Research Catalog

Interview with Frederic Franklin.

Title
Interview with Frederic Franklin. Part 1 of 7: April 30 and May 1, 1979
Author
Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013
Publication
1979

Available Online

NYPL Digital Collections

Details

Additional Authors
Conway, Peter, 1929 July 18-
Description
2 streaming audio files (approximately 3 hours and 12 minutes): digital
Summary
  • Streaming file 1, April 30, 1979 (approximately one hour and 37 minutes). Frederic Franklin speaks with Peter Conway about his childhood and early training; his decision to pursue dancing as a career; performing at the Casino de Paris including his impressions of Josephine Baker; performing with Mistinguett; returning to London and dancing with Wendy Toye; his teachers including Lydia Sokolova and Nicholas Legat; joining the Markova-Dolin Ballet Company as a soloist and understudy for Anton Dolin; partnering Alicia Markova; the "gallery boys" and "gallery girls"; learning by observing; developing his individual style; his rapport with the audience; the circumstances of his joining the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; more on the Markova-Dolin Ballet Company including some of his roles and the repertoire; Alicia Alonso; (very briefly) Stanilas Idzikowski; Ninette de Valois, including anecdotes; Lydia Kyasht; the 1933 play Ballerina including his impressions of Birgitta Hardwig [Vera Zorina]; Vera Nemchinova; Leonide Massine including his role in Franklin's career; more on Dolin including his coaching of Franklin; his refusal to dance alongside of Franklin.
  • Streaming file 2, May 1, 1979 (approximately one hour and 35 minutes). Frederic Franklin speaks with Peter Conway about the ballet world in England around 1938 including his memories of Ninette de Valois as a dancer; the rivalries among the Vic-Wells Ballet [later the Sadler's Wells Ballet and now the Royal Ballet], the Markova-Dolin Ballet, and the De Basil company [Ballets russes du Col. W. de Basil]; more on De Valois, including as a choreographer and as a person; his impressions of Tamara Karsavina, and Adeline Genée; others active in the English ballet world at the time including Pearl Argyle; joining the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in its first year; Serge Lifar including his relationship with Leonide Massine; a performance anecdote about Lifar and Alicia Markova; Massine including his advice and encouragement and his giving him George Zoritch's roles; his ability to learn roles very quickly and his musicality; Alexandra Danilova and their relationship, including numerous anecdotes, and her rivalry with Nina Tarnikova; other dancers in the company including Maude Lloyd and Harold Turner; Alicia Markova including her relationship with Anton Dolin; touring with Wendy Toye and Dolin in a road show, including anecdotes; the educational value of performing in this kind of show.
Alternative Title
  • Dance Oral History Project.
  • Dance Audio Archive.
Subjects
Genre/Form
  • Sound recordings.
  • Oral histories.
Note
  • For transcript of interview see *MGZMT 5-1095, volumes 1-3, pages 1-140.
  • Interview with Frederic Franklin conducted by Peter Conway for the Jerome Robbins Dance Division Oral History Project at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, on April 30 and May 1, 1979. Part 2 (May 7 and 8, 1979), Part 3 (May 11 and 18, 1979), Part 4 (October 24 and 25, 1979), Part 5 (October 9, 12, and 22, 1981), Part 6 (October 22 and 27, 1981), and Part 7 (November 3 and 5, 1981) are cataloged separately.
  • Title supplied by cataloger.
  • Sound quality is fair. The recording is marred by mild distortion and occasional extraneous noise, but the speakers' voices are easily intelligible.
Access (note)
  • Access only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center
Funding (note)
  • The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.
Call Number
*MGZTO 5-1095
OCLC
80241861
Author
Franklin, Frederic, 1914-2013, interviewee.
Title
Interview with Frederic Franklin. Part 1 of 7: April 30 and May 1, 1979
Imprint
1979
Type of Content
spoken word
Type of Medium
audio
Type of Carrier
online resource
Digital File Characteristics
audio file
Restricted Access
Access only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center
Event
Recorded by Peter Conway for The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts April 30 and May 1, 1979 New York (N.Y.)
Funding
The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.
Original Version
Original format: one sound reel (approximately 3 hours and 12 minutes); polyester; half-track; 1.875 ips; 5 in.; transferred to wav file and streaming file format in 2015: myd_mgzto51095_v01f01_sc and myd_mgzto51095_v01f02_sc.
Local Note
Former call number: *MGZT 5-1095
Connect to:
NYPL Digital Collections
Local Subject
Ballet -- Great Britain.
Added Author
Conway, Peter, 1929 July 18- interviewer.
Research Call Number
*MGZTO 5-1095
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