The year was 1958, and the man of the hour was a rangy young pianist from Texas named Van Cliburn. As the winner of the first Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Cliburn was front-page news, the cultural vanquisher of the Red Menace; in New York City he was given a ticker-tape parade. At the age of 23, Cliburn found himself the most famous pianist since Paderewski, his very name synonymous with piano playing. His future as a major figure in American music seemed secure.
It didn't turn out that way. Cliburn was condemned by an adoring public to repeat again and again...
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