Customer Reviews

Minkus - Don Quixote / Ananiashvili, Fadeyetchev

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This ballet is still available through a different vendor, and it is the same great version filmed in Japan.....Léon Minkus: Don Quixote [DVD Video]....w/Nina Ananaishvili and Fadeyetchev, so don't pay an inflated price for it.

P.S. The above (ASIN:B0015RB718) is not now (1-1-2010) being shown as a discontinued version, but was when this review was written. So, there are two vendors for it, but check them both for price.

I bought this ballet to see the two principle dancers Nina Ananiashvili and Fadeyechev because I think they dance well together. I was not disappointed in their dancing, however, I only have this one copy (of Don Quixote) so I have nothing to compare it to. I was not impressed with the acting of the Don Quixote character, however, and it took me several viewings to figure out what is taking place on the stage. Also, I have not had the urge to replay it just to hear the music again. Is this the same Minkus as La Bayadere? One is called Ludwig Minkus (La Bayadere) and the other is called Leon Minkus on the album covers.

One thing I noticed was that the producers of these ballets are not above changing an act after a live production and inserting a correction, perhaps because of a mistake made during the performance. When Nina does her fouettes, there is no sign of Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza behind her, as there is in the scenes just before and after. Whatever the case may be, she is the epitome of beauty and grace when she is performing. I believe I read somewhere that the fouette is considered circus, if so, give me circus because I just love to see any ballerina do the fouette. Nina is an expert with that movement. I noticed Darcey Bussell did a few in the Royal Ballet production of Sylvia Delibes: Sylvia. (Please be careful and do NOT confuse the
Royal Ballet version with the Paris Opera Ballet version) If you do not have this ballet, (Royal Ballet) please do yourself a huge favor and get it. It's worth every penny they ask, for the sumptuous color, sets, and music. Delibes music is as good as anything Tchaikovsky wrote, and that goes for Coppelia also The Australian Ballet - Coppelia. Two ballets you HAVE to have.

But, I digress, as we were reviewing Don Quixote, weren't we? I got the answer to my question concerning Minkus above. They are the same man, there being a little confusion as his name passed down through history. I find that his music grows on me as I listen to it more and more. Even Tchaikovsky's music had to grow on people as history tells us that his Swan Lake score was not well received at first and now it is the worlds most beloved music. I will replay Don Quixote now just to hear the music.

This copy of Don Quixote is worth being owned by you for the very reason I bought it, to see Nina Ananiashvili and Fadeyechev dance and act together. By the way, this is a comedy and they are quite good at comedy. You won't find more color in any ballet than this especially in the town market scenes with the Toreadors and Spanish girls in their colorful dresses and capes. The tavern scene is a little dark as they are trying to film people dressed in black against a black background but still quite a lot of color even there. One of the best dances in this DQ is danced by the quartet of card players, especially the girl. She is fabulous. The windmill scene and the dream scenes were also very well done, but the ballroom scene was really grand. Of course this is where the fouette movements seem to have been inserted at a later date. I recommend this copy of Don Quixote.....Richard.

Numerous attempts were made to adapt a literary work of Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes Spanish for more diveversos genres. With the theme we operas, symphonic poems, suites and ballet. Some were very successful, so born masterpieces as the opera Don Quichotte by Jules Massenet and the symphonic poem Don Quixote by Richard Strauss.

The ballet Don Quixote composed by Leon Minkus buddy and choreographed by Marius Petipa eternal has the Spanish climate, feels the heat in the music of the Mediterranean, her dances that arise in transporting to medieval Spain. Simplistic for the most part, it lacks the depth that the original work. Nothing comic satire, the humor often acid and critical society. A constant presence in the book of Cervantes and totally absent in this ballet. We have more dances and Spanish dances, beautiful numbers that are repeated and not going anywhere.

The permanence of this ballet in the world repretório is due to the high degree of technical difficulty of their numbers, able to impress the public led him often to delírio.Toda great dancer likes to show off his virtuosity and technique, Don Quixote is ideal for this purpose . It really helped consolidate this ballet the great views of the Kirov and the Bolshoi in the West.

The weakness is the libretto, the plot of the novel 6, merely telling a silly story of love between Kitri and Basilio. Love that prohibited the father of the girl who wanted to marry her to the rich merchant Gamache. Don Quixote appears in Barcelona and becomes in his imagination Kitri in his beloved Dulcinea. He dreams of her, chasing her face mills and she falls in love with Basilio. The main character in Cervantes' masterpiece Don Quixote becomes secondary in this ballet.

Nina Ananiashvili dances so lush all your numbers, overcome with bravery, lightness and style of their own technical difficulties of ballet. Ballerina with its own light that enchants the audience. Fadeiechev dancer Alexei is Russian-style, classic, unique technique and broad jumps. It has the charisma and the interpretation that Mikhail Baryshnikov has impressed this ballet. Highlights of both is to gran pax de deux in Act IV, there is applause.

The production set up sets and costumes simple and correct. Recording image and sound good, we were in 1992, from the digital age. The DVD selection by chapters back, which helps a lot to choose certain part of the work

Don Quixote is a ballet virtuoso, with large numbers, which infect and raise the viewer. His story makes the gentleman crazy in the background and put a couple of romantic love to drive the play. Ask Fraquesas only in the libretto that closely resembles the novel of 6 global silly romance with a happy ending.



Don Quixote- Ballet com enredo de novela das 6!

Inúmeras foram as tentativas de se adaptar a obra literária Don Quixote do espanhol Miguel de Cervantes para os mais diveversos gêneros musicais. Com o tema temos óperas, poemas sinfônicos, suites e balé. Algumas foram muito bem sucedidas,nasceram assim obras primas como a ópera Don Quichotte de Jules Massenet e o poema sinfônico Don Quixote de Richard Strauss.

O balé Don Quixote composto pelo amigão Léon Minkus e coreografado pelo eterno Marius Petipa tem o clima espanhol, sente-se na música o calor do mediterrâneo, dela afloram danças que nos transportam para a Espanha medieval. Simplista em sua maioria , lhe falta a profundidade que esta na obra original. Nada do cômico, do satírico, do humor muitas vezes ácido e da crítica a sociedade. Presença constante no livro de Cervantes e totalmente ausente nesse balé. Temos danças e mais danças espanholas, belos números que se repetem e não vão a lugar algum.

A permanência desse balé no repretório mundial se deve ao alto grau de dificuldade técnica de seus números, capazes de impressionar o público levando-o muitas vezes ao delírio.Toda grande bailarina gosta de mostrar seu virtuosismo e técnica, Don Quixote é ideal para esse fim. Ajudou muito a consolidação desse balé as grandes exibições do Kirov e do Bolshoi no ocidente.

O ponto fraco é o libreto,com enredo de novela das 6, se limita a contar uma historinha boba de amor entre Kitri e Basílio. Amor esse proibido pelo pai da moça que queria casá-la com o rico comerciante Gamache. Don Quichote aparece em Barcelona e transforma em sua imaginação Kitri em sua amada Dulcinéia. Sonha com ela, corre atrás dela enfrentando moinhos e ela acaba se casando com Basilio. De personagem principal na obra prima de Cervantes Don Quichote passa a ser secundário nesse balé.

Nina Ananiashvili dança de forma exuberante todos seus números, supera com bravura,leveza e estílo próprio as dificuldades técnicas do balé. Bailarina com luz própria que encanta a platéia . Alexei Fadeiechev é bailarino de estílo russo, clássico, de técnica ímpar e saltos largos. Não tem o carisma e a interpretação que Michail Baryshnikov imprimiu a esse balé. Destaque de ambos é para o gran pax de deux do quarto ato, haja palmas.

A produção montou cenários e figurinos simples e corretos. Gravação com imagem e som boa, estavamos no ano de 1992, longe da era digital. O DVD trás seleção por cápítulos , o que ajuda muito a escolher determinada parte da obra

Don Quixote é um balé virtuoso, com grandes números , que contagiam e levantam o espectador. Sua história deixa o cavalheiro maluco em segundo plano e põe um par romântico apaixonado para conduzir a peça. Peca apenas na fraquesa do libreto que lembra muito a novela das 6 global, romance bobo com final feliz.

Ali Hassan Ayache

This performance has just been re-released at three times the price. Get this original version, enjoy the wonderful dancing, and make your mother proud of your shopping ability. Ananiashvili is the star and deserves all the superlatives you can think of. Fedeyetchev is a powerful dancer and a pleasure to watch, although his acting is not as engaging as Nina's. But the performance is enjoyable throughout with no let-downs or disappointments. Watch for the Hedy Lamarr-like dancer in the gypsy camp.