After the outbreak of World War I and also the spreading of flu, Stravinsky faced restrictions in the availability of orchestral opportunities. Substantial productions that could finance big orchestras were out of the question. Hence the Russian composer had to focus on chamber music. This didn’t stop his creativity, and Stravinsky worked on pieces for solo instruments or small ensembles. As the war went on, the composer — who had to provide food for a family of five including himself was left helpless.

He started thinking about how to overcome the situation and decided to write a new work called ‘L’histoire du soldat’(The Soldier’s Tale). A theatrical performance for a small ensemble and an actor. The plot tells the story of a soldier. He sells his fiddle to the devil in exchange for a book which reveals events that will happen in the future. And with this knowledge he becomes rich. He works under this restrictive circumstances, but Stravinsky seems to thrive in the lack of freedom.