Teatime Music - The Soldier’s Tale

Our Teatime Music series closes with a diabolical slice of devilish dealing, The Soldier’s Tale, with a wickedly brilliant score by Stravinsky depicting the story of a Russian soldier and the fiddle so coveted by the devil, brought to life by The English Chamber Orchestra, and its leader Stephanie Gonley.

ased on the Russian folk tale The Runaway Soldier and the Devil, The Soldier’s Tale tells the story of the soldier Joseph, who on his way home on leave, trades his beloved violin to the Devil in exchange for untold earthly riches, only to find them cold comfort for what he has lost. Can Joseph summon more cunning than the devil to win it back?

Stravinsky’s evocative score, premiered in 1918, and scored for ensemble and narrator, draws on wide influences to portray the twists and turns of fate, from flashes of pomp and triumph, to bleak loneliness, and of course, the diabolical strains of the devil’s music.

Tickets £10