DVD/Videos: Ballet Russe/Graduation Ball

[Lisa Anne]

Hi everyone! The director of our studio is looking for a video/dvd of Graduation Ball from Ballet Russe circa 1940 (?) The choreographer is Lichine and music by Strauss, I believe.

 

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

Lisa Anne

[rg]

sometime ago a somewhat privately released videocassette was offered for sale of GRADUATION BALL - but i don't know of this having been offered beyond that initial offering. there's never been a dvd release or even a higher profile videocassette recording that i know of.

the ballet's credits are as follows, but, as noted, unless you can get to someplace like the new york public library for the performing arts at lincoln center, i don't think you'll have much luck.

NYPL credits:

Graduation ball : Chor and lib: David Lichine; mus: Johann Strauss, Jr. (various pieces orchestrated by Antal Dorati); scen & cos: Alexandre Benois. First perf: Australia: Sydney, Theatre Royal, Feb 28, 1940, Original Ballet Russe.//First U.S. perf: Los Angeles, Oct 10, 1940, Original Ballet Russe.//First New York perf: Fifty-first St. Theatre, Nov 6, 1940, Original Ballet Russe.//Revived: New York, Metropolitan Opera House, Oct 8, 1944, Ballet Theatre, scen & cos: Mstislav Dobujinsky.//Perf: New York, Sept 21, 1949, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.//Performed in Denmark: Copenhagen, Royal Theatre, Mar 22, 1952, scen & cos: Ove Christian Pedersen.//Revival: London, Royal Festival Hall, July 9, 1957, Festival Ballet.

 

--it would seem you could read about this work in the following book: Beaumont, Cyril W. Supplement to complete book of ballets, p 148-149

[Lisa Anne]

Thank you for this quick and in depth response..... I will pass it along!

 

Lisa Anne

[MJ]

NYPL may lend it to another library. NYPL is one of the world's great libraries, but they are a bit parochial. They have an excellent archival library at Lincoln Center, and viewing is pretty strict.

 

Call ahead before you go, they will let you know if you can get access. They will not allow reprodcutions of the archival material.

 

Mike