Igor Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale" (2005)
Conductor: Nick Smith
Director/Choreographer: Alison M. Friedman
National Theater Co. of China's East Pioneer Theater
English narration: Fri., May 13 + Sat., May 14, 2005
Chinese narration: Thurs., May 12 + Sun., May 15, 2005
ABOUT THE SOLDIER'S TALE
Exiled in Switzerland, Igor Stravinsky composed The Soldier’s Tale in 1918 towards the end of one of the bleakest periods in his life. Theaters were shut down, his career appeared to have come to a halt, and his royalties were drying up just when he had a family to support. It was at this time that he and his fellow exiles conceived of the idea to create a minimalist theatrical piece – “pocket theater” – that easily could be taken on tour around local villages. It premiered in September of 1918 in Lausanne with Ernst Ansermet conducting, and the Concert Suite premiered two years later.
Stravinsky suggested they base the story on a collection of Russian folk-tales, but with a French text by his poet/novelist friend C.F. Ramuz. Not a playwright, Ramuz suggested he write a story rather than a play and adapt it for stage presentation as a kind of acted narration. The soldier was intended to be neither Russian nor French nor even Swiss but rather Any Soldier, and “the music too was to turn its back resolutely on Russia.” The composer based the percussion on that of the jazz band, and he bought and learned to play each of the instruments as he composed the work, incorporating such musical references as march, waltz, church chorale, pasadoble, tango, and ragtime.
A Narrator tells the tale of a Soldier who is tricked by the Devil into exchanging his soul – in the form of a violin – for a magic book that will bring him wealth and power. Later the Devil, appearing each time in a different disguise, teaches the Soldier how to use his magic book, and then returns to taunt him after the Soldier has made his fortune but finds himself miserable and alone. The Narrator breaks through the imaginary barrier of the story and joins the Soldier in Part Two to advise him to lose to the Devil in a game of cards and thereby win back his violin. Successful, the Soldier sets off to a distant kingdom to cure a Princess of illness and win her hand in marriage. Not so easily defeated, the Devil returns vowing revenge…