While the First World War was tearing Europe apart and the Revolution was breaking out in Russia, Igor Stravinsky, exiled in Switzerland, composed "L?histoire du soldat" (The Soldier?s Tale), inspired by a traditional Russian tale and rewritten by Charles Ferdinand Ramuz. The first performance took place in 1918.
Who better than the Orchestre Régional de Normandie to take on this theatrical suite for small orchestra, whose vocation was to tour all types of venues in a context of war and scarcity: the project was in fact to create a small "itinerant theater, with means limited to the maximum, which could be easily transported from one place to another and presented in modest premises."
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), composition ? Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, libretto
L?histoire du Soldat
with a first part conceived by Adeline Caron and Benjamin Lazar and set to music by
Martin Matalon (b. 1958), composer in residence
original musical creation ? commissioned by the Orchestre Régional de Normandie 2023
Benjamin Lazar, text and direction
Alix Mercier, artistic collaboration
Yann Chapotel, video art
Adeline Caron, sets and costumes
Camille Mauplot, lighting design
Gérard Marie, sound manager
Maurin Ollès, the soldier
Pierre Maillet, the devil
Taya Skorokhodova, the narrator
Jean Deroyer, musical director
Orchestre Régional de Normandie
In coproduction with Théâtre de l?Incrédule
Martin MATALON, composer in residence at the Orchestre Régional de Normandie 2022-2024
In partnership with the Renaissance ? Mondeville as part of the project?s residency program
The Théâtre de l?Incrédule is subsidized by the Ministère de la Culture ? DRAC de Normandie and the Région Normandie for the "L?Entremonde" project project, and receives regular support from the Eure department, Odia, Spedidam, Adami, CNC and CNM. Benjamin Lazar is associate artist at the Maison de la Culture d?Amiens.
Source : ORN
