‘Il Fantastico Cavaliere Don Chisciotte della Mancia’

The Great Knight Don Quixote of ‘La Mancha’ is an Italian-language opera in four acts (prologue,
two interlude-ballets and ten scenes of lyric-ballet) composed during more than ten years (2000-
2013) by Matteo Fania to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Privitera.

Characteristics of this opera:

The originality of this work is based on two fundamental factors:

1. Libretto: the librettist Giovanni Privitera made a careful quixotic language translation,
from Castilian to vulgar Tuscan, and trough the study of the Luigi Pulci’s epic and
parodistic poem ‘Morgante’ he managed to adapt Castilian parody of Cervantes.
This opera is not intended as a philological staging but an open work that trough the
Quixote explores its dreamlike contents. Trough scenes and ballets appear the characters
of the books that he reads.

2. Music: The style of the music that accompanies this opera is called ‘Sensory
Composition’. This style was created by the composer and adapts to the characters'
personalities.
In this opera each character can express themselves trough a musical instrument, and
every instrument is solo.

Structure of the opera

Prologue
(Don Quixote’s dream)

Ballet inspired by the triptych painting ‘The battle of San Romano’ by the Florentine painter Paolo
Uccello, and by the Sonnet ‘Orlando Furioso to Don Quixote of La Mancha’ by Cervantes.

Interlude I
Ballet wherein is related the droll way in which Don Quixote had himself dubbed a knight.

ACT I
‘Scene I’
(Scena e romanza)
Don Quixote fighting with an imaginary magician Friston, guilty of the disappearance of his books
(ballet of the rejected books).

‘Scene II’
Don Quixote encounters Sancho for the first time.

‘Scene III’
(Dance of the windmills)
In which the narrative of the good fortune which the valiant Don Quixote had in the terrible and
undreamt-of adventure of the windmills.

ACT II:
‘Scene IV’
Great tavern scene ‘Coro e Aria’ of Maritornes and ballet called ‘The enchanted castle’.

‘Scene V
About what happened to the ingenious gentleman in the inn which he took for a castle.

Interlude II
Ballet ‘The enchanted helmet of the Moorish King Mambrino’.

ACT III:
‘Scene VI’
About the pleasant discourse that happened between Don Quixote and his Squire Sancho Panza.

‘Scene VII’
About the freedom Don Quixote conferred on several unfortunates who against their will were
being carried where they had no wish to go.

‘Scene VIII’
About the strange manner in which Don Quixote was carried away enchanted and Sancho is
involved in a soliloquy.

ACT IV (imaginary act):

‘Scene IX’
Ballet ‘Dance of the headknock’ and meeting between Don Quixote and Dulcinea del Toboso.

‘Scene X’
Ballet ‘The fagot aimlessly’ and conversation between Don Quixote and the Death.

Characters

Don Quixote, lyric tenor

Sancho Panza, baritone
Mad Orlando/bass-baritone
Maritornes/Dulcinea, mezzosoprano
The Death, dramatic basso profondo

Choir (4 or 8 tenor and 4 or 8 bass-baritone)

ballet (6 or 12 dancers)

Orchestra (15 or 45/60 musicians):

1 flute/piccolo 1 Bb clarinet/bass clarinet 1 oboe/english horn

1 bassoon 1 Bb trumpet 1 Horn in F
1 Trombone 1 piano 2 percussionist
2 violins 1 viola 1 cello
1 double bass
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Composer: Matteo Fania
Libretist: Giovanni Privitera