Van Cliburn plays Scriabin (vaimusic.com)

[AldenHardaway]

Perhaps missing the pockets of lightness that Horowitz reveals, but the whole performance is absolutely staggering - unbelievably powerful with clear and direct expressivity.

[Palaiozografiotis]

Aah!!! ... Technique here always at the service of expression!... and such continuity of 'line'.... A veritable master class of what heights true artistry can aspire to reach...

[trschaefer]

Not particularly inspiring

[bernardkulche]

Van Cliburn has his own, very impressive interpretation.. (Playing the piano has nothing to do with 'who is the fastest'.)

[Keithj136]

bravo

[Bruce88keys]

Cliburn has the Campbell Soup of piano careers, deservedly so he was a unique & original if not magnetic pianist

[piano345]

Passionate, intense and expansive.  A performance in the grand manner. A wonderful encore!

[88alan8800]

if i can imagine artur rubinstein playing this piece, i would see his interpretation being similar for some reason

[Bruce88keys]

@88alan8800 Cliburn held Rubinstein in high esteem, he worshipped Ruby:)

[nearenough3]

The "problem" with Cliburn has always been his tendency to lethargy. In this, the meloody16th notes sound like 8th notes and the 32nds, tired. I don't know why he plays like this but I find it sleepy, just not crisp and exciting. And it's not just here.

[cashkenazipiano]

@nearenough3 I find myself tending to agree with you.

[dmcII]

Who gives a shit about the mistakes ? They are minor ones that if anything make the performance more interesting. Perfection is over-rated and rarely exists anyway. Particularly in a live setting. Even Horowitz chose to leave wrong notes in many of his recordings.

[billyguns2]

VAn Cliburn brings more dimension and soul to this piece than I have ever heard; who cares if he makes a mistake or two? Speaking of mistakes, Horowitz made many! Taking great risks always allows room for making the occasional mistake; "perfect" playing is usually boring. What pianist today has his deep, golden sound? Kissin comes closest.

[nocturne163]

This is wonderful and very emotional !!

It's really strange to see , that some people are looking for some faults mainly , without mention anything else .

This has been an encore after an amazing performance , so at my opinion we should enjoy this ,for it's live ,

otherwise we could listen to a studio recording...

[sackwhacker]

correction its Op.8 No.12

Van Cliburn plays it pretty well but I prefer Horowitz because he plays it too slow and the mistakes were much more obvious so I couldn't feel much in his playing

[equinoxecinq]

At 0:32 a big mistake!

[jaeyer0]

Why all the hating on this performance? Yes, I prefer the Horowitz version too but it's completely ridiculous to say this was bland or uninspired.

[Cooller1993]

@jaeyer0 becoz youtube is full of talentless bastards which doesnt understand music and just click on the one who is the fastest with best audio quality.

[Strino87]

vC is a great maestro but in my opinion the only one who can really read the soul of this piece is Horowitz. Horowitz didn't need so much pedal, so much rubato and so much strong only in the right hand. This record in my opinion is a old and so many times heard romantic version of this piece. Nothing new, i was hoping in a lot much better work from a genius like vC.

[douglassmcann]

richard, there is no reason why your recordings won't surpass, the elegance and power of van cliburn....

douglas

[Martel211996]

Also, imagine playing this after Rachmaninoff Piano concerto number 2 AND number 3. To very very, had concertos, and Tchaikovsky first, which is a killer on the arms. And then playing an encore.

[Martel211996]

this is one of my favorite versions, it ties with Horowitz. Of course you simply can not compare these two recordings of Horowitz and Cliburn. Simply because Horowitz plays it more Fiery and Passionate, and Cliburn plays it more Romantic and moving. The middle section in this piece is very very, moving, i love it. well done

[demosj]

@Martel211996

Rofl Wtf? Can you seriously contend that 0:45 is played more movingly by Cliburn than Horowitz? The whole performance just so utterly straightforward and devoid in the slightest nuance in dynamics or tone color it's hard not to feel like that it was anticlimactic. The rubato just kills me with how terribly he chooses to use it.

Steveaulie's theory is probably right. Cliburn was too exhausted to give a memorable performance.

[Martel211996]

@demosj I stand by what i said before. You can not compare these two recordings, they are different in tone and mood. Do you see the legato used in 1:03 with the 3rd 4th and 5th finger. Just that little phrase is a different mood. where as if you look at Horowitz Carnegie hall edition, he plays it non legato, and plus no pedal. Again, i am not criticizing Horowitz, for i like his interpretation, especially the 1962 studio version. Is there a problem with my opinion?

[steveaulie]

In my very humble opinion (and judging by all the flowers at his feet), this might have been vC's umteenth encore for the evening and he was simply exhausted. It's not THAT difficult a piece, especially compare it to the Rach 3 or Chopin Sonates that vC devours on other occasions.

That being said, yes, I agree this was a lame performance of this piece, but look at the exhaustion on his face. Maybe just moments before he blasted out the last 3 etudes of Chopin, Op 25 !!!

[liedersanger1]

This isn't bad--but it show what a MIRACLE Horowitz was, even at 80 in Moscow, rippling through those chords that even young Cliburn labors over. One wouldn't KNOW Cliburn was laboring if it weren't for the Horowitz versions! (So few other pianists--not even Richter, to my knowledge--even tried to play this piece.)

[meredith218461]

As much as I've admired Van Cliburn over the years I'm afraid after tumultuous Horowitz version he pales into insignificance. I realise this maybe a grossly unfair comparison but Horowitz has eclisped pretty well all subsequent performances.

[demosj]

It's flat throughout. The chords carrying the melody in the right hand are so slow it's impossible to listen to. There's no climax, and there's no excitement and not one moment of creativity.

Bland.

[everythingistken1291]

Horowitz-Cliburn

Two completely individual artists who should not be compared in any way, but appreciated INDIVIDUALLY.

[aznarro]

Horowitz is a great pianist but not a great artist. Van Cliburn is a great artist.

[Ilga512]

Such a ridiculous statement!

[aznarro]

No doubt, the best INTERPRETER of this Etude.

Horowitz is nothing: only sound no music.

[Labienus]

No doubt???? Except to you.

Meaningless comment

Generally accepted that Horowitz was a great interpreter of Scriabin, and in particular owned this etude-it's that simple

[aznarro]

IMO Horowitz play but Van Clibun sing.

[Labienus]

Not sure what that means?

Horowitz did not have a singing tone to his playing?....that's not going to work

Aside from the technical aspects vC is just not "inside" the piece I find that to some degree in Kissin's version-but much more technically commanding and interesting than this

[ilovescarlatti]

may be a desperate soul of Scriabin is missing???

[bachboy111]

what's on the floor by the bench? flowers?

[leomulder]

Beautiful singing tone.

[Edbrye2008]

INSPIRED performance. 5 stars (inspiration trumps the rare mistake). BTW, this op. 8 is no. 12 (not no. 2)...In any case, enjoy!

[Labienus]

Perhaps it's only for the Tchaikovsky concerto, and his wonderful symbolic role during the cold war, and some of his earlier recordings that he will be remember for. It seems he began with such immense promise, but his career as a serious pianist sadly faded as the years went on. I see most of the videos on YOutube are fittingly from his early days. He's still "only" 74-people like Arrau, Serkin, Horowitz etc. did great work in their 70's.

[nocturne163]

this is really amazing , he's an great and also very sensitive artist !^^

so this IS an Encore , try to get his DVD's ,

and watch his georgous performance of Tchaikovsky's piano concerto !

[Labienus]

A talent, beyond a doubt, but how great? If you want to hear op. 8 no.12 played incomparably by a man 2 x his age, try the Horowitz on YOuTube from a Carnegie Hall recital. It has all the emotion, all the fire, lacking here, and technique on another level.

[gonofrio]

you're a pussy.

[Labienus]

test

[acunuttall]

Van Cliburn? A footnote compared to Glenn Gould

[tenorismo]

LOL A footnote ? put the crack pipe down. Gould was to emotionaly screwed up to play Racmanonov let alone Scriabin

[gonofrio]

what the hell are you doing with your life!? obviously nothing! You're a faggot. if i ever see you i'll beat the living shit out of you........no joke.

[Matteo7419]

I love GG, but I actually don't understand the sense of this comparison...

[kasyapa]

i don't hear much passion or expression here - he seems to chop it up to evenly-energy'd blocks.

[yamahaU3]

Perhaps if he was swaying around you wouldn't say that, eyes create illusions.

[umkalzum]

idiots its ugly to play among dead flowers and macabre,floewrs belong to EARTH!!fools...

[Troybeallad]

Always good to hear and see Van. Very slightly strained performance? He really is photogenic.

[lynndelano]

WONDERFUL!!!!

[tommy9882]

vaimusic always gave great vedio

[1day247]

Great performance.5✭

[MagicDonDino]

Simply a genius!

[tra4la]

Are there flowers on the floor?

[eutuve]

it looks so...maybe he is playing an "encore" after his program ..

[tra4la]

It's very beautiful when someone plays sitting among white flowers=)

[Crad4DRC]

awesome