Massenet's Don Quichotte has never quite established itself in the repertoire, not because of any deficit in the music, but because it's not immediately evident exactly what it is dramatically; is it a comedy or tragedy or some more subtle blend of the two? The last option seems to reflect the usual approach to it, which makes it a hard sell for audiences. Valery Gergiev clearly envisions it a comedy, though one with a poignant ending, and the certainty of his vision make this an exceptionally compelling and coherent ...
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Massenet's Don Quichotte has never quite established itself in the repertoire, not because of any deficit in the music, but because it's not immediately evident exactly what it is dramatically; is it a comedy or tragedy or some more subtle blend of the two? The last option seems to reflect the usual approach to it, which makes it a hard sell for audiences. Valery Gergiev clearly envisions it a comedy, though one with a poignant ending, and the certainty of his vision make this an exceptionally compelling and coherent presentation of the opera. His position is supported by the program notes, which point out the extent to which Massenet filled the score with tongue-in-cheek parodies of operatic conventions, such as his send-up of Gounod's pieties in the Don's fervent entreaty to the Chief of the Bandits. Gergiev's reading is energetically paced, and the vivacious playing and singing of the Mariinsky Orchestra and the Soloists' Ensemble of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers convey boisterous vitality....
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