Mill. Stage set by A. Ya. Golovin second act of Ludwig Minkus’s ballet “Don Quixote”

“’Don Quixote’ is a ballet that let its producer Gorsky make a statement of himself as the head of the company and determine the repertory policy. He took one of Petipa’s most popular ballets and made it his own… For the first time ever in a ballet the set design not only enabled the viewer to identify the venue, but also created the mood. The blinding sun, white stone of facades, grayish blue sky over the distant sea. The sensation of the heavy motionless afternoon heat is palpable… You had to feel Spain and absorb the spirit of the Spanish crowd to be able to create this backdrop for dances. Gorsky allowed the artist to lead him… The invasion of people was supposed to break this pretended calm. The bright spots of skirts, capes, fans, and bunch of flowers crossed and tumbled, spinning hither and thither.”