Dulcinea's variation music (don Q)

[silvy]

I would like to know if the music of Dulcinea's variation (act II - Don Q) is realy Minkus's or if it it Drigo's (as far as I know, the Queen of Dryad's one is Drigo's, for instance).

Just curiosity

Silvy

[Solor]

Dulcinea's music is, as far as I know, Minkus...the Variation for the Dryad Queen is credited to Anton Simon as far as I know. I have heard many versions (as far as orchestration goes) of both variations. In the Kirov Video (w/ Terekhova & Ruzimatov) Dulcinea's variation as well as the Dryad Queen's is lushly orchestrated compared to the versions available by the Sofia Orchestra on CD......the 2 CDs have the same versions orchestration-wise, conducted differently. If I were to guess, I would say that Drigo probably wrote the variation for Dulcinea (as he did compose the famous "fan" variation in the grand pas for Mathilde Kschessinska for the 1900 revival), considering the fact that the Kirov would have the original orchetrations (most likely) and Drigo was WAY better at orchestrations that Minkus, though as far as melody went they were equals. I think that the Sofia Orchestra got there music from the Bolshoi. I think that when the Bolshoi was staging the classics (b4 there were copy machines) they had the old scores copied by hand, and the copiers were probably lazy and didnt do EVERY instrument. I say this because I have on CD the Bolshoi Theatre Orchetra doin the Sleeping Beauty ACT III (a ballet I know inside out), and there a few little things missing as far as instrumentation goes (check it out on video to compare if u can cause the recording is long out of print).

Asa far as the Dryad Queens solo goes, WHO KNOWS? I think its by Minkus, it sounds so much like him!

[Mel Johnson]

(as he did compose the famous "fan" variation in the grand pas for Mathilde Kschessinska for the 1900 revival

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish I had as much confidence in this statement as you appear to. What's your documentation there? Just as the Dryad Queen's sounds like Minkus, I don't find that the fan variation sounds like Drigo. But now, we're dealing with a score that would be like Le Corsaire. It almost would be shorter to list who DOESN'T have music in it. In the Bulgarian recordings there's stuff by Soloviev-Sedoy and Asafiev. And whoever wrote that finale they use is definitely post-the rise of Ravel, harmonically. Minkus lived until the end of WWI, but he always wrote in a Biedermeier Persistence style.

[Solor]

I read it in a book that was about the old russian dancers. I dont remeber the name but I do remeber the things I found out about certain ballets, etc, as they performed long ago. In the section on Kschessinksa, there was a page n how she was alwasy wanting new solos, etc. and in her revivals, she would have many variations composed. amomng them, in a revival of don q, the fan variation. I dont know FOR SURE who really composed these solos. But it may be Minkus reorchestrated by Drigo! Or from another Minkus ballet put into Don Q and long forgotten where it came from. Either way, in its harp-solo orchestration, its such a lovely peice of music.

OH YEA - On my new Don Q CD (sofi orch w/ Todorov conducting on Naxos) it credits a variation to being written for Kschessinska, though is doesnt say which one.

hey you know how the Kirov does that extended intro in the beginning of the variation? anyone know why they do it and no one else?

[Mel Johnson]

Do you mean the longish harp cadenza? It's in the Pavlova score, and used to be used by many dancers as an intro to Kitri and her "prop" when the pas de deux was danced as an independent divertissement. Others didn't employ it using the justification that was "yard music" - just a musical doodad that doesn't add anything significant, an opinion with which I disagree.

[silvy]

Regarding the harp cadenza in Kitri's 3rd act pdd variation, I tend to agree with Mr Mel in that I think it really "shows off" the dancer, and gives a majestic touch to her solo. Also you need some sort of "entrance" music before you actually begin the dance in a classical variation.

In fact, I cannot imagine that solo without that initial harp cadenza.