Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 - Van Cliburn - Part 4

[AlexTheodoulides]

certainly the most amazing hands of all piano history !!

[skepticlogician]

Not a criticism in the least...! ...but how interesting that Cliburn swaps two measures towards the end. At 5:11 he plays what should have been played at 5:19 and at 5:19 he plays what should have been played at 5:11... anyway, it still sounds glorious!! Bravo!!

[straycat316]

To me he's an american with a russian soul,

how great!!

[straycat316]

This concerto is such a wonderful and breathtaking masterpiece, and Van Cliburn's interpretation is just amazing, exiting and emotional!!

[techrxgb]

So, this is a bit picky, but between :29 and :30 he flubs the arpeggios just a tiny bit; there is one off note there... but you have to listen close.

[ruby1uby]

who said that clasical music will put u to sleep? wrong.. WRONG!!!!!! what a excellent pianist, so natural and dramatic. it seems like he ran out of keys to hit and notes to play

[MrAlgykcho]

It's quite interesting to compare the Tchaikovsky competition now & 50 years ago.

[skimask777]

Van Cliburn did not appear to be playing for a piano competition but rather for an audience. That’s what made this performance and the others a great success.

[theipodmonster]

4:44 Angry cellos

[uUUu314]

I can't even imagine experiencing this performance live. While still amazing through a medium such as youtube, in real time must have been transcendant

[usranger12]

When I die, all I wish for is to live on the same street where the great composers live!!! Imagine hearing this music all day...........that's what heaven is!!! BRAVO!!!!!

The Skulker (AHS '62)

[dennisvillegas]

this rachmaninoff guy is one amazing hell of a composer and this van cliburn dude is one hell of an amazing pianist

[RandDguy]

@dennisvillegas Check out Rachmaninoff's own recordings. He was not only one of the greatest composers of the 20th century he was also one of its greatest pianists.

[Margaux3200]

Joniterp, the conductor, Kirill Kondrashin, was fabulous. He knew instinctly how to "accompany", yes "accompany" Van. He and Van were an absolutely brilliant combination in my humble opinion!

[Margaux3200]

I've seen him play often too and you're absolutely right about the hands in the lap.  Not often done, but when it he did do it, it was, as you say, to remark "yes, that's how you do it. End of sentence, paragraph, story!

[Verified1]

Cliburn famously loves and understands opera, and no one that I've heard in the past 50 years has been able to make the piano sound as beautiful as the human voice as he did in his youth. I heard him play this piece on a number of occasions during his early career and he didn't hit the mark each time, but when he did, it was a transformative experience. In this performance, I love the end of the adagio sostenuto, when he plops his hands into his lap as if to say...and that's how you do that!!

[amshg21]

WOOOOOOOOOOOW .... unfreakin believable ....

[Joniterp]

The Director fails to maintain intensity with his musicians with the softer tones of the piece while Vans are not. Van was fabulous.

[StokesDaddy]

6:25 I think Van Cliburn over did it.. and the conductor didnt know what to do with Van Cliburn's way of gratitude.. I think he was a little homophobic if you ask me.. lol

[steamednotfried]

I think this is the best performance of this piece on the part of the orchestra that I have yet to hear. With all respect to Van Cilburn, I would like to hear this orchestra play this with Richter or Gould (no, Gould hasn't recorded this piece, but if he did it would be the best recording available)

[JetstereoHonduras]

The artistry grows with each succeeding movement. Remarkable.

[12345qazx1]

the very top pianist,still..

[bigchucktwo]

I have listened to Rachmaninoff music for many years. Still enthralled with the overall genius of the man. Van Cliburn is pure piano. Imagine how long it took him to comfortably learn the complexity of this piece - fingering, dynamics, orchestration. So wonderful! He is truly one with the instrument.

[theFirecat00]

Hat off to Van Cliburn for the great performance pivotal to this concert - immaculate and passionate performance throughout - I am truly amazed. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[existentaeinutila]

da,foarte frumos!!!

[in4freedom]

thanks for this wonderful video,so beautiful.

[Liebromeistal]

Richter's performance is undoubtedly better. Van Cliburn's seems weak, puny, and amateurish in comparison. His technique is perceptibly worse as well

[Boriska2008]

BRAVO!!!

[gmkline]

Hello Arturo,

I have Cliburn's recording of Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto on vinal(!). A bit scratchy, but no skips or hang-ups. For me it is reference standard for this work.

Greetings from Germany.

[ComposerInUK]

Thank you so much for this. What a wonderfully passionate and committed performance. Technically brilliant, naturally, but you get the impression here of fresh, vibrant and sensitive playing, totally unhackneyed. Fabulous orchestral accompaniment too. Straight on to my favourites.

[violetavalery]

Not only spinal shivers! Tears as well! This is the music of love

[vonpossen]

I get spinal shivers through the whole socre. There are so many textures and really great themes. This has got to be the best piano concerto ever, and one of the best compositions of any kind! Who better than Van Cliburn to perform it?

[jjp009]

Anyone else get the spinal shivers starting at 5:08 and all the way to the end? I did. What an amazing pianist and the orchestra/conductor did a superb job backing him as well.

[cerzule]

Definitely! I also always get major chills EVERY single time I hear the last couple of minutes of his third concerto. Such powerful, majestic, heartaching music!

[GailRuthDawdle]

@jjp009 Oh yeah!

[RandDguy]

@jjp009 YES! Spot on!

[4JBrewer]

@jjp009 That's because it sounds like Richard Halley's 5th piano concerto, "The Concerto of Deliverance" from Atlas Shrugged! People think Ayn Rand was inspired by Rachmaninoff's 2nd when she wrote the description of Halley's 5th in the text.

[lynndelano]

Thank you for all of the Cliburn Video. It has been a priceless addition to our library. I have a 6 and hopefully soon my 11 year old, hooked on them. Keep them coming.

[jplaura02]

A truly great performance by America's greatest pianist. I'm so sorry I never got to attend one his concerts.

[mario54671]

although I did like the ending melody, but then after that at the fast part they did it too slow! :/

[mario54671]

Ehhh...it's a bit..slow. It doesn't sound as Russian when he plays it :/..I like the way Yefim Bronfman plays it much better, and when Salonen conducts since he knows how to keep it the right tempo.

[Berceuse59]

Emotional , brilliant and just great, that's Cliburn !!!

And what a masterpiece *_* !

[gmkline]

Thank you Arturo for your comment.

Cliburn is truly a brilliant artist. He's 73 years old now, and has led, for many years the Dallas-Ft. Worth Music Festival, which he helped found. His Rachminoff 2 is available on CD, with Kiril Kondrashin on the podium, but it's hard to find. In the meantime, I will be coming back to YouTube to expierience it again, and again, and again. I hope you will too. See you then. Yours truly, G.M. Kline

[ArturoAlejandroS]

Of course,I have heard this video many times!Too amazing.I enjoy the treatment of this part.Sure the best USA pianist ever,he can compite with Ashkenazy,Hoffman,Horowitz,Ric­hter and even Rachmaninov (he would be amazed).

If you enjoy Rach2,please,search now Tchaikovsky first piano concerto by him(I think that there is not a more beautiful performance the third movement of this concerto).

Greetings from Chile.

[gmkline]

This is Rachmaninoff's greatest piano concerto played by one of America's (arguably) greatest pianists. I hope this will always be available for everyone's listening pleasure. Thank you YouTube!

[ArturoAlejandroS]

Van Cliburn is my favourite pianist of USA!

[ArturoAlejandroS]

Very different of the performances that I have heard.A bit american I think.

I like specially the coda,the best part of the video,one of the best performances of these setcion,althought this is a great performance.

I hve the paganini rhapsody by him and I recommend this version to everyone!

[shevansilva]

Is that Zubin Mehta who's the conductor?

I think Van Cliburn is amazing, and this performance is really quite great. I'd never heard of him till today.

For those who are really interested in this concerto, try and get your hands on the Neville Marriner/Garrick Ohlsson recording. I think thats simply brilliant.

[pearlgirl57]

Incredible!! What a master! I have played this for my sons who are young musicians so they can see for themselves an example of the true gift of genius. Truly inspiring. Thank you for posting this.

[billyguns2]

Cliburn's mastery and maturity here are mind-boggling; what a tragedy he didn't live up to this greatness in later years. What exactly happened? Burn out? The strain of his private life? This is music-making at its absolute greatest; Cliburn and Kondrashin were a magical team, playing "in between" the black notes. Bravi!

[RabidCh]

He always loved opera very much so he devoted a lot of time towards listening to music. Also after 1962 he spent much time running the Van Cliburn Competition and did not perform as much until the 1970s. Retired in 1978.

[Hosenfeld24601]

He said that he wanted relief from the pressure and stress of practising. Completely understandable if you've had any contact with someone who does take their practising seriously, and seen the great dedication and time it takes.

[Burnsomatic]

Thank you so much for making it possible for me to finally SEE Van play Rachmaninoff! I wonder, is there a video of his performance of the Rachmaninoff Third?

[hilocomtoot]

Thank You DC788 for sharing the entire performance of this piece of history...what a treat!

Thank you Mr. Cliburn for all the thousands upon thousands of slow high finger practice hours you did to bring about this and other brilliant performances of this era!!!