Vladimir Horowitz: Aspects of the original TV broadcast of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in 1978

Vladimir Horowitz’s final performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (and his last public performance of any piano concerto) was broadcast live on Sunday 24 September 1978 as a special event on the NBC television network in the United States.
This one-hour broadcast was called “HOROWITZ LIVE!”, and aired between 5:00pm and 6:00pm Eastern Daylight Saving Time in North America.
The broadcast was without commercials, but began with acknowledgements of the sponsor, and ended with a statement by the sponsor. In addition, a brief documentary-like slideshow with some preliminary commentary by Horowitz and an on-camera statement by Horowitz himself immediately preceded the performance.
The actual concert started at 3:45pm on Sunday 24 September 1978. This was only 10 days after Zubin Mehta had officially become Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. (On 5 February 1978, Mehta had conducted Horowitz in a performance of this concerto in one of his last concerts as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic).
The first half of the program (not broadcast) included Webern’s Six Pieces, Opus 6 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8. The house program (which can be viewed on the New York Philharmonic archives’ website website at archives.nyphil.org/index.php...) also indicates:
“Concert for the Benefit of the New York Philharmonic”
“Mr. Horowitz’ performance of the Rachmaninoff Concerto is being telecast live on the NBC television network and broadcast over twenty-three high-fidelity radio stations, sponsored by Bell System.”
“This performance is the first stereo classical music program to be televised via satellite to Europe.”
The performances presently posted on other UA-cam channels all seem to be from commercially released videos of this concert.
This posting is devoted exclusively to non-musical material that was broadcast on 24 September 1978 on NBC.
As was the case with Horowitz’s Moscow recital eight years later, watching the VHS tape I made of Horowitz’s concert that Sunday afternoon reminded me of how riveting the event was in 1978. To witness Horowitz perform with orchestra was almost beyond belief. This material from the original television broadcast is a reminder of what so many communally shared that Sunday afternoon in 1978.
Reference points:
0:00- Sponsor credits
0:10- Introduction
0:37- Edward Villela’s sponsor acknowledgement
1:25- Zubin Mehta’s sponsor acknowledgement
3:33- Slideshow with Horowitz and narrator speaking
5:27- On-camera statement by Horowitz
6:23- Walking onstage
7:16- Final bows
12:20- John D. deButts‘ sponsor acknowledgement
15:47- Epilogue, credits and final sponsor mention

[@beatlessteve1010]

Very interesting I had seen this concert several times but never the preceding programming awesome!...every glimpse I can get of Horowitz is an inspiration!

[@Felix_Li_En]

Rare and amazing! Thank you so much!!

[@caramelorb]

Glad you liked it!

[@russellaycock3703]

I wonder if the complete tape of the TV concert with all the preliminaries and the bows after the performance still exists? I’d happily watch it just as it aired. I’ve watched the tape of the performance itself at least a dozen times.

[@chazinko]

An inspirational and historical event caught for posterity!

[@nancyloeffler-caromusician5543]

Just Wonderful!

[@beatlessteve1010]

Zuben Mehtna also iconic and a very productive career with longevity..I liked Zubin a lot to me he always added something special to a performance!!!

[@Pogouldangeliwitz]

Zuben Mehtna is so insignificant even his worshippers can't get his name right...

[@karlakor]

Why do so many sources still state that Horowitz was born in 1904? It is a well-established fact that he was born in 1903.

[@Viktorvelat95]

Also he was not born in Kiev, but in Berdichev

[@josephhapp9]

This video is from 1978 ,,,
Info updated since then.

[@pianoman551000]

The reason behind this was that Horowitz' parents did not want him to be drafted in the Russian army, so they changed his birthdate, making him one year younger, thus allowing him to avoid conscription.

[@calin33050]

I wonder if anyone would have the 1977 chicago recital that was filmed. I hope the entire tape has not been destroyed.

[@potatopotato0715]

Are you talking about the Rach 3? It’s right here ua-cam.com/video/D5mxU_7BTRA/v-deo.html

[@calin33050]

@@potatopotato0715 No i talk about the solo recital with the Liszt's sonata in 1977.

[@beatlessteve1010]

@@potatopotato0715 that link goes to the new your performance not the Chicago

[@beatlessteve1010]

That would be great I would love to hear that concert as I grew up in chicago

[@gabriele6596]

Where you fins this content? All new

[@caramelorb]

I videotaped the television broadcast in September 1978.

[@gabriele6596]

@@caramelorb how its old content

[@caramelorb]

@@gabriele6596 Recorded on 24 September 1978

[@HermanIngram]

Claudio Arrau 9:53

[@caramelorb]

It looks like Claudio Arrau, but it's actually Franz Mohr, the Steinway technician who worked on Horowitz's piano.