The legend of van cliburn is a product of the Cold War era; Looking back at history, he won the first prize of the first Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958, which not only proved that artistic achievements can be regarded as a part of comprehensive national strength, but also confirmed that excellent artists can transcend the barriers between countries and fascinate everyone; There is a story about how Khrushchev, the Soviet leader at that time, who beat the United Nations forum with his leather shoes, agreed to give him the first prize.

In the video of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.5 "The Emperor", we can see how Khrushchev applauded claiborne's performance at the end. His performance in the box was exactly the same as that of the enthusiastic audience at the scene.

Most of the recordings left by claiborne were recorded when he returned to China after winning the prize, and the videos were mainly recorded in Moscow. The most touching thing is the second and third piano concertos of Rachmaninov, which claiborne cooperated with Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by KiriI Kondrashin. These two concertos are loved by performers and listeners because of their beautiful melodies and magnificent emotions. The third piano concerto, in particular, has become one of the touchstones of the pianist's performance level because of the difficulty in skills and the harsh demands on the player's physical strength.

At that time, the 24-year-old young man had the demeanor of a master of classical school, elegant and noble temperament, and a correct but not excessive touch of keys; The Moscow Philharmonic was also a glass of transparent and strong vodka.

claiborne and the orchestra are equally matched in momentum; In the whole music section of the orchestra, his piano solo part is like a match to light this cup of liquor, which makes the atmosphere in the concert hall like a raging fire. However, this does not affect his singing and lyrical expression.

Zhang Haochen, the first Chinese pianist to win the van cliburn Competition, said that the old man was not pessimistic and depressed at all, but danced about the past when he was young. He also repeatedly said how he was lucky enough to know what art is eternal, but in this commercial age, too many people don't understand it, so excited that they even pulled out their oxygen pipes. On the way back, I was thinking: art may not teach an artist to be fearless of death, but at least, he will not be afraid of living

van cliburn's best friend Maggie estes: van cliburn has been a world-renowned legend for more than half a century, and his great humanitarian spirit and dazzling musical talent will become a beacon to illuminate future generations.