The Story of the Soldier - Michael Dangl & Munich Philharmonic

With members of the Munich Philharmonic & Michael Dangl
Naoka Aoki | Violin
Stepan Kratochvil | Double Bass
Alexandra Gruber | Clarinet
Johannes Hofbauer | Bassoon
Quirin Willert | Trombone
Thomas Oberleitner | Trumpet
Michael Leopold | Percussion
Michael Dangl | Recitation

An extraordinary evening of storytelling and music theater: the Austrian chamber actor Michael Dangl and six outstanding musicians from the Munich Philharmonic, led by concertmaster Naoka Aoki, will perform Igor Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale" in Gmunden.

The evening begins with Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." Dangl recites the story with exquisite linguistic artistry, giving it a new dimension, while the musicians surround and illuminate it in changing ensembles. This creates a poetic sound space that serves as an introduction directly into Stravinsky's work.

"The Soldier's Tale," conceived by Igor Stravinsky and the poet Charles Ferdinand Ramuz as a traveling theater piece during World War I, tells of a soldier's deal with the devil—a parable about temptation, greed, and loss that has lost none of its power and relevance to this day. In this special interpretation, Michael Dangl takes on all the speaking roles, combining dramatic intensity with fine humor and narrative lightness.

The ensemble of the Munich Philharmonic—with violin, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, trombone, trumpet, and percussion—unfolds Stravinsky's brilliant sound cosmos, ranging from march to tango, waltz, and jazz. Precision, virtuosity, and joy of playing make the performance a compelling total work of art that unites acting and music in rare intensity.

An evening of great radiance that merges Andersen, Stravinsky, and Ramuz into an extraordinary experience in Gmunden.