Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Patricia Bowman [and] Interview with Robert L. B. Tobin [sound recording], 1973 and 1975.

Author

Bowman, Patricia

Publication

1973 and1975

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Gruen, John
• Tobin, Robert L. B.

Description

2 sound discs (approximately two hours and 54 minutes.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (approximately 46 minutes). John Gruen introduces Patricia Bowman and describes her studio; Bowman speaks about her family background and early dance training; her professional debut in the opera Samson and Delilah; continuing to study while performing professionally; moving to New York City to dance in George White's Scandals; auditioning for Mikhail Fokine's ballet company [Fokine Ballet]; touring with the Fokine Ballet at Lewisohn Stadium; taking class with Fokine including a description of his studio; her infatuation with Fokine including an anecdote about another equally infatuated student.
• Disc 2 (approximately 46 minutes). Patricia Bowman continues to speak with John Gruen about taking class with Mikhail Fokine; some of his students including Lily Pons and Claire Luce; learning Fokine's The dying swan; Fokine's solo, created for her, entitled The Persian angel; his work Tennis, also created for her; Vera Fokina including anecdotes illustrating the closeness of Fokina's and Fokine's relationship; her dancing with Nicholas Daks for Roxy [Samuel Lionel Rothafel]; dancing with Tony De Marco as the Dancing De Marcos; more on Daks and dancing with him at the Roxy Theatre; working with Leonide Massine at the Roxy Theatre including his frequent references to Alexandra Danilova as a choreographic model [ends abruptly].
• Disc 3 (approximately 46 minutes). Patricia Bowman continues to speak with John Gruen about Leonide Massine; an anecdote about Alexandra Danilova; studying dance in Europe; returning to the United States and dancing at the Roxy [Theatre]; Lucia Chase, Richard Pleasant, and the Mordkin Ballet [the basis of Ballet Theatre, later American Ballet Theatre]; including her first impression of Mikhail Mordkin; classes with Mordkin; living and rehearsing at Lucia Chase's house in Rhode Island; dancing with Ballet Theatre including her roles; Anton Dolin's ballet Quintet; her relationship with Chase and their relationship with Mordkin; the popularity of Quintet; her reasons for leaving Ballet Theatre; her final performance, with Erik Bruhn at the 15th anniversary performance of Ballet Theatre; opening her dance school; her personal life; more on her family.
• Disc 4, tracks 1-2 (approximately 10 minutes). Patricia Bowman speaks with John Gruen about her work in television; her experience performing in cabarets and in arenas.
• Disc 4, tracks 3-10 (approximately 36 minutes). Interview with Robert L. B.Tobin conducted by John Gruen at the Spoleto Festival [Festival of Two Worlds] in Italy on June 27, 1973. [Begins abruptly.] Tobin and Gruen speak about Gian Carlo Menotti, his music, and the Festival as well as opera generally, including an anecdote about Jon Vickers and Tobin's own interest in directing.

Donor/Sponsor

Gift of John Gruen.

Alternative Title

Interview with Robert L. B. Tobin

Subjects

• Massine, Leonide, 1896-1979
• Festival of Two Worlds
• Fokine, Michel, 1880-1942
• American Ballet Theatre
• Bowman, Patricia > Interviews
• Ballet Theatre
• Fokina, Vera Petrovna, 1886-1958
• Audiotapes > Bowman, P
• Fokine Ballet (Company)
• Mordkin Ballet Company
• De Marco, Tony, 1898-1965
• Roxy Theatre (New York, N.Y.)
• Tobin, Robert L. B > Interviews
• Menotti, Gian Carlo, 1911-2007
• Chase, Lucia, 1897-1986

Note

• Interview with Patricia Bowman conducted by John Gruen in Bowman's home and studio in New York City on November 23, 1975 (discs 1, 2, and 3, and disc 4, tracks 1-2: approximately two hours and 18 minutes). The interview was conducted as research for an article in Dance Magazine. Tracks 3 - 10 of disc 4 (approximately 36 minutes) contains part of an interview conducted by John Gruen with Robert L. B. Tobin at the Spoleto Festival [Festival of Two Worlds] in Italy on June 27, 1973. This interview was probably conducted as part of Gruen's research for his book Menotti: a biography (1978).
• Sound quality of the interview with Patricia Bowman is fair. The interviewer's voice is often soft, and the recording is marred by extraneous noise including tape hiss as well as occasional short gaps. The sound quality of the interview with Robert L. B. Tobin is good overall. This recording is also marred by extraneous noise and frequent short gaps.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-395

OCLC

83791740

Author

Bowman, Patricia, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Patricia Bowman [and] Interview with Robert L. B. Tobin [sound recording], 1973 and 1975.

Production

1973 and1975

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Event

Recorded by John Gruen 1973 and 1975, Spoleto, Italy and New York, New York

Original Version

Original format: two sound cassettes (approximately two hours and 54 minutes); 1 7/8 ips. originally recorded on November 23, 1975 and on June 27, 1973; transferred to wav file and compact disc formats in 2013.

Local Note

For edited transcript of interview with Patricia Bowman see: *MGZMT 3-395.

Former classmark: *MGZTC 3-395

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Added Author

Gruen, John, interviewer.

Tobin, Robert L. B., interviewee.

Gruen, John, donor

Added Title

Interview with Robert L. B. Tobin

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-395