2 streaming audio files (approximately two hours and 34 minutes): digital
Summary
Streaming audio file 1, July 17, 1978 (approximately one hour and 30 minutes). Stanley Sussman speaks with Katy Matheson about his childhood and early education in music; his time at the Eastman School of Music including his first exposure to modern dance; studying composition in college; his military service; accompanying classes and conducting for Martha Graham's company [Martha Graham Dance Company]; his impressions of the company teachers including Bertram Ross and Ethel Winter; Martha Graham; conducting for other companies including the Pennsylvania Ballet; more about working with Graham; Norman Dello Joio, including his relationship with Graham; Carlos Surinach; Graham's work Time of snow; Graham's relationship with the dancers who took over her roles; more on Sussman's work as a conductor for Graham's company; Graham's work Clytemnestra including his impressions of Graham as Clytemnestra; her work The witch of Endor; more on Graham's relationship with her dancers and with him; his lack of an official position or title with the company; his approach to tempi when conducting for dancers including as compared with that of Eugene Lester.
Streaming audio file 2, July 19, 1978 (approximately one hour and four minutes). Stanley Sussman speaks with Katy Matheson about Eugene Lester including his relationship with Sussman and with Martha Graham; more on his time as a conductor and accompanist at the Martha Graham Dance Company including typical daily activities; Robert Irving including how they worked together and as compared to Lester; Rudolf Nureyev; working with Murray Louis and Nureyev in connection with Louis's work Canarsie Venus; Nureyev's tendency not to allow much rehearsal time for Graham's works, including for example the Preacher in Appalachian spring; Graham's relationship with Nureyev; working with great artists, for example dancers like Nureyev and Erik Bruhn; Liza Minnelli; Graham's hands-off approach with respect to his conducting.
Interview with Stanley Sussman conducted by Katy Matheson for the Jerome Robbins Dance Division Oral History Project at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, on July 17, and 19, 1978. Part 2 (July 25 and 26,1978), Part 3 (August 1, 2 and August 4,1978), and Part 4 (August 16,1978) are cataloged separately.
For transcript of interview, see *MGZMT 5-468.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Sound quality is good.
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.
Author
Sussman, Stanley, interviewee.
Title
Interview with Stanley Sussman. Part 1 of 4: July 17 and 19, 1978
Imprint
1978
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 Katy Matheson for The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts July 17 and 19, 1978 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 two hours and 34 minutes); polyester; half-track; 1.875 ips; 5 in.; transferred to wav file and streaming file format in 2015: myd_mgzto5468_v01f01_sc and myd_mgzto5468_v01f02_sc.