Van Cliburn

Here is a nice interview with him from about ten years ago.

Here is Cliburn mastering Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1

Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 3

I loved his performance in "Shane."

Did he know Eric Porter?

Seriously though, I once saw him waiting to board a flight. He had a minder with him, and he very much seemed to not want to recognized or approached. He looked timid and afraid. Very few probably would’ve known him anyway.

R6 I feel like he would consider it "rude" to be recognized in public. Does that make sense?

It does, R7.

He always seemed to be a very shy and timid person. He made a lot of friends. No one has ever said anything bad about him.

He also gave back so much to the United States, Texas, Fort Worth, and his hometown Kilgore.

It was sad to read about the messiness between him and his partner.

I had no memory of this case, detailed on wikipedia.........

In 1996, Cliburn was named in a lawsuit by his domestic partner of 17 years, mortician Thomas Zaremba.[27] In the suit, Zaremba claimed entitlement to a portion of Cliburn's income and assets and asserted that he might have been exposed to HIV, causing emotional distress. Cliburn denied the allegations, with his attorney, Dee Kelly, stating that "Van Cliburn categorically denies the charges."[28] Cliburn's defense team further maintained that the claims were not only false, but that they amounted to extortion.[29] Zaremba's attorney, Mike McCurley, acknowledged that Zaremba did not have AIDS and further admitted that "he had no reason to believe that Cliburn has HIV."[30] The claims were dismissed by a trial court and rejected by an appellate court,[31] on the basis that palimony suits were not permitted in the state of Texas unless the relationship is based on a written agreement.

Cliburn was known as a night owl. He often practiced until 4:30 or 5 a.m., waking around 1:30 p.m.[32] "You feel like you're alone and the world's asleep, and it's very inspiring."[33]

R11 interesting.

From my readings, he was also friends with George W. Bush, Rick Perry, Boris Yeltsin, Angela Merkel, Gunter Grass, and Vladmir Putin.

Ergo, not a guy I would want to fuck with.

Your loss, R14.

Here is a link to the Court's opinion, they barred Zaremba from recovering his "palimony" suit.

It sounded like Zaremba was the house boyfriend and demanded cash when they broke up.

I grew up in Fort Worth and he was always a big deal there.

Here he charms the panel of What's My Line. His moment starts at 16:28.

R17 Yes! And in Kilgore

Any pics of Van's johnson?

R1, with what? Blackmail?

Probably recruited as a spook. Although this looks more like a seduction that a recruitment. Definitely a killer.

No way

R20 I once ran into J. Edgar Hoover at a party that Van Johnson was giving for the Vienna Boys Choir. And J. Eddie took me to one side and asked "How'd you like it if we sent you to Hollywood with a radio transmitter in your back teeth, so you could spy on all those commie movie stars for us?" Being a patriotic American - and a little drunk - I agreed. The next day, an FBI dentist came over to my place, and he drilled me pretty good. I went to LA and got right to work on a John Garfield picture. One day, I saw him murmur-murmuring to Larry Parks - a definite Red - so I moseyed on over with my jaw hung open in a nonchalant way, licking my lips. Well, Mr. Garfield misinterprets my facial expression, and he took me back to his trailer tout-suite! I blew the transmitter that day, amongst other things, and that was the end of my career as a secret agent. But after that, I worked every John Garfield picture!!!"

[quote]I loved his performance in "Shane."

That was Van Heflin. This is the guy who recorded “Brown Eyed Girl”.

That was Van Morrison, R25. This is the guy that plays guitar for Bruce Springsteen.

That’s Van Zandt, R26. This is the sexy black king who bared his soul and wept on live TV as a CNN commentator.

[quote]I once ran into J. Edgar Hoover at a party

Was he by any chance dressed as Vivian Vance at the time?

^ JEH in drag is a funny thing to imagine, but every account I’ve since read of him - including G-Man, Beverly Gage’s new biography - has poured cold water on this claim. But it is interesting - especially in mid-century America- that official Washington always treated Hoover & Clyde Tolson as a married couple.

You’re think of Mario Van Peoples.

Melvin Van Peebles, I think you mean.

R27 That was Van Jones. This is the chick who turns letters on "Wheel of Fortune."

You're thinking of Vanna White. This is the recently deceased guitarist from the band that bears his name.

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 "The Emperor." Kiril Kondrashin conducts Mr. Van Cliburn and the Moscow State Philharmonic Academy Orchestra

No, R33 you’ve got it wrong. That’s Eddie Van Halen, this is the guy that wrote the theme to Chariots of Fire. He was just in the Oscars In Memoriam.

Do you mean Jordan Van Der Sloot?

R35 That's Vangelis. You're thinking of the subculture of people who travel the country in converted school buses and U-Hauls.

Please stop with the Van jokes. It's annoying

R38 Awww, we're sorry. Should we go back to posting grainy footage of this dead pianist banging out the classics in between Chesterfield ads?

Or how about another Vivian Vance reference? Those are as fresh as Viv's corpse, I tells ya!

R39 I made a post about something I enjoy. Don't be an immature little bitch

Unclench your blow-hole R40

Van playing the National Anthem

No, that's Vangelis. You're thinking of the Dutch painter who cut off his ear.

I've watched a couple of the YouTube videos linked here, and they all contain comments by people who recognized him while traveling. They invariably give detailed accounts of their conversations with him and say what a down-to-earth, delightful person he was. He didn't seem to be shy or timid at all; rather, humble and self effacing and genuinely interested in others.

Umm, op. Rachmaninov died in 1943. I doubt he became good friends with Van.

On the other hand, I love Van’s recording of the 3rd Piano concerto by the other Sergei, Prokofiev.

R18: I liked Shriver being blunt with Kilgallen---she played the game to win and did it less genially than Bennett Cerf. She was obviously miffed or angry but quickly pasted on a smile. She did guess him correctly in the end.

Van Cliburn had about a 25 year performing career, that afterwards began to fizzle out. Either he didn't have the artistic temperament or the physical stamina to support a really long performing career. But I'm sure he made oodles of money along the way and probably had all sorts of well-to-do Texas businessmen patrons. It was such a political coup, to have him win a major competition in a COMMUNIST country right after Sputnik. But, really his performances in the late 50's and throughout the 60s were galvanizing. And those HANDS.

R47 He got tired of being a performer around 1970. He saved money and had several lucrative real estate investments.

He didn't get back into the spotlight until 1987.

His mother was displeased he sucked cock.

R49 what about the group sessions?

[quote] Please stop with the Van jokes. It's annoying

Across the eyes in the OP link photo, he reminds me of Wentworth Miller. Fingering piano jokes aside, I bet he was a lot of fun in bed at one time.

I saw him on the Ed Sullivan Show when he got back from Russia.....and we were all excited and happy that he beat the Commies!

I had a 45 rpm extended play record of his playing of the First Piano Concerto.....a very nice green cardboard cover with his photograph on the front. I was seven years old.

Still the best......the first time I saw a color photograph of him - in probably LIFE magazine and saw the red hair....wow!

With his mother on TTTT.

He was a southern gentleman

John Browning was MUCH handsomer.

R56 yes, but who was better?

I thought Van Cliburn was his last name.....like the Von Trapp family......I thought maybe his friends called him Tex Van Cliburn.

R49: Was she any happier about his fudge packing?

I thought this thread was hilarious 😆 thanks to everyone

His Mom thought he packed the most delicious fudge. Probably Mamie's recipe.

He is a great pianist

R1, thanks for sharing, that was a revealing interview. I love hearing artists talk about their craft.

I love his calmness and coolness at the piano, even during intense and technically demanding performances such as Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. Like nothing fazed him.

The story about him winning the first ever International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958 was that the event was designed to showcase Russian culural superiority. It had been pre-planned that a Russian pianist would win. Van Cliburn came over and blew everyone away with his performances of Tchaikovsky's 1st concerto and Rachmaninoff's 3rd. The judges had a conversation with Nikita Khrushchev, where Khrushchev asked them. "Well, who was the best?" They replied the American Van Cliburn was. "Well, give it to him!" Khrushchev replied.

I have kind of a weird story about him. I knew someone who knew Jerome Hines, the American bass who sang at the Met for a million years, very well. My friend told me a story about Jerome Hines being invited to a party back in the 60's. As a singer, Jerry always assumed that he was also invited to sing at said party. He took a long copy of the sheet music to "Old man River," ehich at the time was one of the staples of his rep. Van Cliburn was at the party as well. The hostess asked Jerome Hines to sing and Van Cliburn to play for Jerry. Jerome Hines took out his copy of the sheet music to "Old Man River" and gave it to Van Cliburn. Van Cliburn whispered to Jerry that he could not sight read music, and would Jerry please make some excuse as to why they couldn't perform together? Otherwise, it would make Van Cliburn look ridiculous. The fact that Van Cliburn could not sight read "Old Man River" is astonishing. I am a terrible pianist, and even I could have cite read that song.

Well, maybe I could "sight read," but I sure can't spell!

My parents had an LP of Van Cliburn playing Chopin. Which my 7 year old mouth pronounced Chop-pin. I was so mesmerized by the incredible beauty of the music that I drove my parents crazy listening to it over and over again. To this day, I still prefer Chopin from the hands of Van Cliburn. Those hands indeed!

Some years ago, the local Steinway piano store had a visiting exhibit of Horowitz's concert grand piano, one of Van Cliburn's concert grands and a centennial edition of a piano they called the Gershwin piano. The owner called me and asked if I'd be willing to play a concert to showcase the pianos at his store, which was newly built and had just opened at the time. I asked if I could invite some of my friends and he said, of course. So there were three of us. We played pieces that Horowitz was famous for performing using his piano, (I played pieces by Scarlatti and Scriabin, a friend played a prelude by Rachmaninoff, and another a piece by Liszt) I played several pieces that Van Cliburn had recorded during his career on the Van Cliburn piano, (Debussy, Brahms, Rachmaninoff) and then one of my friends played Rhapsody in Blue on the Gershwin piano, while my other friend and I accompanied her (playing the orchestral parts) on the other two pianos. It was a 'grand' success, and filled the store's recital hall to the brim. We really should have charged the store - instead, we got commemorative clocks and were enrolled as "Steinway Artists". But it was a fun evening and I don't regret it.

That sounds like a great afternoon or evening R68 - can you add where this happened? Serious question because I live in an area where there is no such thing as a Steinway retail outlet. I know there are places where they do - like the Plano TX region, but not where I live.

In a medium sized city of the Pacific Northwest

Portland

He was the cover story of our second grade Weekly Reader when he beat the Russkies!

And he got a ticker tape parade in NYC!

Fantastic story!

He was attractive until he died.

A for a couple of days afterwards.

Acclaimed classical pianist Van Cliburn owned an almost-5,000-square-foot house for 32 years in Tucson, Az selling it in 1993.

The home, on a dirt road called North Indian House Road, was on a large lot north of what is now Park Place.
 Early news clips indicate Cliburn, like so many others, came to Tucson at least partly for his health. In 1958, it was to recover from a bronchial infection; in 1959, it was for two months of "rest and relaxation." That same year, the young pianist also had some dental work done in the Old Pueblo.
 During the late '50s and all through the '60s, Cliburn performed in Tucson, everywhere from the Tucson Symphony Orchestra to the living room of the Rev. Newton H. White. The two men also dined at the Cliff House on North Oracle Road near Rudasill, where the pianist reportedly downed three bowls of turtle soup.

Cliburn died Feb. 27, 2013, at his home in Fort Worth, Texas at the age of 78.

He was smart with his money

I wonder what he and Rev. Newt did after dinner.

He resembles Robert Reed a little.

3 bowls of turtle soup followed by two loads of........ cue in Chopins Nocturne in E flat major (Op. 9, No. 2)

Check out Reverand Newt!! Glory Be!

Wife and stepson drowned by accident or something more sinister?

Trust fund baby turned man of the cloth. Was the wife a beard---marrying in his 40s.

Yes, very strange R82.... Involve Van in the plot, and we've got a miniseries I think.

R81 - sister Mrs. Jack Bixler.......was her first name Bunny?

Now it can be told!

How he is related to Van Cliburn?

Read the thread and the article.

How come he has black peoples' hair?

[quote] How come he has black peoples' hair?

Perhaps there was a touch of the tar brush in his family history?

He has cookie smelling face in every photo. How could people even in Texas of that day have not known he was gay. Not married. Wikipedia says he was a member of the Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth with his funeral held out of there. A Thomas L. Smith, longtime friend, was listed as his only survivor.

I googled his church. It’s really a big ass church and beautiful for its time and place. It reeks of Southern upper or upper middle class gentility at least it had to in the 1940s thru 1960s.

I was just watching [italic]Crooked House[/italic] with subtitles on. When the soundtrack stated "classical music playing," I thought "Oh, please, that's Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1" because I'd listened to your Youtube link. The tycoon's granddaughter was dancing to this and finished looking at his portrait. Hint, hint.

R92 interesting. Did you like Crooked House?

[quote] With his otherworldly playing, he became classical music royalty,

CLASSICAL MUSIC ROYALTY! Parted friends... everyone already knows! Box office poison! Box office poison! Class! You're... class... you're... class... box office poison! Eighteen years in the business and we parted friends! Creative differences!

R94 what??

love these shoes...

R96 wrong thread

I think Van would have loved those shoes.

Van Cliburn on classical music

He sounds like a queer

Who ever heard of a queer pianist?

Yes, r93. It was a pretty good Christie movie. Some good actors in character roles, Glenn Close stomping around shooting varmints. I enjoyed it.

R102 I did too, but some people did not.

He has more class in his pinky than every "artist" today.

A nice Texas Monthly article about Mr. Cliburn

When listening to him play, I think "Oh, that's what Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, et al., meant that to sound like." Really, Tchaikovsky has never been my favorite: too much pathos. But when Van Cliburn plays it, I love it.

[quote]How could people even in Texas of that day have not known he was gay.

I'm sure they did know. Southerners aren't stupid - there are just some things they don't talk about.

R107 it is inappropriate

Given the Christmas season, I wanted to bump this thread,

Bumping this thread because of the Glenn Gould one

Another great recording; Van Cliburn plays with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Fritz Reiner

Artur Rubinstein reminisced that Van Clyburn gave head to the enigmatic Canadian pianist, Glenn Gould, while the latter recorded the Goldberg Variations. This acrobatic feat was all the more remarkable, given the limited space between Gould’s signature piano chair and his Steinway Concert Grand. The source of the infamous background humming that accompanied Gould’s note-perfect rendition of the technically-challenging Variations was not Gould himself but none other than Vladimir Horowitz who, according to Rubinstein, did so to mask the slurping sounds beneath the keyboard as well as Horowitz’s utterances while beating off in the shadows.

R112 Interesting.

There really aren't many great American pianists except for Cliburn.