Histoire du Soldat (The Soldiers Tale)

Igor Stravinsky (1843-1902)

Completed: 1918. First Performance: September 28, 1918, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ernest Ansermat, Conductor. Performing Forces: Three actors, two dancers, clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, percussion, violin, and bass. English version by Michael Flanders and Kitty Black. The First World War necessitated a drastic change in Igor Stravinskys compositional style. Prior to this universal devastation, his large-scale ballets, with their immense orchestras, expansive forms, and grand staging requirements, garnered much attention. Works such as The Rite of Spring, Firebird, and Petroushka, despite (or because of ) some famous controversy, were being performed throughout Europe and America, and Stravinsky was planning new works of similar magnitude. During the war, however, Stravinsky was exiled in Switzerland; the Ballet Russe contracted fewer and fewer performances; and Stravinskys concert pieces generated less and less revenue. In 1917, while working on French versions of some of his Russian vocal works, the composer and his similarly destitute friend, novelist C.F. Ramuz, conceived of a new type of production: a mobile theater piece incorporating music, drama, and dance. The work would call for a small ensemble, one which would be portable and fairly inexpensive. Immediately, the duo began working on the project. While Ramuz adapted a Russian tale of Faustian inspiration, Stravinsky composed music that would be suitable for the drama, yet also practical for a concert suite. Both artists wanted the production to be universal, so that all audiences, in large foreign cities and small local villages, could appreciate it. Ramuz accomplished this by placing the story in a timeless context, and by removing any Russian references. Stravinsky created a sense of universality by moving away from his large Russian sound, and incorporating music from Spain (Tango, Royal March), Vienna (Valse), Lutheran Germany (Petit Choral, Grand Choral), and even America (Ragtime). He could not, however, entirely abandon his homeland, as is evidenced by his reference to a popular Russian melody throughout Scene 1. Although the drama and the music were conceived by two different artists, and although the elements are kept separate throughout much of the performance, there remains enough integration to create a unified piece. The narrator and the devil both speak with the orchestra; the violinist of the orchestra becomes a third character (the soldiers soul); and the narrator, while mostly describing action to the audience, also plays the role of the soldier, the devil, and other ancillary characters. In addition, the spirit of Stravinskys score exemplifies the sardonic wit of the story. The first performance of Histoire received rave reviews, most importantly from the composer himself: It was a great success as a whole, thanks to careful execution, setting, and perfect interpretation. Unfortunately, Stravinskys dream of continued victory was shattered by the Spanish Influenza. Most of the original cast and crew came down with the debilitating illness, and the production was cancelled. Stravinsky would never hear another production that reached the level of the premiere.

Part One March du Soldat (Soldiers March). This martial music, featuring cornet and trombone, introduces a soldier on his way home for military leave. The bass keeps a steady, walking pace while the instruments above change metrical emphasis, creating rhythmic counterpoint characteristic of Stravinskys music. Before he has reached home, the soldier sits by a stream to take a break. Lamenting his dim financial outlook, he unloads his backpack and shares with the audience all of its contents: a mirror, a picture of his girlfriend, and his old brown fiddle. He immediately discounts the fiddle, yet pulls it out and plays. Petit Airs au Bord du Ruisseau (Airs by a Stream). The violin features prominently in this movement in which the devil enters and, hidden, listens to the soldier play. As the devil becomes more noticeable to the audience, other instruments join the violin, sometimes overshadowing and other times interrupting - signifying the ultimate demise of the soldiers soul. The devil strikes a deal with the soldier to trade the old fiddle for a book that promises untold fortune. He also convinces the soldier to follow him to a place with food, wine, and even Cuban cigars. The soldier agrees, but when he finally returns home after what he believes has been only three days, not even his mother recognizes him. It has actually been three years! Pastorale. This movement, with its slow tempo and gently undulating rhythm, reflects the soldiers sadness for the loss of his childhood friends and family. He is not yet angry, but rather realizes all that he gave up by following the devil. Stravinsky follows compositional tradition by relying on the clarinet to create an outdoor, pastoral scene. The soldiers anger rises when he reencounters the devil, who quickly reminds him of the riches promised in the book. The soldier begins to amass a fortune, but soon realizes that he is still empty inside. He mourns for the loss of simplicity, and we hear a reprise of Petit airs au Bord du Ruisseau. Again, the soldier stumbles upon the devil. This time, the devil is dressed as an old woman peddling wares. She pulls out the fiddle, and the soldier instantly offers to buy it. To the soldiers dismay, the fiddle will not play, for although he would purchase it with his own money, its music still belongs to the devil. Again, the soldier yearns for the days when all he had was his mirror, the picture of his girlfriend, and his fiddle. (A second reprise of Petit airs au Bord du Ruisseau.)

Part Two March du Soldat (Soldiers March). The opening music returns as the soldier, now a grown man, walks with no particular destination. At a local pub, he hears the kings proclamation That whatsoever man shall come and raise his daughter from her bed, that man, the fair princess shall wed! With prodding from a mysterious stranger, the soldier decides to take the king up on his challenge. March Royal (The Royal March). A regal trombone line opens this movement which depicts the soldiers brave march to the castle. Throughout the march, the clarinet, bassoon, and cornet provide ornamental flourishes while the violin remains accompanimental, symbolizing that even love with a princess will not recover the soldiers soul. While waiting for the king, the soldier once again recalls the joys of his former life. Perhaps if he returns his money to the devil, the Faustian transaction will be null and void. The narrator devises a plan to help the soldier lose all of his money to the devil in a game of cards. Predictably, the devil wins and thereby loses his power. The soldier rescues his fiddle. Petit Concert (The Little Concert). While the soldier celebrates his reclaimed fiddle, Stravinsky celebrates the technique of the violin. The violin plays assertive triple stops, legato double stops, and harmonics, all the while facing difficult rhythmic challenges such as meter changes and the aforementioned rhythmic counterpoint. Trois Danses (Three Dances): Tango, Valse, Ragtime. In these three vignettes the violin continues its virtuosity, playing glissandi, spiccato, challenging dynamics, lefthand pizzicato, and more demanding multi stops. In the story, this music brings the princess back to life and into the arms of the soldier. Danse du Diable (The Devils Dance). The devil returns to reclaim his fiddle, but loses control again when the soldier cleverly plays his violin, whipping the devil into a dance of contortion. The music features frenetic runs, even in the bass part which has heretofore been accompanimental. The devil falls from exhaustion, and the soldier and princess drag him off the stage. Petit Choral (Little Choral). This movement, which accompanies the embrace between the young lovers, sounds victorious at first. Brilliant string tremolos, an even 4/4 meter, and a homophonic texture all represent strength and glory. In the last two measures, however, the meter changes, the texture looses its consistency, the tremolos disappear, and the music fades away into the Couplets du Diable (The Devils Song), a short piece in which the devil warns the soldier to stay within his boundaries and be content with what he has.

Grand Choral (Great Choral). This movement, based on the Lutheran hymn tradition, recounts the moral of the story: No one can have it all, that is forbidden. You must learn to choose between. As in Petit Choral, the powerful opening gently fades to a surrendering pianissimo, and the devil is triumphant when the soldier once again succumbs to the temptation of having it all. March Triomphale du Diable (Triumphal March of the Devil). Harsh, accented music opens this finale and proclaims the devils victory. The music includes feverish gestures in the cornet, accented quarter-notes in the trombone and violin, and frequent interruptions by the full group. Towards the end, a disturbing 3/16 bar interrupts the even flow of the eighth notes. This rhythmic jolt is amplified by the entrance of the percussion, which alternates with the violin, eventually subduing it into silent submission. Erin R. Freeman program notes written 2003 for Peabody DMA recital