(3 of 10)
More important, Cliburn is no isolated U.S. phenomenon, as suggested in a party-processed statement by Russian Composer Dmitry Shostakovich: "Musical circles in the United States have a right to be proud ... of their young countryman, especially since until now the musical successes of that country resulted not from the efforts of Americans but of famous performers of European countries." Van's victory dramatically underscored that there is more first-rate native instrumental talent in the U.S. than in the whole of Europe. Moreover, the talent is younger. In Cliburn's generation there are at least nine pianists of equal native ability: Byron Janis, 30, Gary Graffman, 29, Seymour Lipkin, 31, Jacob Lateiner, 30, Claude Frank, 32, John Browning, 24, Eugene Istomin, 32, Leon Fleisher, 31, and Canada's Glenn Gould, 25, who has played widely in the U.S. By contrast, Europe has a small handful of young pianists —Austria's Friedrich Gulda and Paul Badura-Skoda, Poland's Andrzej Czajkow-ski. and France's Phillipe Entremont—who are in the same class. The younger pianists are hitting their stride just in time to fill the places being left by an older generation. Some of the Americans are almost sure to step into the shoes of the Backhauses, the Rubinsteins, the Ser-kins, the Giesekings and Horowitzes.
Gusher. U.S. artists have consistently won impressive triumphs abroad since World War II, and this summer, with a record number of American musicians touring, they will dominate the European musical scene. In 1952 Pianist Fleisher won first place at Belgium's Queen Elisabeth Concours against far tougher competition than Cliburn faced in Russia. In 1956 Pianist Browning (a Leventritt Award winner in 1955) came within a sixteenth note of taking first in the same competition, finally took second to Russia's Ashkenazy. This summer there are even two other Texas pianists—Ivan Davis, 25, who won first place at last month's Naples competition, and James Mathis, 24. And at the Tchaikovsky Competition itself, U.S. Artists Joyce Flissler, who took seventh in violin, and Daniel Pollack, 23, who took eighth in piano, won ovations that were overlooked abroad in the groundswell of Cliburn publicity.
Bah KanoóepH or "Van Cleeberrrn," as the Russians call him (he pronounces it "Cligh-burn") has been Topic No. 1 in Russia for a month and a gusher of warm good will that has had more favorable impact on more Russians than any U.S. export-of word or deed since World War II. Ironically, the U.S. embassy was probably the last stronghold in Moscow to become aware of Van's coup; U.S. Ambassador Llewellyn Thompson and his wife had not even made plans to attend Van's finals audition until they were convinced by American contestants that to fail to appear would be a major blunder. And the committee of the Martha Baird Rockefeller Aid to Music Program, which paid the fare to Moscow for Van and the other Americans, had pledged the contestants to secrecy on the theory that their presence in Russia would be politically unpopular back home.