Klarinet Archive - Posting 000295.txt from 2010/07

From: "Strum, Chuck" <strum@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] 1916 Ballets Russes clarinetists?
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:18:52 -0400

Lelia,
Have you delved deeper into the NYPublic Library system? Perhaps the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center (a branch of the NYPL) might be able to steer you toward your goal. Here's a number: (212) 870-1630. If you're game, give the Met a call: Peter Clark, (212) 870 7457, is good. Or try, David Hamilton, who, I'm told, is something of an in-house historian. (212) 799-3537.
Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: Lelia Loban [mailto:lelialoban@-----.net]
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 9:14 AM
To: klarinet@-----.com
Subject: [kl] 1916 Ballets Russes clarinetists?

This is a way-off-the-wall question [cross-posted on the bulleting board], but if anybody can answer it, I'll bet you're here. Does anyone know where I can get a list of the musicians, especially the clarinet players, for the first Ballets Russes performance in the USA? Under the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera, these performances took place at the Century Theatre in New York City, with opening night on January 17, 1916. That's the night I'd particularly like to know about. The company kept this engagement for two weeks, then went on to perform in 17 cities, with two return engagements in New York at the Metropolitan Opera House. There were personnel changes along the way, but that opening series at the Century Theatre is the one I most need to know about.

Ernest Ansermet travelled with the Ballets Russes from Paris. He conducted the Century Theatre performances because at the time, the regular conductor, Pierre Monteaux, was in military service in France. Monteaux later joined the company and replaced Ansermet. For a later engagement at the Met (April 3-29), the concertmaster was Nathan Franko, if that helps, but I don't know whether he was concertmaster at the January performances conducted by Ansermet. I have a copy of the program (from the New York Public Library
website) and I've seen everything the New York Times published but haven't even been able to find out whether the Ballets Russes brought the whole orchestra along from Paris, or just brought the principal players and hired locals, or what. Any help much appreciated!

Lelia Loban
http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/Lelia_Loban

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