Musical and visual art piece "L'Histoire du soldat" to be screened online

Carefully choreographed with the participation of Vietnamese and French artists, and conducted by Honna Tetsuji from Japan, the musical and visual arts work “L'Histoire du soldat” (The Soldier’s Tale) will be screened online instead of going on tour to many places, due to the impact of the epidemic.

Artists perform the work “L'Histoire du soldat” (Photo provided by the French Cultural Institute in Hanoi)
Artists perform the work “L'Histoire du soldat” (Photo provided by the French Cultural Institute in Hanoi)

The musical is performed by the French Cultural Institute in Vietnam in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO). The musical will be performed by musicians from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra and actors from the ATH Drama and Arts Space. The play is beautifully staged, imbued with illustrations by young artist Nguyen My Anh.

“L'Histoire du soldat” is the work of the great French-Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, with lyrics by the Swiss writer Charles Ferdinand Ramuz.

Launched 1918, the theatre work was composed for seven musicians and three reciters. It tells the story of a soldiers who chances upon the devil on the way home from war. The devil offers to buy his violin and in return give him a future-telling book which can make him the richest man in the world. But as the story goes on, the soldier only finds himself to be the most miserable due to the loss of the violin, his most valuable asset.

The musical and visual art "L'Histoire du soldat" was performed with the support of AIC Group and the Swiss Embassy within the framework of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Switzerland diplomatic ties.

In mid-April this year, the play was introduced to Hanoi audiences after a period of being staged by online form. According to the original plan, the show was to tour in a number of provinces and cities in Vietnam so that the public would have the opportunity to access this classic work of the world and enjoy the artistic talents of Vietnamese and international artists.

However, due to the prolonged epidemic situation with many cultural and art programs being cancelled, the French Institute in Vietnam in collaboration with its partners decided to introduce the musical in online form on Facebook pages and Youtube of the French Cultural Institute in Vietnam, the Embassy of Switzerland, the VNSO, and the ATH Drama and Arts Space.

The musical will be broadcast at 8 pm on October 23.