Isabelle Faust, Dominique Horwitz, Alexander Melnikov, Lorenzo Coppola - Stravinsky: The Soldier's Tale (English version). Élégie. Duo concertant

harmonia mundi

£14.51

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: HMM992671
Barcode: 3149020942857
Release Date: 27 Aug 2021
Genre: Classical

 Deeply scarred by the First World War and by the upheavals of the October Revolution in his homeland, Stravinsky found, with the help of the Swiss author Ramuz, a subject that resonated perfectly with his era.
 In this music theatre piece inspired by an old Russian folktale, The Deserter and the Devil, the composer of The Rite of Spring explored new paths in the last months of the First World War, which would soon lead him to a very personal form of neo-classicism.
 With this English version, in which Dominique Horwitz plays all the spoken roles in masterly fashion, the musicians assembled by Isabelle Faust have taken up the challenge of performing on instruments contemporary with the premiere.
 As a result, the work reveals its true personality and its immensely original colours, keen and biting.
 It is coupled here with two unjustly neglected gems by its composer, to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of his death.

Tracklisting
Élégie
Duo concertant: I. Cantilène
Duo concertant: II. Églogue I
Duo concertant: III. Églogue II
Duo concertant: IV. Gigue
Duo concertant: V. Dithyrambe
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene I: Marching Song
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene I: Phew… This isn't a bad sort of spot
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene I: Music to Scene 1. Airs by a stream
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene I: The Devil appears
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene II: Marching Song (reprise)
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene II: Hurray! Here we are!
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene II: Music to Scene 2: Pastorale
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene II: Ah, you dirty cheat! It's you!
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene III: Music to Scene 3. Airs by a stream (reprise)
The Soldier's Tale, Part I Scene III: Good to touch, good to feel
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene I: Marching Song (reprise)
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene I: Now he comes to another land
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene I: Royal March
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene II: It went off just as we thought it would
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene II: Little Concert
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene III: Three Dances: 1. Tango
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene III: Three Dances: 2. Waltz
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene III: Three Dances: 3. Ragtime
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene III: Dance of the Devil
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene III: Little Chorale
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene III: Devil's Song
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene IV: Great Chorale
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene IV: Suppose, suppose we went there!
The Soldier's Tale, Part II Scene IV: Devil's Triumphal March