Van Cliburn’s White House recital (complete) - 8 December 1987 

It was absolutely appropriate to have Van Cliburn perform for Gorbachev visiting the White House as the Soviet Union was in its final years. Van Cliburn was an American who specialized in Russian piano repertoire. He won the first Tchaikovsky piano competition. His performance is something that both Russian and American cultures can appreciate.

I knew him since I was 12 years old until he breathed his last breath. He changed my life.

Van Cliburn was and always will be in a league of his own.

how times have changed, from a day not so long ago when our president was respected and relations between the USA and Russia were better than they've ever been before or since. We need more international ambassadors like Van Cliburn.

Merely one of the greatest moments of the 20th Century....

FABULOUS PERFORMANCE!!! This is a great performance and for The White House also! Van Cliburn is playing expressively so beautifully and so freely! This is a MARVELOUS CONCERT!!!

Thank you very much for providing us with such valuable images of Mr.Van Cliburn. When I was a high school student, I listened to Mr.Cliburn’s CDs with great interest. When I was in college, I had the good fortune to attend one of his late concerts at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya. It was a Beethoven program. I was a moving, masterful performance. The performances at thd White House in the U.S.A.,which I just listened to, were all wonderful, but I especially appreciated Cliburn’s beautiful and wonderful arrangement of the last piece, which was not a classical, but a jazz-like piece of another genre, and how sublimated It into classical music. I think it is a wonderful act that shows his kind personality. The world is now on the brink of war again, but Cliburn’s peaceful and inspiring music is still very much appreciated by the people of the world.

Absolutely delightful. Thank you.

What's amazing is that Cliburn's playing (and singing!) of Moscow Nights appears to have been totally impromptu. Raisa asked him to play the Tchaikovsky concerto! which was obviously impossible, so he came up with this. He knew all the words by heart! I read there was a tiny bit of consternation that Cliburn sort of took control and extended the proceedings, because this was after a long day of rather tense high-level arms negotiations, with more the next day.

An American legend in top form.

Ahhh I love the close ups when Van sings! 💗🥰❤️

Он такой классный,просто супер!!!!❤🥰👍👍👍

My favorite moment was at 31:14 when Mr. Cliburn performs "Moscow Nights" and the Gorbachevs begin to sing along.

Thanks for the video!

So typical of Van,hes such a giver,such a lovely man,as well as being a genius

Have always liked Van.

With huge emotions This was the greatest piano meeting on history.

Уникальное видео!! ‼️💗🤗

Thank you for sharing! 2:35 Star Spangled Banner 17:32 (Rev Graham) 26:20 President Reagan & Van Cliburn

Подмосковные вечера - до слёз!!! А Рая попросила первый концерт Чайковского, как будто здесь есть оркестр.

This was hilarious. I didn't realize Gorbachev was a state guest and in the room at first. So when Van went up and played the Soviet national anthem, I thought he was just trolling Reagan, Bush, and everyone. Rather dangerously, I might add.

Escuche la competicion. Kliburn ,hace un tiempo fue un gran conciero. Y de alla. Yunyang. el genio que muy pocas veces se han conocido en el mundo. ❤😂

Why aren't they standing after that brilliant masterful playing. Why aren't they smiling in wonder and gratitude??? No soul in the government? Very impressed with Mr. Cliburn's continued and increasing connection to the emotion in every phrase.

This is beautiful yet sad for so many reasons, mainly the collapse of political discourse. Those innocent times with Baker, Mondale, Bush, Tip O'Neill. international diplomacy, treaties....it seems light years away. I heard Van Cliburn when he dedicated our symphony orchestra. He was long past his prime but it was still an incredible experience. At the "practice" (free of charge) he was asked about this particular Etude Tableau and laughed that it was "in the past".

Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️

El mejor del mundo hasta. la fecha. 🇲🇽. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 🇲🇽. 😍🙋

Watching the diplomats’ expressions is almost as entertaining as the performance!

Un hoombre generoso ❤. Como se conmovio por Japon que fundo la academi Van Klibur. ❤.

Opening of Widmung a perfect example of singing melody and sensitive accompaniment. All played with sovereign authority.

La exelenciia hastala fecha. 🇲🇽😃😘

Hablo de su vida personal ,sus papas todo el tiempo con el. ❤❤

Van Cliburn singing "na-pycckuu"🎶💕

Recuerdo muy bién su triunfo en Moscú y tengo 78 años.

Love to Van Cliburn, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev... all men who have dedicated their live to a back then unlikely PEACE.

He and "his" widmung ❤

Politicians from older generation (Gorbachev, Ronald and even Nancy Reagan) all had certain elegant look. Today's politicians, on the contrary, just look like clowns.

In Moskau hatte er bereits Nikita Chrustschow als Zuhörer und lieferte diesen mit seinem Tschaikowsky-Kkavierkonzert die Vorlage zu dessen späteren UNO - Auftritt mit dem ausgezogenen Schuh.

Good old time

Браво Иван - ты русский пусть зе мля будет тебе пухом Спасибо за любовь к России и народу

Van loved the Russian people. They loved him No politics.

People don’t realize that musicians at this level can play for hours and not make even one mistake. They may make their own slight interpretations but they don’t make mistakes. It’s amazing.

Неожиданно! ❤💯💪👍 Через 2 года (1989) Вэн Клайберн вручит золотую медаль победителю своего фортепианного конкурса Алексею Султанову. ❤ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RehHJI7CxjU.html

It was like a different era. But it was just the 80s.

The Gorbechevs seem like such a nice (in every sense of the word) couple. Makes you think about what a *yerida* (decline) they've had there, at least in terms of leadership, since then.

In the piece, RACHMANINOFF Étude-Tableau, Opus 39 No. 5, I was surprised how much Rachmaninoff could sound like Scriabin.

He was a lot more together than Reagan by this time. Reagan was 76 & Cliburn was 53.

Great to see this recital by Van Cliburn. I have to wonder though how many in the high profile audience actually have any knowledge of the music they are listening to. Of my friends and acquaintances which at a guess would be one hundred plus only two could name the three "named" symphonies of Beethoven. The rest have no interest in the music of Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Ravel, Schubert, Beethoven etc. I suspect that the invited audience here has a similar percentage of music lovers although did I detect Dave Brubeck in the audience?

If anyone recognizes any of the politicians shown in the audience, please comment. I don't know them all.

He used toplay Widmung for me at my home and as an encore

Mexico 🇲🇽🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

Es Van Kliburn.

Please stop playing commercials in the middle of a piece.

La pasreja que muestran NO son sus papas.En otro cel tengo su historial. 😢

i met Gorbachev.

Wow how the world has changed in these past 35 or so years. Better, more decent, more human people led us.

what was the first piece played ?

Mrs Gorbachev was serious early and melting gushing by the end. The Mr had some nookie that night

Браво! 🇷🇺

S o showbusiness alla americano with Schmal😮z.....

L `isle joyeuse ...hehe...quite surprising to hear it here...^^ No american composer..., well

El precidente de EU en New York 😅

😅😅

WOW, HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED. EVERYONE IS GRADUAL AND SUTHEL UNTIL …….

А гондурас Горбачёв под гимн родины вставать особо не спешит...