Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (/ˈklaɪbɜːrn/; July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013)[1] was an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958, at the age of 23, when he won the inaugural quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow during the Cold War.
Recording career
editUpon Cliburn's return to the United States, RCA Victor signed him to an exclusive contract and his subsequent recording of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance. It was certified a gold record in 1961, and it became the first classical album to go platinum, achieving that certification in 1989.[2][3]
List of recordings
editMost of Van Cliburn's recordings were originally issued on LP records, with many also available on reel-to-reel, cassette, and 8-track. During the 1980s, RCA reissued most of Cliburn's recordings on compact disc in remasterings of variable quality. Shortly before Cliburn's death, RCA Red Seal released a newly remastered, Original Jacket Collection boxed set, including Cliburn's complete RCA Victor recordings, with the exception of LSC 2807, Van Cliburn Conducts, Cliburn's sole recording as a conductor.
A number of recordings, mostly originating from live concerts, have been issued on some smaller labels, including Testament.
Year of issue | Album title and details | Recording date(s) | LP catalog no. | Record label |
---|---|---|---|---|
1958 | Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1
|
May 30, 1958 | LSC-2252 | RCA Victor |
1959 | Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3
|
May 19, 1958 | LSC-2355 | RCA Victor |
1960 | Schumann Concerto
|
April 16, 1960 | LSC-2455 | RCA Victor |
1961 | Prokofiev and MacDowell Concertos
|
October, 1960 | LSC-2507 | RCA Victor |
1961 | Beethoven “Emperor” Concerto
|
May, 1961 | LSC-2562 | RCA Victor |
1961 | My Favorite Chopin
|
May, 1961 | LSC-2576 | RCA Victor |
1962 | Brahms Concerto No. 2
|
May, 1961 | LSC-2581 | RCA Victor |
1962 | Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2
|
March–April, 1962 | LSC-2601 | RCA Victor |
1963 | Beethoven Concerto No. 4
|
April, 1963 | LSC-2680 | RCA Victor |
1964 | Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1
|
March, 1964 | LSC-2724 | RCA Victor |
1965 | Van Cliburn Conducts
|
August, 1964 | LSC-2807 | RCA Victor |
1966 | Beethoven: “Les Adieux” Sonata, Mozart, Sonata in C
|
March, August 1966 | LSC-2931 | RCA Victor |
1968 | Chopin
|
August, 1967 | LSC-3053 | RCA Victor |
1969 | Grieg, Liszt Concertos
|
August 12, 1968 | LSC-3065 | RCA Red Seal |
1970 | Chopin: Concerto No. 1
|
August 18, 1969 | LSC-3147 | RCA Red Seal |
1970 | My Favorite Encores
|
August, 1970 | LSC-3185 | RCA Red Seal |
1971 | Rachmaninoff, Liszt
|
May 7, 1970 | LSC-3179 | RCA Red Seal |
1971 | Prokofiev, Barber Sonatas
|
August, 1967; August 1970 | LSC-3229 | RCA Red Seal |
1971 | Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
|
March, 1971 | LSC-3238 | RCA Red Seal |
1971 | My Favorite Brahms
|
August, 1970; July–August, 1971 | LSC-3240 | RCA Red Seal |
1971 | Beethoven Sonatas
|
August, 1970 | LSC-4013 | RCA Red Seal |
1972 | Chopin's Greatest Hits
|
May, 1961; August, 1970; August, 1971 | LSC-5014 | RCA Red Seal |
1972 | My Favorite Debussy
|
January, 1972 | LSC-3283 | RCA Red Seal |
1972 | The World's Favorite Piano Music
|
July–August, 1971; January–February, 1972 | LSC-3323 | RCA Red Seal |
1973 | Rachmaninoff
|
June, 1960; August, 1970; August, 1971; August, 1972 | ARL1-0352 | RCA Red Seal |
1976 | A Romantic Collection
|
August, 1971; July–August, 1975 | ARL1-1176 | RCA Red Seal |
1976 | Van Cliburn plays Liszt
|
August, 1973; July, 1975 | ARL1-1173 | RCA Red Seal |
1977 | Van Cliburn plays Brahms
|
August, 1970; August, 1972; August, 1973; July- August, 1975; | ARL1-2280 | RCA Red Seal |
1994 | Van Cliburn in Moscow
|
1972 | 09026 62695 2 | RCA Victor |
2008 | 1958 Tchaikovsky Competition
|
1958 | SBT 1440 | Testament |
2009 | Recital
|
June, 1959 | SBT2 1445 | Testament |
References
edit- ^ Tommasini, Anthony (February 27, 2013). "Van Cliburn, Cold War Musical Envoy, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum database retrieved 26 February 2017". Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "About Van Cliburn". Van Cliburn Foundation. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2011.