Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat (A Soldier’s Tale) Premieres

Classical Music Dateline:  September 28, 1918

Igor Stravinksy’s L’Histoire du soldat, for narrator and seven instruments was first performed.

Date: 28 September 1918
Venue: Lausanne, Municial Theatre
Conductor: Ernest Ansermet

Histoire du soldat (sometimes written L’histoire du soldat), is translated as The Soldier’s Tale or A Soldier’s Tale. It is a 1918 theatrical work “to be read, played, and danced” set to music by Igor Stravinsky.

The libretto, based on a Russian folk tale, was written in French by C.F. Ramuz.  It has been translated into English by Michael Flanders and Kitty Black, and into German by Hans Reinhart.

Brief History of L’Histoire du soldat

The Soldier’s Tale is a morality play. It is a parable about a soldier who trades his fiddle to the devil for a book that predicts the future of the economy. The music set by Igor Stravinsky is scored for a septet of violin, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, and percussion.

The play is in two acts, 6 scenes.  The story is told by three actors:

• the soldier

• the devil

• a narrator

A dancer plays the non-speaking role of the princess, and there may also be additional ensemble dancers. The piece was written for small ensemble to compensate for the lack of players due to World War I (since so many were enlisted in the armed services).

A full performance of Histoire du soldat takes about an hour. There is a half-hour concert suite version, later arranged by the Stravinsky for violin, clarinet, and piano.

The music is in the modernist style, rife with changing time signatures. It is therefore commonly performed with a conductor, although some ensembles have elected to perform the piece without one.

You may want to check out Stravinsky’s opera The Nightingale.

Source:

Martin, N. I.  The Da Capo Opera Manual. Da Capo Press (1997)