Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Frederic Franklin. May 16, 2000 [sound recording].

Author

Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013.

Publication

2000.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Moseley, Monica.
• Aloff, Mindy, 1947-
• George Balanchine Foundation.

Description

2 sound cassettes (ca. 152 min.) +eedited transcript (43 leaves)

Summary

• Cassette 12, side A (ca. 38 min.). This recording includes Frederic Franklin's comments on photographs of ballets and drawings of costumes and set designs shown to him at the interview. Franklin speaks about Leonide Massine's ballet Nobilissima visione, including the story of the ballet, the cast, including Nini Theilade; Franklin's roles in the ballet; Massine in the role of St. Francis; Massine's use of cotton to pad his calf muscles; Franklin's taking on of the role of St. Francis; his direction of the videotaping of the ballet; Franklin comments on photographs of the ballet. [Ends abruptly].
• Cassette 12, side B (ca. 38 min.). Franklin continues speaking about Nobilissima visione while looking at photographs and drawings of costume and set design, including Paul Hindeminth's attendance at a rehearsal; Pavel Tchelichev's costumes and sets; Massine's ballet The New Yorker, including the characters [taken from the magazine, The New Yorker], set, and cast; performing the ballet on tour in South America; Franklin comments on photographs of the ballet; Massine's reluctance to choreograph this and other Americana ballets; Massine's approach to music when rehearsing a new ballet; the approach of other choreographers, including Balanchine, Ninette de Valois, Fred[erick Ashton], Bronislava Nijinska, Agnes de Mille, and Valerie Bettis. [Ends abruptly.]
• Cassette 13, side A (ca. 38 min.). Franklin speaks about dancers and musicality; Antonia Cobos' ballet Mute wife, including the story and the cast; Nina Novak in the role of the wife; comments on photographs of the ballet; public success of the ballet; difficulties of working with Cobos; Theilade's ballet Nuages, including the costumes by Willem de Kooning; Franklin's and Alexandra Danilova's introducing Oliver Smith to Massine; Balanchine's ballet Mozartiana, beginning with comments on drawings of designs for the costumes; Franklin's dislike of the new [1981?] version; first seeing the ballet in 1933 in London; learning the ballet, with Danilova, in Houston; Balanchine's changing of the choreography for Danilova. [Ends abruptly.]
• Cassette 13, side B (ca. 38 min.). Franklin continues speaking about Mozartiana, including the choreography, various casts, and his pas de deux with Danilova; the ballet's success with the public; Balanchine's generosity with respect to letting others perform his ballets; Franklin's performing a version of the ballet, as rearranged by Balanchine, in South Africa; Franklin's attempt, with the help of Nancy Reynolds and the Balanchine Foundation, to reconstruct the older version of the ballet; his view of the reworked version as a vehicle for Suzanne Farrell rather than as a ballet complete in itself; tells an anecdote regarding Balanchine's last-minute change in Franklin's choreography at the ballet's New York City premiere.

Series Statement

Frederic Franklin Oral History Project

Alternative Title

Dance Oral History Project.

Subject

• Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013
• Massine, Leonide, 1896-1979
• Balanchine, George
• Danilova, Alexandra, 1907-1997
• Cobos, Antonia
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
• Nuages (Choreographic work : Theilade)
• Nobilissima visione (Choreographic work : Massine)
• New Yorker (Choreographic work : Massine)
• Mute wife (Choreographic work : Cobos)
• Mozartiana (Choreographic work : Balanchine)

Note

• Interview with Frederic Franklin conducted by Monica Moseley and Mindy Aloff at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on May 16, 2000. This interview was recorded for the Frederic Franklin Oral History Project; the Project is a collaboration between the George Balanchine Foundation and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-2253 no. 12-13.
• The recording is marred by occasional extraneous noise.
• The transcripts were prepared by the George Balanchine Foundation. The transcripts are edited versions of the recordings and may include material such as follow-up interviews, in person and by telephone, and explanatory notes, which are not included in the recording.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Call Number

*MGZMT 3-2253 no. 12-13

OCLC

NYPY04-R72

Author

Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Frederic Franklin. May 16, 2000 [sound recording].

Imprint

2000.

Series

Frederic Franklin Oral History Project

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2253 nos. 12-13

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-2253 nos. 12-13

Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-2253 no. 12-13

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Franklin, F.

Added Author

Moseley, Monica. Interviewer

Aloff, Mindy, 1947- Interviewer

George Balanchine Foundation.

Research Call Number

*MGZMT 3-2253 no. 12-13 transcript

*MGZTC 3-2253 nos. 12-13 sound cassettes