by Igor Stravinsky
Translated as “The Soldier’s Tale,” Histoire du Soldat is a 1918 theatrical work based on a Russian folk tale written by Igor Stravinsky.
Joseph, a Russian soldier, barters with the devil and trades his fi ddle and three days of lessons for a book that is said to contain untold wealth. Unfortunately, bartering with the devil exacts its price.
After three days, Joseph returns to his town. When he reaches his fi ancée’s home, he sees her inside with her husband and children and realizes that three years, not three days, have passed.
Joseph leaves everything he knows, because there is nothing left there for him. He has untold wealth, but he has no happiness, and he can no longer play the violin. An army buddy convinces him to set out on a journey to create a new life for himself and to save the King’s sick daughter, wake her from her forever sleep and to have her hand in marriage.
When Joseph learns that the devil only controls him as long as he has the devil’s money, he loses all his wealth to the devil in a card game and is free.
Able to play the violin again, he awakens the princess, and his new life happily begins – but the devil hates to lose. With a new life to explore, perhaps he can defeat the devil one more time.
November 20-23
O'Connell Theatre