Research Catalog

Title

Jerome Robbins' notes on his planned film Nijinsky. Nov.-Dec. 19 1968 [sound recording]

Author

Robbins, Jerome.

Publication

1968.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Drummond, John, 1934-
• Karsavina, Tamara.
• Rambert, Marie.
• Sokolova, Lydia, 1896-1974.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 100 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 60 min.) [Recording begins with a screeching sound; rest of recording contains extraneous noise.] Jerome Robbins outlines various ideas for a planned film on dancer Waslaw Nijinsky. [Abrupt break; loud beep.] In a recording verbally dated Nov. 9, 1968, Robbins discusses his interview with Marie Rambert, including his impressions of her home and personal appearance. He relays in detail her impressions of Nijinsky, including her feelings about Nijinksy as a person and a dancer, his marriage to dancer Romola de Pulszky, his genius and his choreographic process in the ballet Afternoon of a faun (1912). Robbins continues to discuss Ramberts' impressions of Nijinsky, including his view of ballet and what she learned from him. Robbins discusses his offer of financial support for Rambert's dance company and his further impressions of her [break at ca. 28 min. into the recording].
• Robbins resumes with detailed notes on technical aspects of his film Nijinsky, including its shots, camera angles and filming techniques [pause ca. 39 min. into the recording]; Robbins reads aloud from transcripts of interviews with dancers Marie Rambert, Lydia Sokolova and Tamara Karsavina from the television program Diaghilev concerning their experiences and impressions of Nijinksy as a person, as a choreographer of the ballets as Apres-midi d'un faune (1912), Sacre du printemps (1913), Jeux (1913) and a dancer in Michel Fokine's Spectre de la rose (1911).
• Disc 2 (ca. 41 min.) [Begins abruptly.] Robbins continues reading the interview transcripts from the television program Diaghilev [stops abruptly]. Robbins resumes making notes on his film's main characters: Nijinsky, Serge Diaghelev and de Pulszky. Robbins discusses Nijinsky's attitude toward his work as dancer and choreographer; Diaghilev's genius as a producer and his role in developing Nijinsky's career; Diaghilev's compulsion to achieve his aims and his possessiveness of Nijinsky [pause]; how he will portray Diaghilev and Nijinsky in the film; [loud sound at ca. 21 min.].
• Robbins continues with more on Nijinsky's and Diaghilev's relationship and Diaghilev's role in making a name for Nijinsky; Nijinsky's feelings about his fame in connection with Diaghilev; the publicity of their relationship and Nijinsky's seeming lack of independence [loud noise at ca. 28 min. into the recording]; the "tragedy" of Nijinsky's life and his marriage to de Pulszky as a reaction to events in his life; how Robbins will portray Nijinsky in the film; more on Nijinsky's relationship with Diaghilev; his marriage and his spirituality. Robbins discusses his desire to portray his characters sympathetically rather than stereotypically; more on how he will interpret Nijinsky's life in the film.

Donor/Sponsor

Oral History Archive.

Series Statement

Jerome Robbins Collection

Subjects

• Ballet in motion pictures, television, etc
• Rambert, Marie
• Nijinsky, Romola de Pulszky
• Diaghilev, Serge, 1872-1929
• Audiotapes > Robbins, J
• Nijinsky, Waslaw, 1890-1950 > Criticism and interpretation
• Ballets russes

Note

• Recorded on Nov. 9, 17 and Dec. 1968. The recording contains Robbins' notes for his planned film project, Nijinsky, including interview notes with Marie Rambert and his reading of interview excerpts with various dancers taken from transcripts of the BBC-TV television program, Diaghilev (1968).
• Handwritten on reel 1: J.R. on Nijinsky film recorded in London Nov. 17, 1968; handwritten on reel 2: JR on Nijinsky-New York Dec. 1968 Dolin Interview.

Access (note)

• Permission required.

Funding (note)

• Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biography (note)

• The film, Nijinsky, also known as The dancer, is an unproduced project by Jerome Robbins. Additional materials relating to this work can be found in the Jerome Robbins Papers at The New York Public Library, see (S)*MGZMD 130.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3106 JRC

OCLC

NYPT03-R40

Author

Robbins, Jerome.

Title

Jerome Robbins' notes on his planned film Nijinsky. Nov.-Dec. 19 1968 [sound recording]

Imprint

1968.

Series

Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

Permission required.

Funding

Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local Note

For videotape of the television program, Diaghilev, BBC-TV and Bavarian TV co-production written and produced by John Drummond and narrated by Peter Ustinov, see *MGZIC 9-3410.

Biography

The film, Nijinsky, also known as The dancer, is an unproduced project by Jerome Robbins. Additional materials relating to this work can be found in the Jerome Robbins Papers at The New York Public Library, see (S)*MGZMD 130.

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTO 7-3106 JRC

Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3106 JRC

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3106 JRC

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.

Added Author

Drummond, John, 1934- Author. Producer

Karsavina, Tamara. Author in quotations or text abstracts

Rambert, Marie. Author in quotations or text abstracts

Sokolova, Lydia, 1896-1974. Author in quotations or text abstracts

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3106 JRC