vienna
02-27-13, 02:21 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/arts/music/van-cliburn-pianist-dies-at-78.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Even though I was rather young at the time (age 7), I do still recall all the hoopla raised up when Van Cliburn won the competition. He was everywhere; newspapers, radio television, magazines, etc. He even had the honor to be chided in the pages of MAD magazine (where I became most aware of who he was). In thinking back to that time, it is interesting to note the abundance of classical music on broadcast network television in the 50s and early 60s. There was the series of Young People concerts with Berstein, any number of showcases sponsored by major corporations, opera perfomances and other cultural events, particularly in the early 50s since TV set were a fairly expensive item and the more affluent buyers weren't likely to buy a set just to watch Soupy Sales...
RIP, Van Cliburn and thanks for helping to elevate not only our national spirits but, also, our artistic spirits...
<O>
Even though I was rather young at the time (age 7), I do still recall all the hoopla raised up when Van Cliburn won the competition. He was everywhere; newspapers, radio television, magazines, etc. He even had the honor to be chided in the pages of MAD magazine (where I became most aware of who he was). In thinking back to that time, it is interesting to note the abundance of classical music on broadcast network television in the 50s and early 60s. There was the series of Young People concerts with Berstein, any number of showcases sponsored by major corporations, opera perfomances and other cultural events, particularly in the early 50s since TV set were a fairly expensive item and the more affluent buyers weren't likely to buy a set just to watch Soupy Sales...
RIP, Van Cliburn and thanks for helping to elevate not only our national spirits but, also, our artistic spirits...
<O>