Streaming file 1, side 1: Begins abruptly; Carolyn Brown and Marianne Preger-Simon speak with David Vaughan about dancer Joanne Melsher, including her roles in Banjo (1953) and Septet (1953), and reasons she left the [Merce Cunningham Dance] Company in 1955; more about Melsher, including performing with Merce Cunningham in a production of Brigadoon, and a solo she choreographed and performed with John Cage; they briefly speak about the dancers working with Cunningham prior to the 1953 formation of the Company; they speak about Minutiae (1954), including the original cast and subsequent versions with one less dancer; they speak about their memories of the 6th Avenue studio where Cunningham choreographed Minutiae; they speak about Springweather and people (1955), including its music by Earle Brown, Indices; they tell an anecdote about a performance of Suite by chance (1952) and speak about the challenges of dancing it; they speak about the Company activities during the summer of 1953, including memories of their time at Black Mountain College; more about Springweather and people, especially the movements they remember from it; they speak about the original costumes for Springweather by Remy Charlip and they list other works for which Charlip designed costumes; [brief recording breaks]; Preger speaks about spraining her ankle at Black Mountain College and being unable to perform opening night; they speak briefly about Anita Dencks having the mumps at Black Mountain; Preger speaks more about how she sprained her ankle in rehearsal for Dime a dance (1953); they speak about the short dances in Dime a dance including the dancers that performed each and later works which incorporated parts of Dime; they speak briefly about Cunningham's choreographic notes; Brown tells an anecdote about Charlip interviewing Cunningham for a Dance Magazine article; they speak about writing their respective books and how to include sensitive information; they speak briefly about Changeling (1957); [brief recording break]; they speak about Galaxy and each of the performer's roles in it; Preger-Simon recalls telling Cunningham she was leaving the Company and Brown tells an anecdote about missing Preger-Simon; they list the Company members that joined after Preger-Simon's departure; [brief recording break]; they speak about Fragments (1953); ends abruptly.
Streaming file 2, side 2: Begins abruptly; Carolyn Brown and Marianne Preger-Simon continue to speak with David Vaughan about Fragments (1953); they speak about reasons for works not being kept in the repertory especially Labyrinthian dances (1957), a revival of Antic meet (1958), Squaregame (1976), and Exchange (1978); Vaughan speaks about Charles Atlas's filming of Exchange; [brief recording break]; they speak about Merce Cunningham's solos, especially in Septet (1953) and Sixteen dances for soloist and a company of three (1951); [brief recording break]; they speak about the Company's residency at Connecticut College in the summer of 1958, including Cunningham's classes, and rehearsals for Antic meet and Summerspace (1958); Brown tells an anecdote about Cunningham's frustration with using a record in rehearsal for Septet and later, David Tudor's live playing of the music; Vaughan tells a brief anecdote about Tudor playing the music for Banjo (1953); they speak about Picnic polka (1957) including the movement style that references square dancing; they speak about the costumes for Labyrinthian dances by Robert Rauschenberg; they speak more about Banjo, the way Joanne Melsher danced it, and Melsher's strengths as a dancer; they speak about Remy Charlip as a dancer; Brown tells an anecdote about Charlip dancing with Cunningham in a performance; [brief recording break]; Brown speaks about a part of a costume by Charlip that was accidentally discarded and her wish to keep her original costume for RainForest (1968); [ca. 16:32, recording ends abruptly]; [ca. 16:33- , recording of unidentified chorus and orchestra music]; ends abruptly.
Alternative title
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.
David Vaughan interviews Carolyn Brown and Marianne Preger-Simon, likely in New York, New York on May 29, 1983. This interview was taken 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 cassette and container.
Handwritten note on original container: "Carolyn Brown Interview 1983". Handwritten note on original cassette: "1. Interview with Carolyn Brown and Marianne Preger, 29 May 1983".
Sound quality is mostly good; occasionally the speakers are some distance from the microphone and difficult to hear. There are a few moments of several other unidentified speakers on the recording.
Access (note)
Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.
Event (note)
Recorded in live performance.
Source (note)
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation
Linking entry (note)
Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.
Local note
Transferred from original analog cassette by George Blood Audio on March 26, 2015; two preservation files were created based on the cassette sides.
Title
Interview with Carolyn Brown and Marianne Preger-Simon ; and live performance of unidentified chorus and orchestra music, 1983-05-29.
Production
May 29, 1983.
Playing time
004526 004430
Type of content
performed music
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 May 29.
Recorded in live performance.
Restricted access
Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.