Van Cliburn on The Ed Sullivan Show
Van Cliburn playing the Chopin Polonaise in A major, Op. 53.
As I continue to explore some of the performances by classical pianists on The Ed Sullivan Show there are some interesting observations I have made about things like technique and hand position.
Van Cliburn became an instant success at the age of 23 when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958. The fact that he was an American became an even greater reflection of his talent for many, as they chose to view his win as a symbol of American potential and achievement. When it was time to announce a winner, the judges asked permission of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American. “Is he the best?” Khrushchev asked. “Then give him the prize!”
When Cliburn returned to the United States he was given a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only time the honor has been bestowed on a musician.
As you look at this video please note the movements of his hands. There has been much discussion not only of their size (he could play an interval of a thirteenth) and the length of his fingers, but comparisons are often made between him and Sergei Rachmaninoff, known too for his larger than average hands. At six feet, six inches tall, Rachmaninoff was even taller than Cliburn, who stood six feet four inches.
Needless to say, having such large hands and long fingers gave Cliburn the advantage of handling wide chords and intricate passagework with ease, but I often myself wondering about what adjustments, if any, they required him to make in terms of his technique. Just as important is the way in which this factor might have contributed to his interpretation, something I find myself thinking about a great deal.
Tomorrow I am going to be writing about another performance of this same work by another great American pianist on The Ed Sullivan Show, Liberace. It will be interesting to compare the two performances, and I would love to hear your thoughts.
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