Six streaming audio files (approximately three hours and 11 minutes): digital
Summary
Streaming audio file 1 (approximately 33 minutes) and streaming audio file 2 (approximately 33 minutes). Serge Lifar discusses his family background; World War I; his entrance into the ballet classes of Bronislava Nijinska in Kiev; joining the Ballets russes; Diaghilev's early artistic efforts; Paris triumph; the revolution in ballet.
Streaming audio file 3 (approximately 33 minutes) and streaming audio file 4 (approximately 33 minutes). Serge Lifar speaks about the repertoire of the Ballets russes; the "earth-bound" character period of the Ballets russes (Massine, Nijinsky, and the continuation of the tradition in the work of Béjart); his own training; studying with Cecchetti; Diaghilev's death; becoming director of the Paris Opéra Ballet.
Streaming audio file 5 (approximately 32 minutes) and streaming audio file 6 (approximately 27 minutes). Serge Lifar discusses his views on choreography; World War II; Hitler's reception at the Paris Opéra; Paris Opéra Ballet after the war.
Interview with Serge Lifar conducted by Theresa Bowers and Dale Harris on November 17, 1978, for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center [formerly the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts], in New York (N.Y.). The interview is conducted in the French language.
Sound quality is good.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Access (note)
Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
Funding (note)
The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.
Local note
Former call number: *MGZTC 3-736
Author
Lifar, Serge, 1905-1986, interviewee.
Type of content
spoken word
Type of medium
audio
Type of carrier
online resource
Digital file characteristics
audio file
Event
Recorded by Theresa Bowers and Dale Harris 1978, November 17 New York (N.Y.)
Original version
Original format: three sound cassettes (approximately three hours and 11 minutes); quarter-track; 1.875 ips; transferred to wav file and streaming file format in 2015: myd_mgztco3736_v01f01_sc, myd_mgztco3736_v01f02_sc, myd_mgztco3736_v02f01_sc, myd_mgztco3736_v02f02_sc, myd_mgztco3736_v03f01_sc, and myd_mgztco3736_v03f02_sc.