Tamara Karsavina Interviewed On Film About Performing 'Firebird' With Vaslav Nijinsky

This is part of an interview, possibly in the late 1960s, with prima ballerina absoluta of the early era Ballets Russes, Tamara Karsavina.

She talks about performing the title role in the Mikhail Fokine ballet 'The Firebird', having danced at the premier of the work in 1911 at Le Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Her partner was the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky.

Sir Anton Dolin is the interviewer, with whom she later appeared in revivals, for example, of 'Le spectre de la rose'.

In particular, Karsavina talks about being coached in understanding the music by its composer, Igor Stravinsky.

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Film & Animation

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• Anton Dolin

[AmethystGalleon]

I'll check later, but I think that is one of the films I saw last year in London. Wonderful. Thanks for finding it!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi @AmethystGalleon - yes, i thought it might have been in the film - just a guess but there's so little of karsavina talking to camera. maybe there's something undiscovered out there still to unearth - i'm an incorrigible optimist! someone messaged me about supposed film of nijinsky shot at a party in the US - a great urban myth no doubt ... but!

[AmethystGalleon]

I've only seen fragments of the films, during last year's exhibit at the Victoria and Albert, as there were several film nights scheduled. There were also fragments of films with Tamara Geva as the interviewer: one smart lady.

The book includes, Karsavina, Rambert, Sokolova, Massine, Woizikowski, de Valois, Dolin, Markova and Lifar, plus a number of musicians, writers, and other.The films were made for the BBC, and called "Diaghilev: The Years Abroad," and "Diaghilev, The Years in Exile."

[nickwallacesmith]

hi AmethystGalleon - thanks for all that information about the two bbc omnibus films, gratly appreciated - a massive googling ... and sadly no nothing downloadable turned up - but i am an optimist and will go to the bbc and see if the programs can be bought. keep you posted! and i agree about Tamara Geva - i saw her interviewed in the 2006 film 'ballets russes'. cheers

[nickwallacesmith]

hi AmethystGalleon - curiously Tamara Geva is the talking head for the documentary i've just uploaded 'diaghilev - a portrait'!

[AmethystGalleon]

Hi Nick, I think that the interviewer is John Drummond. I just happen to be reading "Speaking of Diaghilev" which is a book containing the full interviews that he did for the film (above). The film only had short segments of the interviews. The statements that she makes in the film clip are word for word in the book. It's a wonderful book, by the way.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi AmethystGalleon - thanks for the information about the interviewer, v.good to know. and thanks for the pointer to and recommendation for "Speaking of Diaghilev" - must go to Amazon and get it. can you remember what other interviews were included in the film and whose transcripts were in the book? cheers!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi AmyKauai - yes, her 'firebird' costume is magical - and really adds to the atmosphere needed to for the ballet

[AmyKauai]

I love her costume.