Research Catalog

Title

The art of ballet [sound recording].

Author

Markova, Alicia, Dame, 1910-2004.

Publication

1968.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972.
• National Endowment for the Arts, 2008-2009.
• New York State Council on the Arts, 2008-2009.
• Oral history archive.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 84 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 41 min.). [Begins abruptly, with static; the speaker's voice gradually becomes intelligible.] Ted Shawn speaks about Alicia Markova's professional background, including the diversity of her roles (ca. 8:30 min.). Markova speaks about her life in ballet including the devotion required of an artist; her teachers Seraphine Astafieva [Serafima Aleksandrovna Astaf'eva] and Enrico Cecchetti in Monte Carlo with the Ballets russes; Serge Diaghilev including his approach to his dancers' training; her lessons in various types of dance, including Spanish dance with Argentinita; her education in music through dancing; her choosing ballet over pantomime [trails off and continues directly on disc 2].
• Disc 2 (ca. 43 min.). Alicia Markova continues to speak about her life in ballet, including her reminiscences of George Balanchine and his choreographing The song of the nightingale for her; [briefly] Nijinska [gap]; Balanchine's opera ballets; [briefly] Leonide Massine; her approach to creating the role of Juliet in Antony Tudor's Romeo and Juliet. The end of the talk is followed, after a brief gap, by a question and answer period in which Markova speaks about various topics including her research for her role as Juliet, working with choreographers, the relationship between student and teacher, Giselle, the role of the corps de ballet, and how she came to dance for Diaghilev.

Subject

• Markova, Alicia, Dame, 1910-2004
• Balanchine, George
• Cecchetti, Enrico, 1850-1928
• Ballets russes
• Romeo and Juliet (Choreographic work : Tudor)
• Audiotapes > Markova, A

Note

• Recorded February 27, 1968, probably in New York City.
• Sound quality is very poor, with a continuous hiss and occasional gaps, especially in the second half of disc 2. However, for the most part, Ted Shawn's and Alicia Markova's words are intelligible. The questions (other than those asked by Shawn) are at times unintelligible.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2008-2009 and the National Endowment for the Arts, 2008-2009.

System Details (note)

• Transferred from 1 sound reel (ca. 84 min.; 3 3/4 in. per sec. ; 7 in..; polyester; half track; originally recorded on Feb. 27, 1968) to wav file and compact disc formats in March and April 2009.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-22

OCLC

79105135

Author

Markova, Alicia, Dame, 1910-2004. Interviewee

Title

The art of ballet [sound recording].

Imprint

1968.

Funding

Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2008-2009 and the National Endowment for the Arts, 2008-2009.

System Details

Transferred from 1 sound reel (ca. 84 min.; 3 3/4 in. per sec. ; 7 in..; polyester; half track; originally recorded on Feb. 27, 1968) to wav file and compact disc formats in March and April 2009.

Local Note

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-22 nos. 1-2

Archive original: *MGZTO 7-22 Restored and rehoused following water damage in 2015.

Former call number: *MGZT 7-22.

Added Author

Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972. Speaker

National Endowment for the Arts, 2008-2009.

New York State Council on the Arts, 2008-2009.

Oral history archive.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-22