While returning to his country, a poor soldier walks with his violin. He finds himself with the Devil, who offers him to change the instrument for a magic book with which he can make a fortune. The soldier accepts, but suddenly discovers that he has lost three years of his life and that his beloved ones have forgotten him. Thus, full of wealth but unable to find happiness, he will do everything possible to recover his violin – even if that means stealing from the Devil.
Restricted by the restrictions imposed by the war, Stravinsky conceived this work on the model of the traveling theater, with a reduced instrumentation that could be played everywhere. He created an accessible work for all and crossed multiple influences: tango, ragtime, pasodoble and even jazz.
Àlex Ollé (Fura dels Baus) will transmit all the dimensions of the work, from the most intimate to the most universal concept. Thus, he places the different stories of the soldiers of today in the heart of his creation, offering therefore a very contemporary reading of this centenary work: violence will be the metaphor of his soul.
