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A truly historic classical music performance: In 1958, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union hosted an international Tchaikovsky compeition for pianists. It was supposed to showcase the superiority of Soviet culture. To the surprise of the hosts, a 23-year-old Texan named Van Cliburn emerged as the superstar of the event. Cliburn mesmerized the crowds, the television audience, and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra with his technical and artistic brilliance. Here is the last four minutes of Cliburn's final performance of the event--Rachmaninoff's 3rd Concerto. Look at the reaction from the audience and the orchestra members. The applause lasted for about eight minutes. Everyone knew who the outstanding pianist of the competition was! This created quite a dilemma for the organizers: a Soviet citizen was expected to win--not an American. Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev was hastily telephoned to make the final decision. To his credit Khruschev settled the matter quickly and fairly: "Was he the best? Yes? Then give him the prize!" Cliburn became a beloved figure in Russia until his death in 2013.
Tags:
Van
Cliburn
pianist
1958
Tchaikovsky
competition
Moscow
Added: 21st January 2014
Views: 3176
Rating: 
Posted By: Lava1964 |
 
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Danny was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn in 1913, the son of an immigrant Russian tailor. After dropping out of high school he worked for a radio station and later as a comedian in the Catskills. After his solo success in the Catskills, he joined the dancing act of Harvey and Young in 1933. On opening night he lost his balance and the audience broke into a roar of laughter. He would later incorporate this into his act. Enjoying growing popularity in 1939, Danny won over the Broadway crowd that same year with his show-stopping comic singing in "Lady in the Dark," in which he rattled off the names of more than fifty polysyllabic Russian composers in 39 seconds in a song called "Tchaikovsky." Throughout the early 1940's he performed night club acts, on Broadway, and to support the troops overseas during WWII. Though he appeared in his first film in 1937, it wasn’t until almost 10 years later that his film career hit its stride. Throughout his career he starred in seventeen movies, including THE KID FROM BROADWAY (1946), THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (1947), THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (1949), HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (1952), and the incomparable THE COURT JESTER (1956). In one of his final performances, he proved the versatility of his talent and earned rave reviews for his impassioned portrayal of a Holocaust survivor in the 1981 television movie SKOKIE. In 1987 Danny died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. An amazing actor, singer, dancer, comic, and all-around entertainer, he was a Renaissance man off the stage as well as on, where he was a celebrated chef, a baseball team owner, and an airplane pilot, flying everything from Piper Cubs to Boeing 747’s. His deep and continued commitment to the betterment of the people of the world was an inspiration, and his intelligent humor created a style all his own that made him one of the most beloved entertainers of his time. In a clip from the 1952 film "Hans Christian Andersen", Danny shows off his incredible style with "Inchworm.
Tags:
danny
kaye
actors
singers
comedians
Added: 7th November 2007
Views: 2783
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Posted By: Sophia |
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