Research Catalog

Title

Benefit for the Jean Erdman video archive project, phase I [and] benefit for Jean Erdman video archive project, phase 2 [sound recording].

Author

Erdman, Jean.

Publication

1988-1989.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Como, William.
• Hillman, James.
• Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003.
• Dudley, Jane.
• Cage, John.
• Siegel, Doris Einstein.
• McKayle, Donald, 1930-2018
• Dyer, Carlus, 1917-2016.
• Cunningham, Merce
• Jean Erdman Video Project.
• Open Eye Foundation.

Description

3 sound discs (ca. 163 min.)

Summary

• Disc 1, 06/16/88 (ca. 47 min.). Recording of speakers at the first benefit program for Jean Erdman's video archive project. William Como introduces Jean Erdman and speaks about Erdman, the video archive project, her work, and her views about learning different modern dance choreographers' styles (ca. 8 min.). Erdman speaks briefly about her relationships, respectively, with the three guest speakers, Jane Dudley, John Cage, and Lou Harrison; teaching her solos; her work The transformations of Medusa (ca. 17 min.). Como introduces Jane Dudley. Dudley speaks about working with Erdman in the original production of Martha Graham's work Letter to the world (ca. 6 min.). Como introduces Lou Harrison. Harrison speaks about collaborating with Erdman, including his music score for Erdman's work The perilous chapel and his score for the Athens production of her work Io and Prometheus (ca. 10 min.). Como introduces John Cage. Cage tells anecdotes about his first coming to New York City with his wife Xenia, including his staying with Peggy Guggenheim and Max Ernst and having lunch with John Steinbeck; begins to speak about working with Erdman [ends abruptly].
• Disc 2, 06/16/88 (ca. 4 min.). John Cage continues to speak about working with Erdman, who interjects several comments.
• Disc 3, 06/08/89 (ca. 112 min.). Recording of speakers at the second benefit program for Jean Erdman's video archive project. James Hillman speaks briefly about Erdman and the project; in general terms about gods, myth, and dance (ca. 11 min.). Jean Erdman thanks various people, including the composer, Ezra Laderman, Carlus Dyer, Doris Einstein Siegel, Merce Cunningham, and Donald McKayle; speaks about her work Solstice (ca. 15 min.). [The recording resumes in the middle of Doris Einstein Siegel's speech]. Siegel reminisces about her early collaborations with Erdman, including her work Forever and sunsmell, with a score by John Cage, and Solstice (ca. 6 min.). Hill introduces Carlus Dyer. Dyer speaks about collaborating with Erdman, in particluar on her work Fearful symmetry (ca. 13 min.); Hillman introduces Donald McKayle. McKayle reminices about his early days with Erdman, who was his first dance teacher [track 1 ends; first ca. 1 min. of track 2 reiterates last ca. 1 min. of track 1]; rehearsing Solstice with Merce Cunningham (ca. 6 min.). Hillman introduces Merce Cunningham. Cunningham reminisces about working with Erdman and dancing in Solstice; their collaborative work Credo in us (ca. 9 min.). Erdman speaks ex tempore, including about the creating of Credo in us (with an occasional comment interjected by Cunningham). Dyer adds a few remarks about his inspiration for the designs in Solstice (ca. 10 min.).

Donor/Sponsor

• Oral History Archive.
• National Endowment for the Arts, 2002-2003.
• Gift of David Sears.

Subjects

• Graham, Martha > Letter to the world
• Dudley, Jane
• Fearful symmetry (Choreographic work : Erdman)
• Audiotapes > Como, W
• Transformations of Medusa (Choreographic work : Erdman)
• Cage, John
• Audiotapes > Dudley, J
• Audiotapes > Hillman, J
• Audiotapes > McKayle, D
• Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003 > Perilous chapel
• Audiotapes > Harrison, L
• Audiotapes > Cunningham, M
• Tributes
• Audiotapes > Cage, J
• Audiotapes > Erdman, J
• Audiotapes > Dyer, C
• Erdman, Jean
• Perilous chapel (Choreographic work : Erdman)
• Credo in us (Choreographic work : Cunningham and Erdman)
• Audiotapes > Siegel, D

Note

• Recording of the benefit programs held on June 16, 1988 (phase 1) and June 8, 1989 (phase 2), to support Jean Erdman's video archive project. The 1989 benefit was held at the Marymount Manhattan Theatre in New York City. The speakers at the first benefit include William Como, Jean Erdman, Jane Dudley, Lou Harrison, and John Cage. The speakers at the second benefit include James Hillman, Jean Erdman, Doris Einstein Siegel, Carlus Dyer, Donald McKayle, and Merce Cunningham. The benefit programs included dance performances, but they are not part of these recordings.
• The video archive project was started by the Open Eye Foundation, New York, in 1987, as a five-year project with the goal of creating a comprehensive video series documenting Erdman's aesthetic philosophy and historic dance repertory. Videorecordings of the Jean Erdman video archive project are in the Library's collection and cataloged as *MGZIA 4-1263 (1990), *MGZIA 4-1421 (1991), and *MGZIA 4-1719 (1993). In addition, the program notes for the 1989 benefit are also in the Library's collection and cataloged as *MGZB (Allison, Nancy).
• The sound quality overall is good, but Merce Cunningham's comments at the end of disc 3 are not always completely audible.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002-2003.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-1539

OCLC

NYPY06-R31

Author

Erdman, Jean. Speaker

Title

Benefit for the Jean Erdman video archive project, phase I [and] benefit for Jean Erdman video archive project, phase 2 [sound recording].

Imprint

1988-1989.

Funding

Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002-2003.

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-1539 nos. 1-2

Preservation master: *MGZTP 4-1539 nos. 1-3

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-1539 nos. 1-3

Local Subject

Tributes.

Audiotapes -- Erdman, J.

Audiotapes -- Cunningham, M.

Audiotapes -- Como, W.

Audiotapes -- Dudley, J.

Audiotapes -- Harrison, L.

Audiotapes -- Cage, J.

Audiotapes -- Siegel, D.

Audiotapes -- Dyer, C.

Audiotapes -- Hillman, J.

Audiotapes -- McKayle, D.

Added Author

Como, William. Speaker

Hillman, James. Speaker

Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003. Speaker

Dudley, Jane. Speaker

Cage, John. Speaker

Siegel, Doris Einstein. Speaker

McKayle, Donald, 1930-2018, speaker.

Dyer, Carlus, 1917-2016. Speaker

Cunningham, Merce, speaker.

Jean Erdman Video Project.

Open Eye Foundation.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-1539 [sound disc]