This is the only known recording of the voice of Anna Pavlova.
I've included two versions of the footage.
In the first version, the ballerina's voice is clearer, and the picture somewhat blurry. And in the second the picture is much clearer, with close-ups of the interaction towards the end, but Pavlova's voice is indistinct.
It is possible there were (at least) two takes of this scene as the images and the sound are subtly different in each, which I'll outline.
In first version of the footage, we see the ballerina walking along a stone path surrounding the edge of a small lake in the gardens of her home, Ivy House, which is situated in Golders Green, north of Hampstead Heath, in London.
She throws food from a bowl into the lake towards two large white swans, stationary in the water. As she reaches a small flight of stone stairs coming down from the house, she kneels down and then sits on the ground, her feet towards us, as she continues to throw food into the water.
At one point, she leans forwards and looks around back of her, smiles and laughs presumably at some behind her just out of frame.
All the while, she is calling to her swans, one being her famed favourite, Jack, as you hear:
"Jack ... come ... come on jack ... come on ... come on ... come on darlings ... come Jack ... come ... come"
In second version of the footage, we first see the ballerina kneel down by the edge of the small lake at the bottom of the small flight of stone stairs. She appears to have just come down the stone stairs.
Pavlova kneels down and only then begins to feed her swans, and she kneels throughout the footage - she does not sit of the ground with her feet towards us as this may have been perceived as too inelegant in the first take.
The ballerina also appears to begin feeding the birds only when she has knelt down, rather then as a continuous action that started during her walk to the stairs.
As she throws food from a bowl into the lake and the two large white swans paddle across the water towards her, rather than being stationary throughout. Pavlova continues to throw food into the water.
We then have a close-up of this scene.
When the ballerina finishes feeding the swans, she stands up and for a moment contemplates her swans, presumably before going back up the stairs to the house.
There seems much less talk in this second version, which perhaps why it is not more widely known. Or the 'script' may have been the same but the sound recording a poorer quality.
It is truly magically to hear this legendary artist speaking. And I absolutely love the timbre of her voice -- exactly as I would have wanted it to be -- and so expressive, caressingly encouraging the birds to come to her.
Enjoy!
Негізгі бет Anna Pavlova Speaks - To Her Swans At Ivy House
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