Don Quixote
Dramatic
Dramatic
Julius Massenet's fifteen-act heroic comedy. French libretto by Henry Cain. Like many other works featuring Don Quixote as the protagonist, Massenet's opera takes the plot and characters from Cervantes' famous novel as its foundation.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Originating from the golden age of classical ballet, Don Quixote is a vibrant example of Spanish ballet, characterized by fiery group dances, the use of castanets, fans, peas, roses, and combs in women's hairstyles. Despite its name, this is not an interpretation of Cervantes' novel. The plot and the reasons for the dances stem from just one of the many adventures of the clever hidalgo – the story of wealthy Camacho (Galter in the ballet) and his failed wedding to the beauty Kitri, who is in love with the young villager Basilio (Basil). Don Quixote is far from being the main character in the ballet; his role is that of a pantomime performer, with all dance performances dedicated to other characters.