photographer unknown
Showing posts with label Van Cliburn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Van Cliburn. Show all posts
May 22, 2025
November 12, 2023
May 15, 2020
Korla Pandit articles/mentions
mentions:
Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958
Liberace, King of Bling
Korla Pandit
date & photographer unknown
May 9, 2020
Immortal Loves
There have been many famous people I have loved through my life and have always thought of as "Immortal"!
Cases in point are Pope Pius XII, my very first dose of mortality when I was a teenager, Lucille Ball, Debbie Reynolds, Elvis Presley, Anne Baxter, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe (I was totally in love with her, who wasn't?), Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Van Cliburn, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, Divine, Fats Domino, Carrie Fisher, George Harrison, John Lennon, Sandra Sakata (link below), Celeste Holm, Whitney Houston, Patti Page, Michael Jackson, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (his was the most shocking), B. B. King, Jon Lord, Jayne Mansfield, Leonard Nimoy, Prince, Lou Reed, George Romero (I expect him back any day now), Inger Stevens, photographer Jim Stewart (link below), Joan Sutherland and on and on. It was a complete shock to me when each and everyone of them DID die.
I KNEW they were not immortal but they were so much bigger than life in
my mind that I could not comprehend their death until it actually
happened. The death of Little Richard today (link below) brought me to post this entry to the Viewfinder.
Viewfinder links:
Guess what?
They ARE immortal because
They ARE immortal because
they live on in my mind & heart!
Styrous® ~ Saturday, May 9. 2020
July 18, 2019
Van Cliburn ~ Keyboard Wonder of the 50's
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Van Cliburn, Moscow - 1958
photographer unknown
Last Friday, July 12, was the birthday of Van Cliburn, the American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958 (link below).
Although it's been over sixty years, I remember the event as if it was just a short time ago and especially the terrific feeling of being proud to be an American; something I haven't felt for a while.
Although it's been over sixty years, I remember the event as if it was just a short time ago and especially the terrific feeling of being proud to be an American; something I haven't felt for a while.
The first International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 was an event designed to demonstrate Soviet cultural superiority during the Cold War, after the technological victory of the USSR with the Sputnik launch in October 1957. Cliburn's performance at the competition finale of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 on April 13 earned him a standing ovation lasting eight minutes.
The jury included an astonishing team composed of Dmitri Shostakovich, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Dmitry Kabalevsky, and Lev Oborin. When it was time to announce the winner, the judges were obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Then give him the prize!"
Cliburn returned home to a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only time the honor has been accorded a classical musician. A cover story in Time magazine proclaimed him "The Texan Who Conquered Russia".
Upon Cliburn's return to the United States, RCA Victor signed him to an exclusive contract and his subsequent recording of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance. It was certified a gold record in 1961, and it became the first classical album to go platinum, achieving that certification in 1989.
The jury included an astonishing team composed of Dmitri Shostakovich, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Dmitry Kabalevsky, and Lev Oborin. When it was time to announce the winner, the judges were obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Then give him the prize!"
Cliburn returned home to a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only time the honor has been accorded a classical musician. A cover story in Time magazine proclaimed him "The Texan Who Conquered Russia".
Time magazine ~ "The Texan Who Conquered Russia"
Upon Cliburn's return to the United States, RCA Victor signed him to an exclusive contract and his subsequent recording of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance. It was certified a gold record in 1961, and it became the first classical album to go platinum, achieving that certification in 1989.
Van Cliburn died of bone cancer on February 27, 2013 (link below), in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 78 years old. His obituary lists as his only survivor his "friend of longstanding", Thomas J. Smith (link below).
Viewfinder links:
Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn & Tchaikovsky 50 years on
Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958
Gay Gaze 'n Daze
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Net links:
Discography
Dallas News ~ Cliburn's strange career and my strange relationship with him
Interlochen.org ~ Van Cliburn memorial program booklet
McClatchy Washington Bureau ~ Friends, dignitaries farewell to Van Cliburn
Playbill ~ Looking Back at the Pianist Who Conquered Russia
Steinway ~ Van Cliburn: An Unforeseen Ambassador
YouTube links: (apologies for the ads)
Van Cliburn ~
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, B-flat minor Moscow 1962
Концерт Вана Клиберна. (Van Cliburn Moscow) (1 hr., 40 min.)
'Russians Conquered My Heart' Van Cliburn Reflects on 50 Years
Styrous® ~ Thursday, July 18, 2019
June 16, 2019
Jerry Lee Lewis articles/mentions
~ Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958
Engelbert Humperdinck
Elvis Presley ~ Don't Be Cruel
The Residents ~ Satisfaction
Jerry Lee Lewis
date & photographer unknown
April 14, 2018
Van Cliburn & Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, 60 years on
Van Cliburn - 1959
On April 14, 1958, sixty years ago today, Van Cliburn won the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow for his performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1. That was quite a feat back then, a shock to the Russians as well as a boost to the moral of the United States (link below).
When it was time to announce the winner, the judges were obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Then give him the prize!"
Cliburn returned home to a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only time the honor has been accorded a classical musician. Arriving at City Hall after the parade, Cliburn told the audience:
"I appreciate more than you will ever know that you are honoring me, but the thing that thrills me the most is that you are honoring classical music. Because I'm only one of many. I'm only a witness and a messenger. Because I believe so much in the beauty, the construction, the architecture invisible, the importance for all generations, for young people to come that it will help their minds, develop their attitudes, and give them values. That is why I'm so grateful that you have honored me in that spirit."
A cover story in the American weekly news magazine, Time, proclaimed him "The Texan Who Conquered Russia".
I know I will never forget the day he won and that day in New York City. It seems impossible that it happened sixty years ago; it seems like only yesterday.
Van Cliburn with his mother - 1966
photographer unknown
RCA Victor signed him to an exclusive contract, and his subsequent recording of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance. It was certified a gold record in 1961, and it became the first classical album to go platinum, achieving that certification in 1989. It was the best-selling classical album in the world for more than a decade, eventually going triple-platinum. In 2004, this recording was re-mastered from the original studio analogue tapes.
Cliburn received the Kennedy Center Honors on December 2, 2001. He was awa rded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on July 23, 2003 by President George W. Bush, and, on September 20, 2004, the Russian Order of Friendship, the highest civilian awards of the two countries.
Van Cliburn receiving the Order of Friendship
September 20, 2004
An interantional competition presented every four years has been establish in his name, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, in Fort Worth, Texas.
On August 27, 2012, Cliburn's publicist announced that the pianist had advanced prostate cancer
with widespread bone metastases. He underwent treatment and was
"resting comfortably at home" in Fort Worth, where he received
around-the-clock care. Cliburn died on February 27, 2013, at the age of seventy-eight.
The Wall Street Journal said on his death that Cliburn was a "cultural hero" who "rocketed to unheard-of stardom for a classical musician in the U.S." Calling him "the rare classical musician to enjoy rock star status", the Associated Press on his death noted the 1958 Time magazine cover story that likened him to "Horowitz, Liberace, and Presley all rolled into one".
A street in the Cultural District of the city of Fort Worth, Texas, has been named after him, Van Cliburn Way.
Van Cliburn Way, Fort Worth Cultural District
There is a 1972 Russian documentary entitled In the World of Sound (В мире звуков. Играет Ван Клиберн) captures Cliburn's 1972 tour in the country. Directed by Viktor Okuntsov, it has studio footage of Cliburn playing Debussy and Chopin; walking around Pavlovsk Palace, Saint Petersburg; being interviewed; having makeup applied; listening to his recording of the Mephisto Waltz by Liszt; and enjoying himself and participating in events. It also includes brief interviews with Ivan Kozlovsky, Innokenty Smoktunovsky and Kirill Kondrashin, as well as many shots of people and places. Below is a list of some of the highlights of the film.
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
YouTube links:
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no. 1 - Moscow video 1958
Russians Conquered My Heart
In the World of Sound - documentary film
Russians Conquered My Heart
In the World of Sound - documentary film
03:46 - Chopin Nocturne op. 62 no. 2
11:00 - Pavlovsk Palace
14:29 - Debussy La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune
19:51 - Chopin Heroic Polonaise op. 53
27:58 - listening to his recording of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz
31:06 - giving an interview with a translator
38:13 - Ivan Kozlovsky 38:37 - Innokenty Smoktunovsky
39:32 - Kirill Kondrashin
40:57 - laying flowers at the Tchaikovsky monument
11:00 - Pavlovsk Palace
14:29 - Debussy La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune
19:51 - Chopin Heroic Polonaise op. 53
27:58 - listening to his recording of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz
31:06 - giving an interview with a translator
38:13 - Ivan Kozlovsky 38:37 - Innokenty Smoktunovsky
39:32 - Kirill Kondrashin
40:57 - laying flowers at the Tchaikovsky monument
Styrous® ~ Saturday, April 14, 2018
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January 4, 2018
August 13, 2017
Elvis Presley articles/mentions
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Don't Be Cruel
Don't Be Cruel lyrics
Heartbreak Hotel: his first big hit
Don't Be Cruel lyrics
Heartbreak Hotel: his first big hit
Buchanan & Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer
Otis Blackwell ~ These Are My Songs
Johnny Cash & June Carter
Chrisma ~ Chinese Restaurant
Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958
Joe Cocker ~ A Little Help From My Friends
Johnny Cash & June Carter
Chrisma ~ Chinese Restaurant
Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958
Joe Cocker ~ A Little Help From My Friends
Perry Como ~ Catch A Falling Star
Stan Kenton ~ City of Glass
Del Shannon ~ Runaway & Max Crook's Musitron
Skatt Brothers ~ Don't Be Cruel (Disco Daze 4 - 1980)
The Wild One ~ 1953
Skatt Brothers ~ Don't Be Cruel (Disco Daze 4 - 1980)
The Wild One ~ 1953
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®
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).
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).
The Billboard Hot 100 was founded and Prez Prado was the Mambo King. Dick Dale invented "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin" . . .
.jpg)
. . . 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).
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" . . .
.jpg)
Let's Go Trippin' 45 rpm record
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| 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.
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.
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
James van Allen discovered the radiation belt . . .
"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. ° Dick Dale plays Let's Go Trippin' on YouTube.
° Elvis Presley can be heard 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
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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