With Don Quixote in Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography, the Ballet Company of La Scala closed the season in the theatre’s splendid eighteenth‑century setting, where the poetry and atmosphere of this great production remain intact. Though the choreography dates back to 1966, it has been faithfully revived by Florence Clerc and preserved in its details. Yet the stage direction did not always match the joyful spirit that the ballet itself demands.
Marking the 25th anniversary of Nureyev’s passing, this La Scala production was streamlined into a prologue and three acts. By contrast, the Bolshoi Theatre’s first version in 1869 comprised a prologue, four acts, and eight scenes, while the Mariinsky Theatre’s 1871 version expanded to five acts and eleven scenes. This more sober and accessible staging places emphasis on the characters, enhanced by the Ballet Company and soloists, who displayed remarkable artistic professionalism and technical mastery.
Cast
Don Chisciotte: Giuseppe Conte
Sancho Panza: Gianluca Schiavoni
Lorenzo: Salvatore Perdichizzi
Kitri/Dulcinea: Nicoletta Manni
Basilio: Timofej Andrijashenko
Gamache: Riccardo Massimi
Due amiche di Kitri: Alessandra Vassallo, Caterina Bianchi
Una ballerina di strada:Martina Arduino
Espada: Marco Agostino
La regia delle Driadi: Virna Toppi
Amore: Antonella Albano
Uno zingaro: Antonino Sutera
Due zingare: Emanuela Montanari, Denise Gazzo
Il re degli zingari: Andrea Pujatti
La regina degli zingari: Daniela Siegrist
Solisti fandango: Martina Arduino, Marco Agostino
Una damigella d’onore: Maria Celeste Losa
Corpo di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala Milano
Allievi della Scuola di Ballo dell'Accademia Teatro alla Scala Milano
