[Language: French]

The Soldier's Tale (L'Histoire du soldat) is Stravinsky's greatest work for narrator and orchestra. It is the story of a soldier, on leave from the army, who trades his old violin for a magic book that can tell the future and make him rich. He soon discovers, however, that he has made a deal with the devil and that money does not bring happiness.

Histoire du soldat, or Tale of the Soldier (as it was first published), is an hour-long 1918 theatrical work to be "read, played and danced (lue, jouée et dansée)" by three actors, one or more dancers, and a septet of instruments. Its music is by Igor Stravinsky, its libretto, in French, by Swiss writer Charles Ferdinand Ramuz; the two men conceived it together, their basis being the Russian tale The Runaway Soldier and the Devil in the collection of Alexander Afanasyev.

The tale ends with Joseph crossing the frontier-post, a boundary not to be crossed, after being tempted by the ideal of having both his wife and his mother. The Devil is waiting as Joseph turns back to find his Princess, now gone. (Marche triomphale du diable / The Devil's Triumphant March): violin and percussion entwined in a rhythmic duel, the final measures played solely by the percussionist; here the score is marked decrescendo to the end, although this may be changed crescendo when performing the Suite.

Direction: Sébastien Sébastien Glastion (Director), Alex Ollé (Stage Director)
Cast: Sébastien Dutrieux (Narrator/ Devil / Soldier / Playwright), Valentina Carrasco (Playwright), Ramon Simó (Playwright), Júlia Canosa (Playwright),
Video (Emmanuel Carlier), Lights (Elena Gui), Lights (Urs Schönebaum), Sound (Josep Sanou), Costumes & Decor Assistant (Mercè Lucchetti), Decors and Costumes (Lluc Casells), Costumes Assistant (Maria Armengol), Assistant Director (Sandra Pocceschi)
Seven Music Instruments: François Sochard (Violin), Marc-Antoine Bonanomi (Double bass), Davide Bandieri (Clarinet), Axel Benoit (Bassoon), Nicolas Bernard (Cornet), Alexandre Faure (Trombone), Arnaud Stachnick (Percussion)