A soldier is on his way home when he meets an old man who offers to exchange his fiddle for a mysterious book that grants riches. The soldier then follows the old man to a mansion that is filled with an abundance of wonder and joy. But when the soldier leaves the mansion, the world has changed drastically, and the soldier’s life turns into turmoil. The old man reveals himself to be the devil, and the soldier discovers that he has traded more than he can sell. In despair, the soldier wanders into a strange land, where a princess awaits to be awakened.
A mixed media piece using speech, mime, and dance, and scored for a septet of violin, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone and multi-percussion, L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) was composed by Igor Stravinsky, with a libretto written by Swiss writer C. F. Ramus. First performed in September 1918 in Lausanne, Switzerland, towards the end of World War I, the work has been firmly established as one of the greatest neoclassical gems in the 20th century. This adaptation, held 50 years after the end of Stravinsky’s life, sets the scenario in contemporary Singapore and is staged with current theatrical styles. Serving as a response to the original tale, it uncovers the parallels of current plight to the world a century ago.