Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Frederic Franklin. Apr. 26 and May 2, 2000 [sound recording].

Author

Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013.

Publication

2000.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Moseley, Monica.
• Aloff, Mindy, 1947-
• Boris, Ruthanna.
• George Balanchine Foundation.

Description

2 sound cassettes (ca. 149 min.) +

Summary

• Cassette 4, side A, 04/26/00 (ca. 38 min.). This recording consists in substantial part of Frederic Franklin's comments as he looks at photographs of dancers and drawings of set designs as well as programs and musical scores shown to him at the interview. Franklin speaks about illustrations of the set of Tatiana Chamié's ballet Birthday; the designer Mstilav Doboujinsky [Rostislav Dobuzhinskiĭ]; Nana Gollner; the circumstances of the choreography of Birthday and more about Gollner; Ruthanna Boris's ballet Cirque de deux, including Patricia Wilde's joining the cast, the score, and circumstances of the work's creation [also see transcript at pp. 11-12 for follow-up interview with Ruthanna Boris for her account]; James Starbuck's ballet The comedians. [Ends abruptly.]
• Cassette 4 , side B, 04/26/00 (ca. 35 min.). Franklin speaks about the dancers Paula Tennyson and Lubov Roudenko; George Balanchine's ballet Concerto barocco, including the lack of set and costumes, casting, and difficulty of the choreography; later changes in the choreography; its lack of public success; performances by other companies; the ballet Coppélia, including the score; commentary on photographs of Alexandra Danilova, Alicia Markova, and other dancers in the role of Swanilda; the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's production and the dancers Tamara Toumanova and Mia Slavenska; Ninette de Valois's and the Camargo Society's production of Coppélia with Lydia Lopakova as Swanilda; the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's production of Coppélia with Danilova as Swanilda; the London production staged by Nicholas Sergeyev [Nikolai Grigor'evich Sergeev]. [Ends abruptly.]
• Cassette 5, side A, 04/26/00 (ca. 38 min.). Franklin continues to speak about the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's production of Coppélia; Pierre Roy's set; the solo Franklin created for Franz in Act III; dancing in the Sadler's Wells' production, including his creation of a solo for the finale; Nicholas Sergeyev; Franklin's staging of Coppélia for American Ballet Theatre; more on working with Sergeyev; Danilova's and Balanchine's version of Coppélia at the New York City Ballet; different conceptions of the role of Coppélius; ballets to be discussed at the next interview; Anatole Oboukhoff's Don Quixote pas de deux, created for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; more on ballets to be discussed at the next interview; [short gap followed by a brief discussion of Igor Youskevitch and his wife; ends abruptly.]
• Cassette 5, side B, 05/02/00 (ca. 38 min.). Franklin speaks about Balanchine's ballet Danses concertantes; circumstances of its creation, including its relationship to the musical comedy The song of Norway; rehearsing Danses concertantes with Danilova, the costumes; the effect of its success on Balanchine's career; performance and rehearsal anecdotes; the mural formerly at the Russian Tea Room of Franklin and Danilova; the film, now lost, made of Danses concertantes; Balanchine's work for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as a stepping stone to forming his own ballet company; the score for Danses concertantes. [Ends abruptly.]

Series Statement

Frederic Franklin Oral History Project

Alternative Title

Dance Oral History Project.

Subjects

• Concerto barocco (Choreographic work : Balanchine)
• Danilova, Alexandra, 1907-1997
• Boris, Ruthanna
• Comedians (Choreographic work : Starbuck)
• Cirque de deux (Choreographic work : Boris)
• Danses concertantes (Choreographic work : Balanchine)
• Balanchine, George
• Audiotapes > Franklin, F
• Coppelia (Choreographic work)
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
• Birthday (Choreographic work : Chamié)
• Coppélia (Choreographic work : Balanchine and Danilova, A after Petipa, M)
• Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013

Note

• Interviews with Frederic Franklin conducted by Monica Moseley and Mindy Aloff at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City, primarily on Apr. 26 and May 2, 2000. These interviews were recorded for the Frederic Franklin Oral History Project; the Project is a collaboration between the George Balanchine Foundation and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-2253 no. 4-5.
• The transcripts were prepared by the George Balanchine Foundation. The transcripts are edited versions of the recordings and may include material such as follow-up interviews, in person and by telephone, and explanatory notes, which are not included in the recording.
• Cassette 5 is marred by occasional extraneous noise.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Call Number

*MGZTC 3-2253 nos. 4-5

OCLC

NYPY04-R63

Author

Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Frederic Franklin. Apr. 26 and May 2, 2000 [sound recording].

Imprint

2000.

Series

Frederic Franklin Oral History Project

Performer

The transcript contains a follow-up interview with Ruthanna Boris, at pp. 11-12.

Local Note

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-2253 nos. 4-5

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2253 nos. 4-5

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Franklin, F.

Added Author

Moseley, Monica. Interviewer

Aloff, Mindy, 1947- Interviewer

Boris, Ruthanna. Interviewee

George Balanchine Foundation.

Research Call Number

*MGZTC 3-2253 nos. 4-5 sound cassettes

*MGZMT 3-2253 no. 4-5 transcript

*MGZTC 3-2253 nos. 4-5