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Igor Stravinsky's The Solider's Tale: Narration by Roger Waters

Igor Stravinsky's The Solider's Tale: Narration by Roger Waters

by Roger Waters Roger Waters
Igor Stravinsky's The Solider's Tale: Narration by Roger Waters

Igor Stravinsky's The Solider's Tale: Narration by Roger Waters

by Roger Waters Roger Waters

Overview

Stravinsky's "L'histoire du soldat," or "The Soldier's Tale," has been translated into English before, as well as other languages including Inuktitut. Something about its fusion of an ancient fiddle-and-devil story with the urgency of World War I has proven to be of broad appeal. But it's never had a treatment quite like the one it gets here from Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters. He uses an existing English translation by Michael Flanders, but he executes several additional layers of adaptation. First of all, he makes Stravinsky's homeward-bound soldier British, which in Waters' earthy British accent sounds like the most natural thing in the world. More challenging is his treatment of the text: where the original calls for three speakers to represent the soldier, the devil, and a narrator, Waters voices all three parts in the manner of a parent telling a story to children. In the action-packed tale by C.F. Ramuz, this would seem quite difficult to do, especially given the rampant changes in time signature, but Waters approaches the task with the necessary relish. He gets the necessary flexible support from a septet of musicians (the music is played straight) from the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. The CD booklet contains the text, which isn't really necessary, but says nothing about the genesis of the project. However, it's easy enough to see how it fits in with the major concerns of Waters' career. Sample anywhere with Waters speaking; the music is broken up into dozens of tiny sections for no good reason. Much more than the usual rock musician's vanity project.

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Product Details

Release Date: 11/09/2018
Label: Sony Masterworks
UPC: 0190758727325
catalogNumber: 19075872732
Rank: 178662

Tracks

  1. L'histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale), for 3 actors, dancer & 7 instruments

    1. Part I: The Soldier's March
    2. Part I: Slogging homeword...
    3. Part I: Airs by a Stream
    4. Part I: As you can hear...
    5. Part I: The Soldier's March (Reprise)
    6. Part I: Eventually, Joseph reaches his home village...
    7. Part I: Pastorale
    8. Part I: The Soldier, disconsolate...
    9. Part I: Pastorale (reprise)
    10. Part I: The Soldier, slowly coming back to himself...
    11. Part I: Airs by a Stream (reprise): To stretch out on the grass...
    12. Part I: Hey Satan, you bastard...
    13. Part I: Airs by a Stream (2nd reprise)
    14. Part I: Naught to be gained here...
    15. Part II: The Soldier's March (2nd Reprise): Down a hot and dusty track...
    16. Part II: He doesn't even know himself...
    17. Part II: The Soldier's March (3rd reprise) Will he take the road to home...
    18. Part II: He doesn't have a home anymore...
    19. Part II: The Royal March
    20. Part II: So all was arranged...
    21. Part II: Later that night...
    22. Part II: The Little Concert: Lights flood the eastern sky...
    23. Part II: The Soldier, with a confident Air...
    24. Part II: Three Dances: Tango, (part 1)
    25. Part II: Three Dances: Tango, (part 2)
    26. Part II: Three Dances: Waltz & Ragtime
    27. Part II: So first a Tango...
    28. Part II: The Devil's Dance
    29. Part II: The Devil, confused...
    30. Part II: The Little Chorale
    31. Part II: The Devil Recovers Some of his wits
    32. Part II: The Devil's Song: AlRight! You'll be safe at home...
    33. Part II: Hm, a fair warning...
    34. Part II: Grand Chorale, (part 1)
    35. Part II: Spring, summer, autumn...
    36. Part II: Grand Chorale, (part 2)
    37. Part II: Steady now...
    38. Part II: Grand Chorale, (part 3)
    39. Part II: Steady, Just smell the flowers...
    40. Part II: Grand Chorale, (part 4)
    41. Part II: Now I have everything...
    42. Part II: Grand Chorale, (part 5)
    43. Part II: The Princess, all excited...
    44. Part II: Grand Chorale, (part 6)
    45. Part II: And So, off they go...
    46. Part II: Triumphal March of the Devil

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