ehinger, Marian Funk and Michael Kamp, actors
The Hindemith Woodwind Quintet
Dejan Gavric, flute
Nick Deutsch, oboe
Johannes Gmeinder, clarinet
Sibylle Mahni Haas, horn
Richard Morschel, bassoon
Roglit Ishai, piano
Yuval Zorn, conductor
Gil Alkabetz, Illustrations
Program Notes
We all smile when we hear the name Pinocchio: the wooden puppet with its growing nose, its creator Geppetto, the talking cricket, the cat and fox, and of course, the Blue Fairy… We usually perceive Pinocchio as light-hearted and carefree, but beneath this vivid and colorful story lies something sophisticated and deeply touching. This is the story of a puppet that learns the hard way how to find its identity and forge its own path in society, how to learn from tough lessons, how to care for others, and how to take responsibility. Pinocchio grapples with moral dilemmas of good versus bad, unfolding one after another in a seemingly simple yet amusing manner. Among other children's stories, Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio presents a model of storytelling as education.
Abstract
This musical tale retells the beloved story of Pinocchio through a modern musical lens. The work follows the wooden puppet’s journey toward becoming a real boy, blending lyrical writing, dramatic pacing, and colorful orchestral textures. The piece is crafted to engage children and adults alike, offering a vibrant introduction to opera and symphonic storytelling.
Audio
Video
The Adventures of Pinocchio - can be staged alongside 360 colorful illustrations, providing a unique quasi-cinematic experience for the audience."
The Adventures of Pinocchio
Score Sample
Score of The Adventures of Pinocchio - for family concerts
About Music for Young Audiences
Lior Navok’s family‑concert works are designed to introduce young audiences to classical music through narrative, character, and orchestral color. These pieces are frequently performed by orchestras, festivals, and educational programs seeking engaging repertoire for children and families.
Notable Pinocchio Adaptations
This list features notable musical adaptations of Carlo Collodi's classic tale, showcasing a range of styles from grand opera to narrative chamber music and large-scale stage musicals. These works illustrate the enduring appeal of the story across different theatrical and musical formats.
Jonathan Dove: The Adventures of Pinocchio, 2007
This is a full-length, two-act grand opera with a symphonic score, large cast, and chorus. Commissioned by Opera North, it is known for being remarkably faithful to the original, often darker, picaresque novel and uses ingenious technical stage effects.
Lior Navok: The Adventures of Pinocchio, 2009
A 61-minute musical tale in two acts for three narrators, woodwind quintet, and piano, or orchestra. It is designed for family concerts, exploring themes of identity and moral growth through vivid chamber music.
Pierangelo Valtinoni: Pinocchio, 2006
An opera in two acts (originally premiered in 2001, the two-act version is from 2006), highly successful in European theaters. Valtinoni's score blends various styles, drawing inspiration from Puccini, Ravel, and Bernstein, and is designed to be performed by children's choirs and soloists.
Disney adaptation team (Dennis Kelly, Martin Lowe, et al.) Pinocchio, 2017
A stage play presented by the Royal National Theatre, London, that uses the classic songs and score from the 1940 Walt Disney animated film (originally by Leigh Harline, Ned Washington, and Paul J. Smith), newly adapted and orchestrated by Martin Lowe for the stage with a full orchestra.