Research Catalog
Interviews with John Butler
- Title
- Interviews with John Butler [sound recording].
- Author
- Butler, John, 1920-1993.
- Publication
- 1972-1986.
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| Status | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person. | Audio | Use in library | *MGZTL 4-1611 | Performing Arts Research Collections - Dance |
Details
- Additional Authors
- De Mille, Agnes.
- Description
- 1 sound disc (ca. 57 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in.
- Summary
- Sound quality is very good in the Feb. 11, 1972 interview (tracks 1-4). It is fair in the Jan. 13, 1982 interview (tracks 5-8) in that the voice of John Butler is much softer, and there are frequent short gaps. Sound quality in tracks 9-13 (Jan. 13, 1982? and Feb. 20, 1986) is also fair in that the voices are louder and easily intelligible, but the recording is marred by a continuous extraneous hiss.
- Feb. 11, 1972, tracks 1-4 (ca. 16 min.). John Butler speaks with Agnes de Mille about Martha Graham including the poetic imagery with which she expressed herself; his difficulty with Graham technique including why he does not think it is ideal for men; the autobiographical nature of her roles, for example as in Letter to the world [short gap]; her volatile behavior, including anecdotes regarding his performances in her works Appalachian spring and The Punch and the Judy; her tendency to constantly change her choreography; his role in filming Graham's dances for television [ends abruptly].
- Jan. 13, 1982, tracks 5-8 (ca. 18 min.). John Butler speaks with Agnes de Mille about Graham technique including his difficulty with the falls; the different types of bodies different dance companies look for; Graham's rechoreographing of certain movements for Butler; her relationships with her dancers, in particular her possessiveness; her grief at Erick Hawkins' departure.
- Jan. 13, 1982? and Feb. 20, 1986, tracks 9-13 (ca. 23 min.). [Begins abruptly; may be continuation of Jan. 13, 1982 interview]. John Butler speaks with Agnes de Mille about working in other countries; Erick Hawkins; Merce Cunningham; briefly, Paul Taylor as a choreographer; working with Jerome Robbins in his work On the town; Bethsabée de Rothschild as a person; briefly, Graham's alcoholism [ends abruptly; from ca. 4:00 into track 12 through the end of track 13, recorded on Feb. 20, 1986; De Mille describes Martha Graham as she appeared at a speech De Mille gave at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance].
- Subjects
- Note
- Two interviews with John Butler conducted by Agnes de Mille on Feb. 11, 1972 and Jan. 13, 1982, respectively, as part of the research for her book Martha: the life and work of Martha Graham (c1991). The final ca. 5 min. of the recording, made on Feb. 20, 1986, consists of De Mille describing Martha Graham as she appeared at a speech De Mille gave at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.
- Call Number
- *MGZTL 4-1611
- OCLC
- 83492241
- Author
- Butler, John, 1920-1993. Interviewee
- Title
- Interviews with John Butler [sound recording].
- Imprint
- 1972-1986.
- Local Note
- Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-1611 no. 1-3
- Added Author
- De Mille, Agnes. Interviewer
- Research Call Number
- *MGZTL 4-1611