Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was always in and out of trouble with the Soviet regime, and whenever he got out of trouble, it was usually because he composed a work based on fairy tales or folk myths. Cinderella (1940-44) was, as the dates suggest, a wartime effort, but ultimately a huge success. This two-CD set is the only complete ballet in the catalog (the others are out-of-print), but two suites exist (1 and 3, with 2 being withdrawn by the composer), and several piano versions. Cinderella has its own mood and sound, but suffers from the tunefulness of Romeo and Juliet. However, this version is performed with clear enthusiasm, and what emerges is two hours of pleasant and sometimes engaging music. --Paul Cook