Roberto Gerhard - Don Quixote (1/5)

Robert Gerhard (born Robert Juan Rene Gerhard; 25 September 1896 - 5 January 1970) was a Spanish Catalan composer and musical scholar and writer, generally known outside Catalonia as Roberto Gerhard.

Don Quixote (original version 1940-41, rev. 1947-49)

1. Introduction

Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife conducted by Pablo Pérez

If the trumpet theme represents the man of flesh and blood, the abstractions which immediately follow represent the fantasy-world in which it becomes possible for Don Quixote to confuse his erstwhile love Aldonza Lorenzo - a peasant girl of easy virtue - with his courtly ideal, Dulcinea del Toboso. The cor anglais theme depicting his vision of Dulcinea serves to calm the "crazed" side of his imagination, and inspires him to set forth on his journey of knight errantry, accompanied by the faithful Sancho Panza. Burra's front cloth depicts them from behind, mounted on Rozinante and crossing the plain of la Mancha

~ David Drew (1982)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Roberto
• Gerhard
• Don
• Quixote