Any GOOD Book(s) on Nijinsky?

[Solor]

I am interested in reading abut the life of Nijinsky. There seem to be quite a few to choose from. I have heard from different people and read different reviews, etc. that differ when reccomending the books written by his sister and his wife - some say "read it!" and some say "stay away from it".........

I am interested in a book that is a detailed as possible and that leaves no stone unturned, basically just presenting the facts from when he was a child all the way through to his days in hospitals toward the end of his life. Perhaps in order to read all of these things multiple books should be read?

Thanks!

[Drew]

Solor -- I think you answered your own question . I'm guessing most of the books I mention below are at least known to you by name.

I read Romola's biography when I was young, and I found it very readable...Lincoln Kirstein worked with her on it behind the scenes. For a more standard, "respectable" biography with the kind of information you seek, you have probably already been directed to Richard Buckle...Nathalie Krasovskaya's (translated from the Russian) is supposedly good on his life in Russia. If you want to read something less tendentious than a wife's or a sister's memoirs perhaps start with these. (Not that scholarly biographers don't also have their own "perspective" ...)

I should think, though, that Nijinska's memoirs must have a lot of useful information (perhaps Marie Rambert's as well). But I have not read it. Of course, memoirs (like biographies written by spouses) tend to be less than disinterested and probaly contain numerous inaccuracies. But that doesn't mean you won't learn a lot. Actually, even their very tendentiousness can be informative.

For me, the best book on Nijinsky is Kirstein's _Nijinsky Dancing_ but it really is a meditation on what made Nijinksy a great -- and a historically important -- dancer and choreographer by someone who knows Nijinsky's work exclusively through photographs and the writings of others. Nonetheless, it was the first book on Nijinsky I read that gave me some "feel" for his art. However, when it comes to biographical details, well, no...I wouldn't recommend it.

[leonid17]

Solor -- I think you answered your own question . I'm guessing most of the books I mention below are at least known to you by name.

I read Romola's biography when I was young, and I found it very readable...Lincoln Kirstein worked with her on it behind the scenes. For a more standard, "respectable" biography with the kind of information you seek, you have probably already been directed to Richard Buckle...Nathalie Krasovskaya's (translated from the Russian) is supposedly good on his life in Russia. If you want to read something less tendentious than a wife's or a sister's memoirs perhaps start with these. (Not that scholarly biographers don't also have their own "perspective" ...)

I should think, though, that Nijinska's memoirs must have a lot of useful information (perhaps Marie Rambert's as well). But I have not read it. Of course, memoirs (like biographies written by spouses) tend to be less than disinterested and probaly contain numerous inaccuracies. But that doesn't mean you won't learn a lot. Actually, even their very tendentiousness can be informative.

For me, the best book on Nijinsky is Kirstein's _Nijinsky Dancing_ but it really is a meditation on what made Nijinksy a great -- and a historically important -- dancer and choreographer by someone who knows Nijinsky's work exclusively through photographs and the writings of others. Nonetheless, it was the first book on Nijinsky I read that gave me some "feel" for his art. However, when it comes to biographical details, well, no...I wouldn't recommend it.

I would read Bronislava Nijinska's "Early Memoirs' for his childhood and schooling, then I would read Richard Buckle's "Nijinsky" to find out about the setting of his career and finally Peter Ostwald's "Vaslav Nijinsky - a Leap into Madness" . I would not suggest from these three books that you will learn everything you might want to know or even discover the so called truth about him, but it will be a start. There are other books in which he is not entirely the central character but would give you a more rounded picture of his life and times in St.Petersburg.

[rg]

bourman's THE TRAGEDY OF NIJINSKY is also worth a look, tho' i suppsed buckle took a good bit from it for his mightier tome.

[atm711]

Solor--I would strongly recommend Bronislava Nijinska's 'Memoirs". As no other book on him can, she gives clear descriptions of how he moved and danced; and you get a pretty good idea of the dancer he was. It is fascinating to see him through his sister's eyes.

[canbelto]

I'd also recommend Richard Buckle's "Diaghilev" and Tamara Karsavina's "Memories of Theatre Street" for insights into two of the most important people in Nijinsky's life, and perhaps, the only two people besides Bronislava who truly cared about him.

[Herman Stevens]

I read Romola's biography when I was young, and I found it very readable..[...]. For a more standard, "respectable" biography with the kind of information you seek, you have probably already been directed to Richard Buckle...Nathalie Krasovskaya's (translated from the Russian) is supposedly good on his life in Russia.

I'd say Romola's biography is the one that's aiming to be "respectable" and revisionist, Romola obviously being a party to the events in Nijinsky's life, and his break with Diaghilev, and having a lot of stuff to justify afterwards.

Buckle on the other hand in some ways is quite scandalous, speculating about Nijinsky's sexual life for instance.

Kraskovkaya's book is very interesting for its many pictures and for its rather different slant on how things went wrong in Nijinky's life.

I'd also recommend Karsavina and Sokolova for side glances at Nijinksy.

[leonid17]

I'd also recommend Richard Buckle's "Diaghilev" and Tamara Karsavina's "Memories of Theatre Street" for insights into two of the most important people in Nijinsky's life, and perhaps, the only two people besides Bronislava who truly cared about him.

Whilst Richard Buckle did marvellous work with his study of Nijinsky and did shoulder his coffin at the great dancers funeral, he did not know him or see him dance. I am not sure that Karsavina was that close in feelings to Nijinsky and very seldom did they meet in a social context. If there are people who truly cared about him outside his mother and his sister in adulthood, surely Marie Rambert and Anatole Bourman who for periods in time were both close in devotion and the latter a close friend in their youth. Romola of course ensured he was cared for, clothed and fed throughout the long period of his mental illness. There were also his two rich 'protectors' Prince Lvov and Count Tiskiewicz who certainly cared for Nijinsky, the former visting the Nijinsky family home and who also showed kindness to his mother and assisting the family when they were in great financial distress.

[Pamela Moberg]

Solor; by all means read all books on Nijinsky that you can lay your hands on. His own diary is also published.

Romola's book you have to take it for what it is - dont start with that one!

My own personal preference would be "A leap into madness" by Dr. Peter Ostwald. Now Dr. Ostwald is a professor of psychiatry at the University of California and not a dance historian, yet, he is very interested in the performing arts. Hence, you get more about the insanity than about dance.

To date, I think that this is the best book of all and one cant but feel desperately sorry for Nijinsky. Dancewise he was a genius, but he must have suffered from the beginning from some kind of mental syndrome, his mental abilities cannot have been much and he was savagely taken advantage of by a lot of unscrupulous people who ought to have known better than to exploit a halfwit in such a crude manner.

[richard53dog]

My own personal preference would be "A leap into madness" by Dr. Peter Ostwald. Now Dr. Ostwald is a professor of psychiatry at the University of California and not a dance historian, yet, he is very interested in the performing arts. Hence, you get more about the insanity than about dance.

To date, I think that this is the best book of all and one cant but feel desperately sorry for Nijinsky. Dancewise he was a genius, but he must have suffered from the beginning from some kind of mental syndrome, his mental abilities cannot have been much and he was savagely taken advantage of by a lot of unscrupulous people who ought to have known better than to exploit a halfwit in such a crude manner.

I'm thinking Pamela has a very good point here. Solor, you won't get that much about Nijinsky's dancing

from Ostwald but I think you will be moved by his unhappy life.

Richard

[Solor]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Im actually not interested in descriptions of his dancing, I am interested in his life and times, private life etc.

I know his wife kept out any talk of his homosexualioty, etc in her book.

It seems Leonid's suggestions are the way to go as a good foundation.

AGAIN THANKS ALOT

[Gina Ness]

The following are the books I own on Nijinsky, in case there is something here listed that you may be interested in trying to locate:

The Tragedy of Nijinsky

Anatole Bourman and D. Lyman

Whittlesey House 1936

The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky

Edited by Romola Nijinsky

University of California Press 1968

Nijinsky

by Romola Nijinsky (his wife)

Simon and Schuster 1934

Nijinsky: An Illustrated Monograph Edited by Paul Magriel

Henry Holt and Company New York 1946

(Many fabulous photos and Notes on Nijinsky photographs by Edwin Denby) My copy has Ludmilla Shollar's signature under a photo of "Jeux"... My teacher )

The Last Years of Nijinsky

by his wife, Romola Nijinsky

Simon and Schuster 1952

[Paul Parish]

Joan Acocella has edited Nijinsky's Diary, and published it (subtitle -- Unexpurgated Edition) with a long intro (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1999). It's not what we thought. She found that Romola changed a LOT , in fact made him look more homosexual than he really was.

[ViolinConcerto]

I think if you were going to select just three, then Leonid has chosen the best to give you the insight you seek.

To quote Bette Davis (in "All about Eve"), "It's going to be a bumpy flight!"

[innopac]

Solor; by all means read all books on Nijinsky that you can lay your hands on. His own diary is also published.

Romola's book you have to take it for what it is - dont start with that one!

My own personal preference would be "A leap into madness" by Dr. Peter Ostwald. Now Dr. Ostwald is a professor of psychiatry at the University of California and not a dance historian, yet, he is very interested in the performing arts. Hence, you get more about the insanity than about dance.

To date, I think that this is the best book of all and one cant but feel desperately sorry for Nijinsky. Dancewise he was a genius, but he must have suffered from the beginning from some kind of mental syndrome, his mental abilities cannot have been much and he was savagely taken advantage of by a lot of unscrupulous people who ought to have known better than to exploit a halfwit in such a crude manner.

I just finished "A Leap Into Madness". My feeling is that, taking into account the medical knowledge of the time, with different treatment by the family, friends and medical profession around him he would not have deteriorated to such an extent. Even without thinking of his genius and talent I came away from the book feeling he was a victim. Also, what strikes you throughout the book is the disconnect between Romola's statements and the medical reports.