Search - Lon Minkus: Don Quixote [DVD Video] on DVD

A common man's point of view.

Richard Rawls | Dublin Ga USA | 08/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ballet lovers, This is the same ballet as the discontinued version which was distributed by Kultur....Minkus - Don Quixote / Ananiashvili, Fadeyetchev.... So, don't pay an inflated price for the discontinued version. This is an excellent ballet with very good color, a live orchestra and Russian conductor Alexsandr Sotnikov, Dolby 2.0 sound, beautiful sets and costumes, and only one scene where a black costume was filmed against a black background. It was recorded in Japan, in the 4/3 format, and the resolution is very good. Nina Ananiashvili plays Kitri/Dulcinea, and Aleksei Fadeyetchev plays Basilio. This is a comic ballet, and Nina and Aleksei are good at comedy. I have one other version of DQ with Baryshnikov/Harvey.....Don Quixote / Baryshnikov, Harvey, American Ballet Theatre.....and I like this version better. Remember, that is a personal opinion.

Nina Ananiashvili is simply fabulous as the tavern owners daughter Kitri. He wants her to marry a goofy but rich jerk named Gamache, but she is bound to marry the poor barber Basilio, so the self made knight errant Don Quixote, whose aim is to save all damsels in distress, saves Kitri from having to marry Gamache. This is a fun ballet from start to finish, with a grand pas de deux that is so good it is many times performed in mixed bill ballet events such as Essential Ballet...The Magic of Russian Ballet / The Nutcracker, Return of the Firebird, Petrushka, Scheherazade, Essential Ballet, Kirov Ballet....Don't confuse it with Essential Ballet by the American Ballet Theatre.

If you don't know Nina Ananiashvili, do yourself a huge favor and get to know her with this ballet. You'll fall in love with her as I did......Richard."