Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Sir Frederick Ashton [sound recording].

Author

Ashton, Frederick, 1904-1988.

Publication

1970.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• McDonagh, Don.
• Joseph and Ida Liskin Foundation. fnd

Description

1 sound disc (ca. 65 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

Approaching retirement, Sir Frederick Ashton speaks with Don McDonagh about his responsibilities as director and chief choreographer of the Royal Ballet; the reason he accepted the position as director; reasons for the revising of the company's major productions including Swan lake, Cinderella, Sylvia, and The sleeping beauty; his new role as guest choreographer; working with other companies, in particular his choreographing of Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Danish Ballet; his upcoming work on a film about Beatrix Potter; his childhood in South America, including his education at a French school; the possible influence of French culture on his art, including his frequent use of French music; the composer Gérard Masson in his most recent work [Lament of the waves]; electronic music; working with the Ida Rubinstein's company, including his thoughts on Ida Rubenstein; the relationship between the choreography of his work Enigma variations and the score [by Edward Elgar]; favorite works among his own choreography, including Façade; more on Façade, including an anecdote about Edith Sitwell; his work La fille mal gardée, including working with John Lanchbery on the adaptation and arrangement of the music [by Ferdinand Hérold]; his method of creating an overall structure based on the score before creating steps; his work Symphonic variations; his work Scènes de ballet; his relationship with Ninette de Valois with respect to artistic decisions; the low social status of male dancers when Ashton was young; his experiences working for no or little money when young, including his choreographing Four saints in three acts for Virgil Thompson, in New York City; his work in revues, including his thoughts on tap dancing [gap]; his own dancing; differences between revues in France and the U.K.; Isadora Duncan, including his admiration for her as a performer and her influence on his choreography; his working methods, including his manner of selecting a score; working with Leonide Massine; the Royal Ballet's future; his immediate plans.

Donor/Sponsor

Oral history archive.

Subjects

• Symphonic variations (Choreographic work : Ashton)
• Audiotapes > Ashton, F
• Enigma variations (Choreographic work : Ashton)
• Ashton, Frederick, 1904-1988
• Kongelige Danske ballet
• Rubinstein, Ida, 1885?-1960
• Royal Ballet
• Duncan, Isadora, 1877-1927
• Façade (Choreographic work : Ashton)

Note

• Interview with Sir Frederick Ashton conducted by Don McDonagh on May 29, 1970, as research for his article Au revoir? published in Ballet review, v. 3 no. 4, 1970, p. 14-19.
• Sound quality is good overall until ca. 1 min. into track 10 when the recording is marred by an extraneous hum. At times Sir Frederick Ashton's voice is very soft and can be difficult to understand.
• Open as of August 22, 2012.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded with a gift from the Joseph and Ida Liskin Foundation.

Source (note)

• Don McDonagh.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2520

OCLC

261135342

Author

Ashton, Frederick, 1904-1988. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Sir Frederick Ashton [sound recording].

Imprint

1970.

Funding

Preservation was funded with a gift from the Joseph and Ida Liskin Foundation.

Local Note

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-2520

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3 -2520

Source

Gift; Don McDonagh. NN-PD

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Ashton, F.

Added Author

McDonagh, Don. Interviewer

Joseph and Ida Liskin Foundation. Funder

McDonagh, Don. Donor

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2520 [sound disc]