Van Cliburn was slaying dragons with the Twelfth Rhapsody long before he won the Tchaikovsky in 1958. If I didn't know his history with this piece, and only had this video to watch, I would say he knows this piece inside out, and has all the needed tools to turn it on its ear. I studied with Bolet, knew his playing, and admired him to the skies. (I knew Cliburn as well.) There is no need to disparage one of these men in place of the other one. There is room in this world for anybody who performs this piece the way either Cliburn or Bolet does. Or Cziffra also, for that matter. The history of performance is made richer by such gems.
I studied only with my ears (since 1955) and would confidently place Cliburn and Bolet in the top half dozen of the latter 20th century pianists. Cliburn's Liszt here is the best I've ever heard.
I am 18. A teenager like many out there. When Van Cliburn died I remember very well that I was in my calculus class and as I was notified I was in tears. I cried despite never meeting this brilliant being in person but having the priviledge of listening to his genius was enough to feel the sorrow because of such a loss. Brilliant man. Rest in peace Maestro.
A magnificent performance. He has a great touch. Fast when he wants to be fast. doesn't rush except at the end. Bolet is my favorite overall for Liszt, but this is such a great rendition of a piece that is so difficult it beyond 99% of all pianists. There is a great book published, where his letters (many of which were published in newspapers in Paris), were translated, and there is an anecdote about how he was visiting an Italian publisher Ricordi, and instead of announcing himself, he sat down and played, and the owner rushed out and exclaimed, "that is either Franz Liszt or the devil!"., because he knew the playing was too spectacular. Must have been great to see Liszt perform. He was the first to let the audience see his hands, performed without sheet music, and in many ways helped pioneer the music superstar heartthrob phenomenon (along with Paganini).
This brought tears to my eyes. Van Cliburn was this "kid" of 24 who blew everyone's minds with his virtuosity and disarming, boyish charm. I read the following in Wikipedia: "When it was time to announce the winner, the judges felt obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give the first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Yes." "Then give him the prize!"
Thank you Mrs van Cliburn, for nurturing his magnificient talent from a young age. Listen to the heavenly pleasure he is giving us with the playing of this Rhapsody. Even Liszt must be in ecstacy with the angels after this. Bravo Bravo !! Thank you, thank you,,
Only recently discovered that he had succumed to boody cancer. Perhpas the greatest pianist of the 20th Century. Hi style and playing was out of thid world. RIP Great Master
Cliburn Not The greatest pianist! The greatest pianists of All Time Are really Artur Rubinstein ( The God) Grigory Sokolov ( The Titan The Giant of The piano) Emil Gilels ( The King) Wilhelm Kempff Radu Lupu ( Brahms piano concerto no 1 with The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra video UA-cam video! Lupu his Brahms piano concerto no 1 is Much Better than Cliburn's) Sviatoslav Richter ( his Brahms piano concerto no 2 With Lorin Maazel with The Paris Orchestra is Much Better than Cliburn's
It always amazes me that besides the incredible talent to play pieces like this.....pianists have the piece memorized! No sheet music. Incredible. Too bad it took his passing for me to finally look up his performances.
Sorry, cannot agree with the comment that Van Cliburn does not touch the heart. Judging by the many more favourable comments on his videos Van certainly does still today - and mine! Amazing performer!
After viewing other artists' interpretations, I have noticed how much richer in tone Cliburn's version is. Does anyone know if this is an artifact of the recording, or Van Cliburn's playing?
Hmmm, interesting. I was not aware about that. Why would Cliburn, someone at the pinnacle, with his command, have held this piece -- of all other pieces -- back? This very performance makes me cry with joy. You can see in the eyes of the musicians dazzlement, pensiveness, deep attention, meditation, respect -- and at the end bravos, ovation, and excited sharing of impressions with their fellows.
I hold the opinion that Cliburn's playing was closer to the old Russian masters like Rachmaninoff, Hoffman, Horowitz, Lhevine or Moiseiwitsch then the crop that emerged from the Soviet Union after the 1958 Cultural agreements between the U.S.S.R and the U.S. I'm not to being dismissive of Gilels, Richter or Ashkenazy but I believe Cliburns playing was closer to the old Russian school then were these other Soviet pianists. I think that was one of the big reasons his playing took the U.S.S.R. by storm; not only was Cliburn a fantastic pianist but the old Soviet citizens were suddenly listening to pianism that they hadn't heard in over 40 years.
Russia they had Rosa Tamarkina Yakov Zak Emil Gilels Sviatoslav Richter Yakov Flier What Are talking about 40 years waiting? The greatest pianists of All Time Are really Artur Rubinstein Grigory Sokolov Emil Gilels Radu Lupu Mikhail Pletnev Maurizio Pollini Sviatoslav Richter Wilhelm Kempff Vladimir Ashkenazy Alexei Lubimov Stanislav Igolinsky Solomon Cutner Maria Grinberg Natalia Trull Rosa Tamarkina Ekaterina Novitskaya Dimitri Bashkirov Andrei Gavrilov Victor Eresko Lubov Timofeeva
@@RaineriHakkarainen - As I said before, I'm not saying that Richter, Gilels or Ashkenazy weren't great pianists. OF COARSE they were great pianists. HOWEVER, their pianism was very different from the old school of Russian playing. After the revolution of 1917, Rachmaninoff, Josef Hoffman, Josef Lhevine and Benno Moiseiwitsch all left the newly formed Soviet Union. Vladimir Horowitz left shortly afterwards in 1925. Several of those pianists taught in the U.S.; Hoffman founded the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia were he and Moiseiwitsch taught. Josef and Rosina Lhevine taught at Juilliard. These Russian born teachers who immigrated to the U.S. like Isabelle Vengerova, turned out an enormous crop of American pianists. Cliburn was not the only one. Rosina Lhevine taught John Browning, Misha Dichter, Garrick Ohlsson and many, many others. Hoffman founded and oversaw the Curtis Institute and the teaching that went on there. Abbey Simon, Shura Cherkassky, Jorge Bolet and Richard Goode are some of the alumnists that were trained there. Gary Graffman, Leonard Bernstein, Leonard Pennario and many others studied with Isabelle Vengerova who taught at Curtis. All of these pianists talk about learning legato, pedaling, weight into the keys, relaxation, placement of the wrists etc. This was the old Russian school of piano technique that came to the U.S. after the revolution. Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels both studied with Heinrich Neuhaus. Vladimir Ashkenazy studied with Lev Oborin. Neuhaus and Oborin were great teachers to be sure however, their training was more cosmopolitan. I'm not making a judgment call on those pianists. I'm simply stating that back in those days, travel was not an easy thing. Therefore, there was a Viennese School which produced Paul Badura-Skoda, Jörg Demus and Frederic Gulda, an English School which gave us Solomon, Myra Hess and Clifford Curzon, a French School where Alfred Cortot and Robert Casadesus studied, a German School producing Wilhelm Backhaus, Artur Schnabel and Wilhelm Kempf, an Italian School giving us Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Aldo Ciccolini. These pianists were all terrific yet they were all VERY DIFFERENT!! Cliburn was a recipient of the old Russian school of pianism which left the Soviet Union during and shortly after the revolution.
@@RaineriHakkarainen Seems appropriate to point out that during Cliburn's performance of Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto, Richter cried with joy. As a member of the Jury, Richter was instructed to give the contestants a grade from 1 to 10. At the end of the competition, Richter gave Cliburn 100, and he gave all the other contestants zeros. Goldenveiser, a great Russian and Soviet pianist who was present in the Hall for Cliburn's performances but not on the Jury, said that Cliburn was speaking with God.
It's not really in a classic Liszt style. He takes insufficient time after dramatic cadences to let the music "breathe" and suggest a spontaneous, improvisatory air. I studied this work with the great Jorge Bolet. He does play, at times, with a good round tone in R.H.
NO Horowitz no Rubenstein and Definitely no Serkin. Just a pianist with good looks long strong fingers. His music doesn’t reach to the heart as does the greats
![What's My Line? - Sargent Shriver; Van Cliburn; Tony Randall [panel] (Mar 11, 1962)](/img/n.gif)
Van Cliburn was slaying dragons with the Twelfth Rhapsody long before he won the Tchaikovsky in 1958. If I didn't know his history with this piece, and only had this video to watch, I would say he knows this piece inside out, and has all the needed tools to turn it on its ear. I studied with Bolet, knew his playing, and admired him to the skies. (I knew Cliburn as well.) There is no need to disparage one of these men in place of the other one. There is room in this world for anybody who performs this piece the way either Cliburn or Bolet does. Or Cziffra also, for that matter. The history of performance is made richer by such gems.
Thank you. A generous spirit is always welcome.
Agree
I studied only with my ears (since 1955) and would confidently place Cliburn and Bolet in the top half dozen of the latter 20th century pianists. Cliburn's Liszt here is the best I've ever heard.
I am 18. A teenager like many out there. When Van Cliburn died I remember very well that I was in my calculus class and as I was notified I was in tears. I cried despite never meeting this brilliant being in person but having the priviledge of listening to his genius was enough to feel the sorrow because of such a loss. Brilliant man. Rest in peace Maestro.
Wow hi person 8 years later
Le queda grande a muchos. 🥇🇮🇷
A magnificent performance. He has a great touch. Fast when he wants to be fast. doesn't rush except at the end. Bolet is my favorite overall for Liszt, but this is such a great rendition of a piece that is so difficult it beyond 99% of all pianists. There is a great book published, where his letters (many of which were published in newspapers in Paris), were translated, and there is an anecdote about how he was visiting an Italian publisher Ricordi, and instead of announcing himself, he sat down and played, and the owner rushed out and exclaimed, "that is either Franz Liszt or the devil!"., because he knew the playing was too spectacular.
Must have been great to see Liszt perform. He was the first to let the audience see his hands, performed without sheet music, and in many ways helped pioneer the music superstar heartthrob phenomenon (along with Paganini).
INCOMPARABLE. COLOSAL. GRANDIOSO.
I've heard 4 other famous folks play this, and this to me is the 'lightest', the freest in spirit of them all.
It just goes from one mood to the next without any effort whatsoever and all blends into one line. Unbelievable
What a great pianist this man is...
Many will follow him, and many are wonderful, but they can't usurp the excellence of Mr. Van Cliburn. Bravo
Исполнение первоклассное! Спасибо Ван! Ты в нашей памяти навсегда!
Cliburn's hey day! Playing of poetry and passion. Wonderful variety of dynamics and tonal shading.
How do these great pianists go from firing canons to growing flowers in the same five minutes ?
I am also shocked
Stunning!
i can't sit down when i watch this, i feel the need to stand
They should make a movie about this guy !
Absolutely incredible!
RIP Master!
The sounds of angels in ecstacy !!
This brought tears to my eyes. Van Cliburn was this "kid" of 24 who blew everyone's minds with his virtuosity and disarming, boyish charm. I read the following in Wikipedia: "When it was time to announce the winner, the judges felt obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give the first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Yes." "Then give him the prize!"
Thank you Mrs van Cliburn, for nurturing his magnificient talent from a young age. Listen to the heavenly pleasure he is giving us with the playing of this Rhapsody. Even Liszt must be in ecstacy with the angels after this. Bravo Bravo !! Thank you, thank you,,
Только восхищение от такого исполнения!
Exelente. ❤😂.
Très belle interprétation de cette Rhapsodie No. 12
Watching his hands reminds me of what it must have been like to watch Liszt’s, long slender and fast
RIP dear artist.
INCOMPARBLE. çon la Rapsodhia 12. 🥉🥉🥉🥉🥉🥉
i just started learning this piece! love love love itt!
I hope by now you have mastered this difficult piece.
rest in peace dear van miss you :((
oh my oh my
bravo you go boy!
I can feel this song in my body and soul can you?
essie finch it's possible yes .liszt is phenomenal and mr Cliburn is equal .r.i.p .
yes indeed
Manos magicas!!!
Wow, those descending octaves; 9:07-09:17 !
Only recently discovered that he had succumed to boody cancer. Perhpas the greatest pianist of the 20th Century. Hi style and playing was out of thid world. RIP Great Master
Cliburn Not The greatest pianist! The greatest pianists of All Time Are really Artur Rubinstein ( The God) Grigory Sokolov ( The Titan The Giant of The piano) Emil Gilels ( The King) Wilhelm Kempff Radu Lupu ( Brahms piano concerto no 1 with The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra video UA-cam video! Lupu his Brahms piano concerto no 1 is Much Better than Cliburn's) Sviatoslav Richter ( his Brahms piano concerto no 2 With Lorin Maazel with The Paris Orchestra is Much Better than Cliburn's
kissin is one of my fav's, but cliburn plays like no other, the sound, execution, passion for it, u know what i mean:)
I'm in the basement... f*ing freezing... and I still ended up turning the heater off just so I could hear a bit better...
RIP :(
It always amazes me that besides the incredible talent to play pieces like this.....pianists have the piece memorized! No sheet music. Incredible. Too bad it took his passing for me to finally look up his performances.
Probably easier than having to read as fast as you’re playing. At times, it would be completely impossible to keep up with the music.
Sorry, cannot agree with the comment that Van Cliburn does not touch the
heart. Judging by the many more favourable comments on his videos
Van certainly does still today - and mine! Amazing performer!
Rapsodhia. 12. 😍
Damned!
Es un descanso. 👍
Гениально!!!
Van Cliburn is immortal
RIP
El genio del siglo 19. .
Los siguientes de Kliburn ,nadie los va a escuchar ,nadie se le compara además está demasiado largo ,con los demás. ✅👋👋🎼🤩
Nadie más la ha tocado en un concierto.
Mi maestro me habla de el.
3:47
¡Què dominio del teclado ! Esta pieza es muy difìcil
After viewing other artists' interpretations, I have noticed how much richer in tone Cliburn's version is.
Does anyone know if this is an artifact of the recording, or Van Cliburn's playing?
It's him. You can choose any other piece, and the difference between him and others will be there.
In Franz Mohr's "My Life with the Great Pianists", Horowitz told Mohr, "Rubinstein and I combined could not create a tone as beautiful as Cliburn!"
아니 뭐 이리 편하게 치는데.....ㄷㄷ
El único que interpreta la. 12.
this vid had about a million wathcers, strange ....
ლ(́◉◞౪◟◉‵ლ)
Que Arian sin mi me compre este cel para mi coleccion deade niña Tuve un maesttfo de piano que estudio en Europa ...
This was one of Cliburn's warhorses from the beginning. He recorded it, but never allowed any release - strange.
Hmmm, interesting. I was not aware about that. Why would Cliburn, someone at the pinnacle, with his command, have held this piece -- of all other pieces -- back? This very performance makes me cry with joy. You can see in the eyes of the musicians dazzlement, pensiveness, deep attention, meditation, respect -- and at the end bravos, ovation, and excited sharing of impressions with their fellows.
Lege
I hold the opinion that Cliburn's playing was closer to the old Russian masters like Rachmaninoff, Hoffman, Horowitz, Lhevine or Moiseiwitsch then the crop that emerged from the Soviet Union after the 1958 Cultural agreements between the U.S.S.R and the U.S. I'm not to being dismissive of Gilels, Richter or Ashkenazy but I believe Cliburns playing was closer to the old Russian school then were these other Soviet pianists.
I think that was one of the big reasons his playing took the U.S.S.R. by storm; not only was Cliburn a fantastic pianist but the old Soviet citizens were suddenly listening to pianism that they hadn't heard in over 40 years.
Russia they had Rosa Tamarkina Yakov Zak Emil Gilels Sviatoslav Richter Yakov Flier What Are talking about 40 years waiting? The greatest pianists of All Time Are really Artur Rubinstein Grigory Sokolov Emil Gilels Radu Lupu Mikhail Pletnev Maurizio Pollini Sviatoslav Richter Wilhelm Kempff Vladimir Ashkenazy Alexei Lubimov Stanislav Igolinsky Solomon Cutner Maria Grinberg Natalia Trull Rosa Tamarkina Ekaterina Novitskaya Dimitri Bashkirov Andrei Gavrilov Victor Eresko Lubov Timofeeva
@@RaineriHakkarainen - As I said before, I'm not saying that Richter, Gilels or Ashkenazy weren't great pianists. OF COARSE they were great pianists. HOWEVER, their pianism was very different from the old school of Russian playing.
After the revolution of 1917, Rachmaninoff, Josef Hoffman, Josef Lhevine and Benno Moiseiwitsch all left the newly formed Soviet Union. Vladimir Horowitz left shortly afterwards in 1925.
Several of those pianists taught in the U.S.; Hoffman founded the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia were he and Moiseiwitsch taught. Josef and Rosina Lhevine taught at Juilliard.
These Russian born teachers who immigrated to the U.S. like Isabelle Vengerova, turned out an enormous crop of American pianists. Cliburn was not the only one. Rosina Lhevine taught John Browning, Misha Dichter, Garrick Ohlsson and many, many others. Hoffman founded and oversaw the Curtis Institute and the teaching that went on there. Abbey Simon, Shura Cherkassky, Jorge Bolet and Richard Goode are some of the alumnists that were trained there. Gary Graffman, Leonard Bernstein, Leonard Pennario and many others studied with Isabelle Vengerova who taught at Curtis.
All of these pianists talk about learning legato, pedaling, weight into the keys, relaxation, placement of the wrists etc. This was the old Russian school of piano technique that came to the U.S. after the revolution.
Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels both studied with Heinrich Neuhaus. Vladimir Ashkenazy studied with Lev Oborin. Neuhaus and Oborin were great teachers to be sure however, their training was more cosmopolitan.
I'm not making a judgment call on those pianists. I'm simply stating that back in those days, travel was not an easy thing. Therefore, there was a Viennese School which produced Paul Badura-Skoda, Jörg Demus and Frederic Gulda, an English School which gave us Solomon, Myra Hess and Clifford Curzon, a French School where Alfred Cortot and Robert Casadesus studied, a German School producing Wilhelm Backhaus, Artur Schnabel and Wilhelm Kempf, an Italian School giving us Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Aldo Ciccolini. These pianists were all terrific yet they were all VERY DIFFERENT!!
Cliburn was a recipient of the old Russian school of pianism which left the Soviet Union during and shortly after the revolution.
@@RaineriHakkarainen Seems appropriate to point out that during Cliburn's performance of Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto, Richter cried with joy. As a member of the Jury, Richter was instructed to give the contestants a grade from 1 to 10. At the end of the competition, Richter gave Cliburn 100, and he gave all the other contestants zeros. Goldenveiser, a great Russian and Soviet pianist who was present in the Hall for Cliburn's performances but not on the Jury, said that Cliburn was speaking with God.
Me gusta más solo Kliburn. ❤️🇮🇷
Cliburn plays this better than Jorge Bolet.
En ,EE .UU. 😂❤
No es la 12
Yeah, I think it’s actually the 11th.
It's not really in a classic Liszt style. He takes insufficient time after dramatic cadences to let the music "breathe" and suggest a spontaneous, improvisatory air. I studied this work with the great Jorge Bolet. He does play, at times, with a good round tone in R.H.
Bolet--- the most overrated pianist of the century.
NO Horowitz no Rubenstein and Definitely no Serkin. Just a pianist with good looks long strong fingers. His music doesn’t reach to the heart as does the greats
Whaddaya talking’, man. We’re incredibly moved. We listen to this over and over-the passion, the tone, yearning, pride.
Gracias 😊
Que bien ,hablan de Kliburn.