Van Cliburn - a Portrait DVD

Van Cliburn is one of the most celebrated pianists this country has produced. Though he will always be remembered as the winner of the first Tchaikovsky International Competition (and remains the only American pianist to have won it) this 1966 documentary from the archives of the Bell Telephone Hour highlights Cliburn's true distinction as a musician of remarkable range and depth. Cliburn narrates the film and offers many personal insights on music.Van Cliburn's dedication to the development of young artists is shown in his work with the Interlochen Music Camp. Leading... a student orchestra Cliburn rehearses Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 for a concert in which he will both conduct and be piano soloist. The Russian composer Dmitri Kabalevsky also makes an appearance during this segment.Other highlights include a recording session of the Chopin b minor sonata; a visit with his parents followed by a trip to the site of his very first recital at age 5; Cliburn practicing Liszt's b minor sonata at his home in Arizona; hosting a White House concert of the winners of the Tchaikovsky International Competition at which Erich Leinsdorf also performs; and in rehearsal with Kiril Kondrashin for a Hollywood Bowl performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. At the conclusion of the Hollywood Bowl concert Cliburn and Kondrashin offer the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 as an encore - a thrilling climax to this fascinating profile. [show more]

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