Soldier's Tale, The

When the common man is faced with the devil´s temptation, can he make a deal with the devil and win? The soldier in this tale believes so, and tragically spends his life learning otherwise in this legendary fable. Igor Stravinsky´s masterpiece, an adaptation of a story told by a popular Russian folklorist of that era, was penned in 1918 as a commentary tainted by the climate in Russia at the time of the Revolution. In 1980, illustrator R.O. Blechman signed on to collaborate with PBS´ Great Performances series to adapt the composition to celebrate the centennial of Stravinsky´s birth.

This program went on to win the Emmy Award that year for Outstanding Individual Achievement, Animated Programming and is still celebrated as a visionary triumph.