Tale of the Soldier

“One bit of luck is everything; two and you lose both.” A tempting deal with the devil – what could possibly go wrong? The Tale of the Soldier is a story based on a Russian folk tale about the lust for power and greed. In the story, a soldier on his way home sells his violin – his soul – to the devil, blinded by the glitter of success, but soon realises the fateful consequences of his actions. Stravinsky, deeply shaken by the First World War, was living in Switzerland during the war and met the writer Ramuz there. The work, born of this collaboration, was premiered in September 1918, in the final stages of the war. Combining classical music, waltzes, tangos, ragtime and other dance rhythms of the era, the work is presented through music, storytelling and dance.