- Additional Authors
- Found In
- Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.
- Description
- 2 streaming audio files (49 minutes total) : digital, stereo
- Summary
- Streaming file 1, side 1: Begins abruptly; Jean Erdman speaks with David Vaughan about Credo in us (1942), the duet she created with Merce Cunningham; performing Credo in us at Bennington College, in New York, and at the Arts Club of Chicago; they speak about the change of title for Cunningham's Renaissance testimonials (1942); they speak about the photographs taken for the Bennington Concert and the costume design drawings for Credo in us by Charlotte Trowbridge; Erdman describes a lift in Credo in us; briefly, more on their shared concerts including the opening dance, Seeds of brightness (1942), and their improvised piece, Ad lib (1942); [brief phone interruption]; Erdman continues to speak about the choreographic structure for Ad lib that was based on jazz music and improvisation; more on the music and rehearsals for Ad lib; Erdman speaks about the concert at the Arts Club of Chicago including her solo works, Transformations of Medusa (1942), Forever and sunsmell (1943) with a score by John Cage, and Creature on a journey (1945) with a score by Lou Harrison; [brief phone interruption]; Erdman speaks about Cage writing the music for Credo in us while staying at her apartment; more on Credo in us, including the relationship between the choreography and Cage's composition, and the underlying narrative; Vaughan relates the Credo narrative with Cunningham's Four walls (1944) and speaks about how Cunningham titles his works by referencing [James] Joyce; Erdman speaks about how Xenia [Cage] knew her husband Joe [Joseph Campbell] prior to all of them living in New York; Erdman briefly speaks about Cage teaching composition classes at her dance studio; Erdman tells an anecdote about the music during a performance of a series of five "Serenades" directed by Cunningham at the Museum of Modern Art in 1943; she speaks about the encouragement from Cage and Campbell to do a concert with Cunningham outside of [Martha] Graham's [Dance] Company; her enjoyment of dancing with Cunningham and his physical energy; Erdman speaks briefly about Cunningham joining the Graham Company; she speaks about Graham's choreographic process, including changes over time that allowed for dancers to add their own input of movements; she speaks about meeting Graham as a student at Sarah Lawrence College; ends abruptly.
- Streaming file 2, side 2: Begins abruptly; Jean Erdman continues to speak with David Vaughan briefly about the dance classes and styles she was exposed to while growing up in Hawaii; she speaks about Erik Hawkins teaching the first ballet classes at the Martha Graham [Dance] studio; she speaks about how John Cage persuaded Merce Cunningham to not join a ballet company; briefly on the friendships and artistic conversations between herself, Joseph Campbell, the Cage's and Cunningham; she speaks about Campbell's interest in Finnegans Wake; [brief recording break]; they speak about how Campbell's interest in James Joyce's writings may have been influential on Cunningham; she speaks about the opera idea that Cage suggested to Campbell, but never completed, that marked the end of Cage's era of "expressive music" into exploring "chance"; Erdman speaks about commissioning music from Cage for her dances, including her Ophelia (1946); she speaks about introducing David Tudor to Cage; the jazz based inspiration for her Portrait of a lady (1952) and Cage's creation of an eight-track electronic piece using her jazz records, Imaginary landscape [no. 5] (1952); she tells an anecdote about a performance of Portrait of a lady at Hunter College; briefly, a current reconstruction of Portrait of a lady; Erdman speaks about working with Cage to create prepared piano music for her Daughters of a lonesome isle (1945), and the chant and percussion music for her Forever and sunsmell (1943); they speak about the score for Cunningham's Seasons (1947); ends abruptly.
- Alternative Title
- Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.
- Subjects
- Sound recordings
- Interviews
- Music and dance
- Improvisation in dance
- Choreography
- Transformations of Medusa (Choreographic work : Erdman)
- Seeds of brightness (Choreographic work : Cunningham and Erdman)
- Portrait of a lady (Choreographic work : Erdman)
- Ophelia (Choreographic work : Erdman)
- Forever and sunsmell (Choreographic work : Erdman)
- Credo in us (Choreographic work : Cunningham and Erdman)
- Creature on a journey (Choreographic work : Erdman)
- Ad lib (Choreographic work : Cunningham and Erdman)
- Martha Graham Dance Company
- Joyce, James, 1882-1941 > Finnegans wake
- Erdman, Jean > Interviews
- Cunningham, Merce, > dancer
- Campbell, Joseph, 1904-1987, > writer
- Cage, Xenia, > artist
- Cage, John > Imaginary landscape, no. 5
- Cage, John > Forever and sunsmell
- Cage, John, > composer
- Genre/Form
- Interviews.
- Sound recordings.
- Note
- David Vaughan interviews Jean Erdman in her apartment in New York, New York, on June 8, 1983. This interview was created as research for David Vaughan's book, Merce Cunningham: Fifty years (New York, Aperture).
- Title and date provided by cataloger based on audition and handwritten note on original container and cassette.
- Handwritten note on original container and cassette: "1: David Vaughan: Interview with Jean Erdman ; 8 June 1983 ; New York".
- Sound quality is good; there are some distant background sounds.
- Access (note)
- Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.
- Source (note)
- Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation
- Linking Entry (note)
- Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.
- Call Number
- *LTC-A 1443
- OCLC
- 913959541
- Author
Erdman, Jean, interviewee.
- Title
Interview with Jean Erdman, 1983-06-08.
- Production
June 8, 1983.
- Playing Time
003125 001708
- Type of Content
spoken word
- Type of Medium
audio
- Type of Carrier
audiocassette
online resource
- Digital File Characteristics
audio file
- Event
Recorded in, New York, New York, 1983 June 8.
- Restricted Access
Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.
- Original Version
Archival original: (1 audio cassette (49 minutes) : analog) in *LTC-A 1443.
- Linking Entry
Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.
- Local Note
Transferred from original analog cassette by George Blood Audio on March 25, 2015; two preservation files were created based on the cassette sides.
- Source
Gift; Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, 2011-2012.
- Connect to:
- Added Author
Vaughan, David, 1924- interviewer.
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, donor.
- Added Title
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.
- Found In:
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.
- Research Call Number
*LTC-A 1443