Van Cliburn wins first Tchaikovsky Competition

[htews]

Is that narrator Sean Connery?



[techrxgb]

@htews That's Dan Rather. 

[annajeehee]

Yay ! Superb and the conductor -I should know -I am from a Juilliard alumna

[EpicureMammon]

I have the Living Stereo SACD remaster of Cliburn's playing this piece. It's actually vaguely unpleasant to listen to other renditions because of the passion with which Cliburn plays and that Tchaikovsky very likely wrote into the piece. Honestly, every other recording that I've heard is, I don't know, unfulfilling? It's interesting to read the history of Piano Concerto No. 1 because Tchaikovsky's own go-to pianist hated it, called it "unplayable" and had a few other choice criticisms for it.

[lsbrother]

ah yes - Van Cliburn saves the world from nuclear annihilation by playing his piano - wish we were all so talented

[Windwalker103]

How I wish that we could reach that same level of understanding, now

[dickshouse1]

Six years after this I sat next to Van at Gala Evening at the Metropolitan Opera. Joan Sutherland and Renata Tebaldi performing LaTraviata and LaBoheme's first acts respectively. Renata and Van were great friends and that night I became a friend of them both. I attended a post performance dinner at the Plaza Hotel hosted by Van for all the stars of the evening. That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship with all of them.

Special tickets and dinners with both of them for years.

[dnggitg]

@elladan0891: I was just repeating a story I'd heard on a classical music station; I wouldn't know whether it's true or apocryphal. But if the jury was instructed to give the prize to a Russian, and if it had to ask Krushchev for permission to give the prize to an American, is it not eminently reasonable to conclude that the competition was at least somewhat political? If the story is true, how can you say that the jury was "very far from politics"?

[dmcII]

@dnggitg I've heard that story as well from different sources. To paraphrase, Kruschev asked if VC had been the "best" pianist. The jury people replied that yes he was. Kruschev answered "then award him the prize". If the jury was indeed instructed to give the prize to a Russian initially, I suspect the order came from some anonymous bureaucrat. Before VC, no American had even come close to winning. After his performance, they were probably flabbergasted and uncertain what to do.

[mb7668]

@dmcII I read the same basic story. The judges were afraid of the reaction of the audience if they dared give it to anyone else, but they were more afraid of the political consequences if they gave it to Cliburn. The rest is basically the same as you wrote. Kruschev asked if Cliburn was the best, and he was told "yes". And he said, "Then, give it to him."

[dmcII]

@mb7668 Yep. The rest as they say, is history...:)

[DSM1G90]

He would record the Tchaikovsky with Kondrasin a week later in the middle of May, 1958 at Carnegie Hall along with the Rachmaninoff 3rd right after the stupendous American concert with Cliburn inviting the Soviet conductor to lead the orchestra once again. The Tchaikovsky became the hottest classical vinyl release that year (RCA Victor LM/LSC-2252). The Rachmaninoff (LM/LSC-2335) was released the year later and was a recording of the actual performance.

[goodguysdoll]

your title of the youtube is misleading. i thought they were going to show him actually WIN the prize. like the announcement.

[bus114]

"...a long, tall Texan". Actually, he was born in Louisiana. But moved to Texas at an early age. So I think we' in the Lone Star State are okay in claiming him as one of our own.

[dnggitg]

I've heard (I'm not a pianist, so correct me if I'm wrong) that politicians WERE judging music. The judges had been instructed to give the prize to a Russian. But because Van Cliburn was the best, they asked Krushchev for permission to give the prize to the American. Krushchev said, "Is he the best?" The judges said, "Yes." Krushchev said, "Then give him the prize."

[elladan0891]

@dnggitg

It's kinda funny, but it's Americans who often make this political.

The jury was very far from politics: great pianists Richter and Gilels, British composer Sir Arthur Bliss, Russian composers Kabalevsky and Shostakovich.

If the sole purpose of the Soviet organizers of the competition were to give the prize to a Soviet musician (as I often hear), that's exactly what would have happened.

[elladan0891]

@dnggitg

And even if the legend about asking for Khrushchev's approval is true, his alleged response is just another proof that Tchaikovsky competition was NOT political in the eyes of the Soviet leadership.

Music has no borders. Peace.

[otherjoe1234]

good thing politicians don't judge music

[Pischnaholic]

A pity this had to narrated by Damn Rather! PHEW!

[n0wM3]

wow, he got lotsa flowers.

[moosen27]

i want flowers lol XD

[Leah1071]

Undescribable feelings

[aimeerebecca1]

Breathtaking. Could anyone tell me the piece he is playing in this video??? Or where I can get a full recordin?? Thanks in advance.

[pookiehohn]

Tchaikovsky's first concerto itunes etc.

[soitoldhimno]

Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto.

There's a great album you can get on Amazon or Itunes of Van Cliburn playing this along with Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto. It's probably my favorite CD.

[chopzart]

he's playing the first movement of piano concerto no.1 in Bb minor by Tchaikovsky. you can get the recording from basically....anywhere. its super famous.

[OGwebmaster]

That's an awesome video. Music is the universal language :)

[uanextuu]

Music can change the world because it is a universal language which everybody understands.

If children were taught how to play an instrument and they listened to classical music, their values and their behaviour could be better.

Thanks for this wonderful video.

:-)

[nocturne163]

Van Cliburn is an amazing artist and person , great !)

[hofloraworld]

El alma virtuosa se manifiesta bajo la mas aplastante armonia. La belleza de sus manos exaltan a ssu creador.

[brunocomolli]

Para hacerme ecos de tus palabras, la musica un instrumento del alma que va mas alla de cualquier frontera e incluso ideologia por mas antagonicas que estas sean.

[jrocco03]

THAT GUY LOOKS JUST LIKE ME!

[wildejag]

You better get a better picture then. I visited your channel and you pale in comparison ;)

[ulsbolde89]

Music was the light in that dark period.

[ArturoAlejandroS]

Great comment!

[nealbartlett]

I had the honor of seeing Van Cliburn perform the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 live about 7 years ago. He is truly amazing--I was in the fourth row and remember being struck by the fact that he played the entire piece with his eyes closed. Amazing.

[hoapiano]

I wish to see full concerto No.1 by Vn Cliburn! so so beautiful! thank you for this valued video!

[olga2809]

So many flowers :-)

[trschaefer]

He really did have a great tone. Really plays to the very bottom of the keys.

[love2beitalian]

A real hero and legend. Bravo Van Cliburn Bravo.

[AndreRieuFans]

How I wish he would perform in public still. Yet I would not dare ask this of him, he has given the world enough. It is a selfish wish I know, but there it is. Doesn't Van Cliburn live near the Nokia in Dallas? Carol Woods in Houston? In my lifetime to hear him life, even once......ahhh dreams....

[L8nitedave]

My guess if anywhere would be Bass Hall, Ft Worth.

[Berceuse59]

What a great documentation, have to get it !

He's such an brilliant , sensitive and charming artist !

[withcellist]

reported by Dan Rather.. haha classic.

[markmarshall39]

sounds like him dont it.

[toomash]

Van Cliburn saved the world.

[4ngry4nus]

Saved American AND USSR. Now that's hard!

[bwgary]

What is the name of that song he is playing? I can't remember it for the life of me.

[f2781]

Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

[asorescu]

Watch Van Cliburn Windmung Schumann/List and observe the Russian audience gathering in mass to the stage, standing while touching the stage, for a closer enjoyment...

[asorescu]

You cannot imagine how much Cliborn was adored in Russia at that point. Indeed for regular people there are no frontieres. Coming back to Texas after such a success abroad, to the American audiences which at that point were not that exhuberant, might have been frustrating...

[Verified1]

Integrity, in this case, musical integrity, always eventually triumphs over the forces of fear and tribalism. I'm not sure if young folks realize what an important event it was when Cliburn played in Moscow. It reminded us all, during times as dangerous as today, that everyday people crave the same thing, no matter what our sometimes misguided leaders try to claim.