Why did Van Cliburn stop performing in 1978?

Answer 1

Let me set the stage: a tremendously gifted musician with an inborn sense of style and sonority, plus a technique once considered "almost the equal of Horowitz in his prime", Cliburn was indeed the right man in the right place at the right time when he vanquished the "elite of Soviet pianism" at the height of the Cold War a half-century ago (with the blessings of Nikita Khrushchev, no less!). As the winner of the first Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow, his bow-tied image was slapped on the front page of nearly every newspaper across America, and indeed, around the world. Van became a touchstone of American pride (and perhaps a bit of revenge for the U.S.S.R.'s earlier launch of Sputnik), to the point of being honored with a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan (the first and only classical musician to achieve this distinction)! His popularity was such that he was in constant demand for recording sessions, interviews, talk show appearances, photo opps, and of course, concerts. So many concerts, in fact (reportedly over 100 per year!), that he lacked the time and energy to devote to learning and performing new repertoire, anywhere close to the extent that he would have wished. To make matters worse, his audiences (and concert promoters) clamored for his prize-winning repertoire everywhere he appeared, and it certainly must have gotten to him: how many times can an artist go through life playing the Tchaikovsky Concerto over and over again?? Yes, a concert pianist can experience "job burnout" too! His playing suffered as a result, and his once-proud exposition of the "grand manner" became laden with excessive mannerisms that clouded his interpretations (even his awesome technical equipment suffered). Like Vladimir Horowitz before him (whose twelve-year retirement from 1953 to 1965 was finally ended with a triumphant return to Carnegie Hall), Cliburn decided to take a prolonged sabbatical in 1978. This gave Van the opportunity to reflect and regroup, to do some composing and practicing/relearning of a great deal of repertoire, and to just kick back and enjoy the rewards of paying his dues for so many years. Through the decades, he has given indefatigably to the competition/festival established in his name, and his place in history, musical and otherwise, is assured!

Michael Levine

Michael Levine Productions

www.michaellevineproductions.com

arpeggiomikey@aol.com