Roger Waters Narrates The Soldier’s Tale

The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters have come together to record a version of Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. The album, which is available on CD, vinyl LP, and download platforms was released by Sony Masterworks on October 26. It’s narrated by rock legend Waters and performed by seven musicians from BCMF.

The Soldier’s Tale, or L’Histoire du Soldat, is a 1918 work by Stravinsky with text by Swiss poet Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz. It was written to be read, played, and danced. The vibrant new version’s release represents the centenary of the composition, which is a generally-acknowledged masterpiece.

The collaboration between Waters and BCMF Founder and Artistic Director Marya Martin began more than 10 years ago. Martin, her husband and BCMF Board Chairman Ken Davidson, and Waters met on the East End and became friends in the early 2000s. In 2008, Martin chose to feature The Soldier’s Tale as part of BCMF’s programming, and she asked Waters to narrate it.

“In addition to being a musical innovator, Roger loves words,” she said. “I knew that his would be a fantastic, and convincing, voice to tell the story.”

Waters was captivated by the story of the doomed soldier. His grandfather had perished in WWI, and his father had died in combat in WWII. “Roger has adapted the English text into a version that is quite poetic, and so vivid,” said Martin.

“I’m hugely proud of it, and feel hugely honored to have been given the opportunity to be even part of the production,” said Waters in a video on the BCMF website. “I think it’s an amazingly beautiful piece of recording.”

The recording also includes Stephen Williamson on clarinet, Peter Kolkay on bassoon, David Krauss on trumpet, Demian Austin on trombone, Colin Jacobsen on violin, Donald Palma on bass, and Ian David Rosenbaum on percussion.

For more info visit www.bcmf.org.

jessica@indyeastend.com