Don Quixote

De La Mancha

Don Quixote by Richard Strauss

Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character

I wrote about this piece for class last semester, and it seems like it would be a shame to let all that thinking and writing go to waste. Plus, it's a nice, long composition that's easy to throw on for a killer study session.

Don Quixote is a tone poem, which means that it was created to tell the story of a written work. In this case, it's based on Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

If you read up on it, the piece is composed very thoughtfully. It begins with the statement of the theme, followed by ten variations that correspond to chapters of Cervantes's novel, and finishes with an epilogue.

Each instrument is tied to a certain character. Sancho Panza is represented by the solo viola, Dulcinea by the oboe, and Don Quixote himself by the cello. The rest of the ensemble, made up of not only traditional orchestral instruments but also strange noisemakers such as wind machines and odd techniques on brass that mimic the bleating of sheep, build the scenes in which the characters live.

When it was first performed, the piece was given a hard time for these experimental sounds, but I think it aged well.

If you're familiar with Don Quixote, I highly recommend listening to the whole piece and trying to follow the story. Hint: Variation I depicts the famous windmill scene.

Overview:

Genre:
Tone Poem / Orchestral

Verdict:
pretty amazing