Ann Barzel

[Mme. Hermine]

I just thought it worth mentioning, though I don't know the exact date, that Ann Barzel will turn 100 this December; I'm pretty sure it's 100 and not 99; in 2002 there was a tribute for her upcoming 97th birthday, so that's what I'm basing this on. Think of what we would never have seen if not for her little camera! For example, two of my favorites:

Prince Igor. Polovtsian dances [excerpts] (ca. 2 min.) / filmed in October 1962 ; from a full production of the opera by Aleksandr Borodin, presented by the Lyric Opera of Chicago ; opera staged by Vladimir Rosing ; choreography for the Polovtsian dances by Ruth Page after Michel Fokine ; scenery and costumes, Nicola Benois ; danced by Rudolf Nureyev and Sonia Arova with Ruth Page's Chicago Opera Ballet.

Theme and variations [excerpts] (ca. 5 min.) / filmed on December 29 or 30, 1962 ; choreography, George Balanchine ; costumes, André Levasseur ; danced by Rudolf Nureyev and Lupe Serrano with American Ballet Theatre.

and:

Giselle (ca. 18 min., b&w) / recorded in performance, possibly at Chicago Opera House in 1940 ; choreography, Anton Dolin after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot ; scenery and costumes, Lucinda Ballard ; danced by Ballet Theatre: Nana Gollner (Giselle), Anton Dolin (Albrecht), and others.

Princess Aurora (ca. 18 min., b&w and col.) / recorded in several performances with different principal dancers, location(s) and date(s) not identified ; edited for continuity, but with some repetition ; choreography, Anton Dolin after Marius Petipa ; scenery and costumes, Michel Baronov after Léon Bakst ; danced by Ballet Theatre (multiple casts): Alicia Markova (?) (Aurora), Irina Baronova (Aurora), Alicia Alonso (Aurora), Nora Kaye (?) (Aurora), Igor Youskevitch (Bluebird), and others.

La fille mal gardée (ca. 7 min., col.) / recorded in three performances, the first [with titles on frame] at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, in 1942, the second and third possibly in Chicago in the early 1950s ; choreography, Bronislava Nijinska after Jean Dauberval ; danced by Ballet Theatre ; first segment danced by Irina Baronova (Lisette), Dimitri Romanoff (Colin), Simon Semenoff (Mme. Simone), and others ; second segment danced by Nana Gollner (Lisette), John Kriza (Colin), and others ; third segment danced by Alicia Alonso (Lisette), Kriza, and others.

Harlequinade (ca. 4 min., b&w) / recorded in performance in 1956 ; choreography, Boris Romanoff ; costumes, Rolf Gerard and Eugene Berman (from Devil's holiday and Le bourgeois gentilhomme) ; danced by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo: Eugene Slavin (Pierrot), Igor Youskevitch (Harlequin), Alicia Alonso (Columbine), and others.

Schumann concerto (ca. 2 min., b&w) / recorded in performance in 1951 ; choreography, Bronislava Nijinska ; scenery and costumes, Stewart Chaney ; danced by Ballet Theatre: Alicia Alonso, Igor Youskevitch, Eric Braun, Erik Bruhn, Royes Fernandez, and others.

Peter and the wolf (ca. 11 min., b&w) / recorded in two performances in 1940 ; choreography, Adolph Bolm ; scenery and costumes, Lucinda Ballard ; danced by Ballet Theatre: Eugene Loring (Peter), Alicia Alonso (bird), Karen Conrad (duck), Nina Stroganova (cat), David Nillo (wolf), and others.

Cassette 2. Helen of Troy (ca. 10 min., col.) / recorded in several performances, with different principal dancers, location(s) and dates not identified ; choreography, David Lichine ; libretto, Lichine and Antal Dorati ; scenery and costumes, Marcel Vertès ; danced by Ballet Theatre (multiple casts): Diana Adams (Helen), Maria Karnilova (Helen), Igor Youskevitch (Paris), André Eglevsky (Paris), Tommy Rall (?) (Paris), Melissa Hayden (Chrisothemis), Zachary Solov (Orestes), Jerome Robbins (Hermes), John Kriza (Hermes), and others.

[Natalia]

Magnificent legacy. Happy 100th B'day, Ms Barzel!!!

[ViolinConcerto]

What an incredible thing to have done. I wish her many more years -- hopefully happy and healthy ones. Mme. Hermine, where are those clips available for viewing?

Thanks for letting us know about her birthday.

[Mme. Hermine]

They and the many others like them are at the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, and also at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Go to nypl.org and do searches, it's quite a catalog!