February 27, 2013

20,000 vinyl LPs 18: Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958

RCA Victor Records
album cover photographer: Nikolai Rakhmanov
of Sovfoto
photo of album cover by Styrous®

Van Cliburn died today. So many memories instantly flooded my mind the second I heard the news that I was overwhelmed by them more than the news of his death.

He was born Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. (pron.: /ˈklaɪbɜrn/) on July 12, 1934, in Shreveport, Louisiana, but almost everyone knew him only as, Van Cliburn. He was tall with beautiful, wavy, blond hair. He had a quiet demeanor and a charming Southern politeness. He rocketed into stardom in 1958 when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow with his performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. He was 23 years old. The event was designed to demonstrate Soviet cultural superiority during the Cold War; kind of similar to what happened at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany (THAT event was intended to showcase the superiority of the "Master" race).

(click on any image to see slideshow)
 Hulton Archive/Getty Images
photographer unknown

I remember the excitement of his winning the competition.  At the time we were all freaked out about the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik the year before (in spite of the fantastic elation I felt that science fiction novels were coming alive, it was "THEM" who had taken the first step into space!!); Van Cliburn's victory gave us a feeling of relief that America was not just a has-been and a genuine feeling of patriotism broke out that had not been felt since the war years. Oh, how I remember the jubilation. Not many proud American moments like that.

It was the RCA recording of the Tchaikovsky concerto that propelled him into the heights of celebrity making it the first classical album to go platinum. And, of course, I was one of the many who happily helped him get there.

The reason I remember 1958 so well is because it was quite a year for me, the world and music. I graduated from high school that year and moved out on my own, something one never forgets.

The US Supreme Court ordered Little Rock, Arkansas, schools to integrate so some public schools in Little Rock were closed down by Governor Orval Faubus; Althea Gibson won at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (I was very into tennis at the time); "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak was published in the US (it made a better book than a movie).







До́ктор Жива́го, Doktor Zhivago




The Billboard Hot 100 was founded and Prez Prado was the Mambo King. Dick Dale invented "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin" . . .

Let's Go Trippin' 45 rpm record

. . . but it was his version of "Miserlou" that knocked my lights out. Dale had revamped a traditional rebetiko song from Greece, originally recorded in the '30's (the version I knew from an old 78 in my mom's record collection), and brought it rocketing full-blast into the '50's. Just for yuks, you can hear Korla Pandit play a '50's version of "Miserlou" (the "update" I was familiar with from seeing him play it on TV before I heard Dale's, which will give you an idea of why Dale's version was so electrifying) as well as the other versions on YouTube (links below).

Korla Pandit (1951)
 TV still










Pope Pius XII died that year; he had been pope my entire life (all 18 years of it). I thought the pope would live forever and it was my first realization that eternal things weren't. It's interesting that Pope Benedict XVI is retiring tomorrow.


Pope Pius XII
photo by Joachim Specht




Elvis Presley joined the army
(serial number 53310761)
photographer unknown


The Southern Pacific Bay ferries stopped running that year. Although they were built in the 1800's, the ferries were still in use when they stopped operation in 1958. There is a story about a ferry boat "Madam" (link below) as well as a story about me and the ferries when I was five (also, link below) here on the Viewfinder.

San Francisco Ferry
photographer unknown


The Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA) was created in 1958. The RIAA set the standards for recording technology; an important innovation for recorded music. Brendan Behan's, An Ghiall (The Hostage), had premiered in London the year before and I saw a touring production of the play at the Geary Theater, now the home of A. C. T., in San Francisco; I can still hear the drunk men in one of the scenes singing, "The Bells of Hell".

 Brendan Behan
photo by Walter Albertin








Cuba became a communist country!





James van Allen discovered the radiation belt . . . 


. . .  and Jerry Lee Lewis threw 


 "Great Balls of Fire" at us.



Wow!
What a year!!!




Music & video links:

°    Van Cliburn can be heard playing the first movement from Tchaikovsky's Piano Con. #1 in Moscow, 1962, accompanied by Kirill Kondrashin on YouTube.

°      Miserlou (Rebetiko - 1930's) by Mike Patrinos on YouTube.
°    Korla Pandit plays a '50's version of Miserlou on YouTube.
°    Dick Dale plays Miserlou on YouTube.
°    Dick Dale plays Let's Go Trippin' on YouTube.
°    Elvis Presley can be heard on YouTube.
°    Jerry Lee Lewis plays "Great Balls of Fire" on YouTube. 
°    Ferry boats in operation video on YouTube.

Thanks for the exaltation, excitement and lovely music you gave us, Van. Play on forever.

Styrous ~ February, 27, 2013


There are two other related (believe it or not) Viewfinder articles:

The entire collection is for sale. Interested? Contact Styrous®

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February 24, 2013

Chocolate & Beer Festival ~ 2013

 
             photo by Styrous®

On Saturday February 16, 2013, I had an interesting assignment; I photographed the 4th Annual Chocolate and Beer Festival at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, California. 

 (click on any image to see larger size)
 Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 
1414-1422 Harbour Way South, 
Richmond, California, USA. 
Photographed 2008-10-04 from Point Richmond
photo by Sanfranman59


The Pavilion was originally the Ford Assembly Plant which was opened in 1931; it was the largest on the West Coast. In 1934 it produced 56,016 cars with 2,500 men on the payroll. The building was designed by industrial architect, Albert Kahn. During the Second World War, it was converted to wartime production.

Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant
Richmond, California
Aerial view circa 1946
photographer unknown


It is an amazing structure to see on the inside.

Craneway Pavilion
photo by Styrous®


I was greeted at the entrance by Willie Wonka, right
and Chloe Tietjen, left, organizers of the event.
photo by Styrous®


The pavilion is a beautiful study of symmetry in steel with the support struts and the catwalks crossing the space.

photo by Styrous®


Chole showed me how to get up to the catwalks above the crowd so I could get an overall look at the pavilion . . . 

photo by Styrous®


. . . and get some great shots. The view from the catwalk is impressive. The pavilion measures nearly 500,000 square feet (46,450 m²).

looking down the hall from the catwalk facing north
photo by Styrous®

looking down the hall from the catwalk facing south
photo by Styrous®

looking down at a vendor table from the catwalk
(that was kind of scary) 
photo by Styrous®



Matthew Lopez and Katie
photo by Styrous®

The event featured dozens of manufacturers of chocolate with samples of it in every form possible, in chunks, on popcorn, on cup cakes, as liquid, etc.  


photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®


There were seminar/talks about chocolate; how certain chocolates go with certain beer. It was similar to a wine and cheese pairing I'd been to; not as formal, however.  As they talked about these things, they handed out samples.

this was a seminar on beer and jelly beans 
by Cicerone (means a beer sommelier)
photos by Styrous®


audience watching the seminars
photo by Styrous®


Oh, and yes, they sold chocolate as well.

Cocotutti
photo by Styrous®


Food was provided by Assemble.
photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®



Items were raffled to benefit the
photo by Styrous®


Music was provided by The Eli Carlton-Pearson Trio.
photo by Styrous


A couple of the band members on their break, 
 that's Eli on the left.
photos by Styrous®


There were things for kids to do . . .

they could jump around in an inflatable castle
photo by Styrous®

the kids could make art at a drawing/coloring tale
photo by Styrous®


photo by Styrous®


there was face painting . . .
photo by Styrous®

. . . and it wasn't just the kids that got in on the action . . .
photo by Styrous®

photos by Styrous®

There was entertainment for the adults as well. The Bay Area Derby Girls were in attendance promoting roller derby that is held in the pavilion. I had no idea that was there; I haven't seen a roller derby in decades. There is a bout scheduled for March 2, next month. There was also a "Beer Pong" table that got a very heavy workout the whole afternoon.

left: Bay Area Derby Girls                      right: Beer Pong table
photos by Styrous®


Beer Pong VICTORY!
photo by Styrous®


and, of course, there was beer


Drake's Brewery
photo by Styrous®



left: Bridgeport beer                      right: Lost Coast Brewery
photos by Styrous®



Lost Coast Brewery labels from
Humbolt County
photo by Styrous®


Hop Czar
photo by Styrous®


Great White
photo by Styrous®



Tangerine
photo by Styrous®


The views from the pavilion are beautiful . . .

photo by Styrous®


photo by Styrous®


people could go out onto the dock . . .
photo by Styrous®

 . . . to look at the view from the dock in front of the pavilion
photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®


It is a beautiful building that works well with the sunlight, coming through the plentiful windows, that plays across it at different times of the day.

photo by Styrous®


when all is said and done, it was a fun event
photo by Styrous®


This blog entry was inspired by an email from Lisa; so I dedicate this blog to her, she has been an inspiration and support for me for many years.

To Lisa.


Styrous ~ February 24, 2013
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