![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Farewell, Van Cliburn
Feb. 27th, 2013 07:39 pmSadness. Pianist Harvey Levan "Van" Cliburn has passed away at the age of 78.
As classical musicians go, he was a rock star. His breakthrough came at the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, held in Moscow in 1958. The event was one of many intended to demonstrate Soviet superiority, in this case culturally.
Small problem: a 23-year-old from Texas who ended up getting an eight-minute standing ovation. His performance at that competition, of Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto, is available on YouTube.
Rest well, Mr. Cliburn, and thanks.
As classical musicians go, he was a rock star. His breakthrough came at the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, held in Moscow in 1958. The event was one of many intended to demonstrate Soviet superiority, in this case culturally.
Small problem: a 23-year-old from Texas who ended up getting an eight-minute standing ovation. His performance at that competition, of Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto, is available on YouTube.
Rest well, Mr. Cliburn, and thanks.
