2021 / 2022 Main Hall the 9th Season
20 October * Wednesday * 7:00 pm
23 October * Saturday * 6:00 pm
Ludwig Minkus
Don Quixote
ballet in 2 acts (5 scenes) and a Prologue
Choreography by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky
Choreographer-Producer – Altynai Asylmuratova, People's Artist of Russia
Assistant Choreographers – Konstantin Zaklinsky, Honoured Artist of Russia / Yelena Sherstnyova
Music Director and Conductor – Arman Urazgaliyev
Conductor – Ruslan Baimurzin
Set Designer – Ezio Frigerio
Costume Designer – Franca Squarciapino
Projection Designer – Sergio Metalli
Lighting Designer – Jacopo Pantani
In 1869, Marius Petipa created a ballet based on the story, adapted from Cervantes's novel Don Quixote. Having travelled extensively in Spain, the choreographer got into the spirit and folk dance traditions of this country, and managed to bring their richness and originality to the stage.
However, Petipa, like many of his predecessors, used only two chapters from the second volume of this great literary source, which tell about the failed marriage of the rich Camacho (in the ballet - Gamache) and the beautiful Quiteria (Kitri), beloved of the village boy Basilio. In late December, the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre premiered the comic play, in which only Dulcinea performed pure classical dance, and other heroes performed character dances.
In 1871, Petipa created a new version of the ballet for the premiere at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg. In 1900, Alexander Gorsky staged a new production of Don Quixote. He kept the scenario plan and the base of Petipa’s choreography. Simon’s Spanish Dance and Nápravník’s Fandango were added to Minkus’s music. Gorsky did much to organize the crowd scenes in a new way to avoid ‘any traditional symmetry’. Korovin, Golovin and Clodt's innovative scenography was a success. It was this exact performance that became a classic example not only for the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, but also for many theatre stages worldwide.
ROLES AND PERFORMERS
20 OCTOBER
Kitri – Anel RUSTEMOVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Basilio – Arman URAZOV
Don Quixote – Zhanibek IMANKULOV
Sancho Panza – Bostan KOZHABEKOV
Espada, Lead Toreador – Zhanibek AKHMEDIYEV
The Street Dancer – Anastasia ZAKLINSKAYA
Lorenzo – Zhanadil BEISSEMBIYEV
Gamache – Rakhmetulla NAUANOV
Queen of the Dryades – Gulnaz ZHANAYEVA
* *
23 OCTOBER
Kitri – Shugyla ADEPKHAN
Basilio – Serik NAKYSPEKOV
Don Quixote – Zhanibek IMANKULOV
Sancho Panza – Ulan BEISSENBAYEV (first performance)
Espada, Lead Toreador – Galymzhan NURMUKHAMET
The Street Dancer – Adelina TULEPOVA
Lorenzo – Zhanadil BEISSEMBIYEV
Gamache – Ildar SHAKIRZYANOV (first performance)
Queen of the Dryades – Sofiya ADILKHANOVA
BALLET DANCERS AND ORCHESTRA OF THE ASTANA OPERA HOUSE
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (with one interval)
