The Soldier's Tale

Michael Birkett's 1964 film offers a complete rendition of a very peculiar work—a combination of narration, melodrama, and ballet accompanied by what amounts to incidental music by Igor Stravinsky that displays the influence of folk tunes and American jazz, performed by an instrumental septet. The plot is based on a Russian fairy tale about a soldier who trades his violin to the devil in return for a book containing the secret of earthly success, only to learn that wealth and power do not necessarily bring happiness. He retrieves his fiddle by deliberately losing all of his money to the devil at cards, and uses the instrument to revive a beautiful princess and exhaust the Prince of Darkness by playing music. But the young man is unable to successfully recapture his former life. Stravinsky's cheeky score, which is often divorced from the narrative and played as an instrumental suite, is nicely presented here by the Melos Ensemble, but the audiovisual qualities are subpar, while the text—translated from the original French into doggerel English—is spoken in irritating sing-song fashion. Brian Phelan is adequate as the soldier, but Robert Helpmann, erstwhile star of the Royal Ballet who dances as the devil here in eight different guises, is gruesomely over-the-top throughout. Still, this mounting provides an uncommon opportunity to experience this inventive 1918 work by a major composer in its full form, not to mention a rare chance to see Svetlana Beriosova—longtime prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet—who dances the princess. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)