Items from Van Cliburn’s estate to be auctioned through Christie’s

The Star Telegram ^ | 2-21-14 | Marilyn Bailey

[afraidfortherepublic]

Special to the Star-Telegram

One year after his death, hundreds of items from the estate of Van Cliburn are going on sale at Christie’s auction house in New York.

The pianist, who died in February 2013, filled his Westover Hills home with items encountered during his world travels — fine art, furnishings, tableware — and selected with a veteran collector’s eye.

Two years ago, Cliburn parted with some of his most valuable treasures at a Christie’s auction of what was billed as “The Van Cliburn Collection.” That sale earned almost $4.4 million, beating a presale estimate of $3 million. The most valuable item, a pair of George II giltwood mirrors, went for $464,500.

This sale, taking place March 5, is expected to yield between $1 million and $1.5 million, and the more than 300 objects include many more silver pieces, plus paintings, English furniture, colorful Russian porcelain and a 19th-century piano.

“Once again, it’s a great insight into the man that Van Cliburn was. He was very much a collector’s collector, and he associated so many objects with parts of his performing life,” said Andrew McVinish, head of sale, private and iconic collections at Christie’s.

McVinish said that Cliburn had a good eye. “He certainly could spot something that he would always treasure. More times than not, it was a treasure, and not something that everybody has,” he said.

The item with the highest estimated sale price is an oval-shaped William IV silver tea tray valued at $50,000-$80,000. “That is quite an outstanding piece of silver from the early part of the 19th century,” McVinish said.

The catalog describes it as “oval, on four lion’s-mask feet, with cast and applied openwork grapevine border with bacchanalian masks, cornucopiae, lions, and urns at intervals, with guilloch and gadrooned rim,

[afraidfortherepublic]

The whole article is worth reading -- many insights into Van Cliburn's artistic sense.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Classical music and art ping.

[Chuzzlewit]

interesting and thanks for posting. I’m a big classical music fan.I have 1000’s of vinyl classical records, I got rid of much of my rock and roll vinyl, but kept the classical. I am still in discovery mode, in regards to this music.

[proxy_user]

That makes two of us. Do you use fancy playback equipment?

[Liberty Valance]

"It was his recognition in Moscow that propelled Cliburn to international prominence. The first International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 was an event designed to demonstrate Soviet cultural superiority during the Cold War, on the heels of that country's technological victory with the Sputnik launch in October 1957. Cliburn's performance at the competition finale of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 on April 13 earned him a standing ovation lasting eight minutes. When it was time to announce a winner, the judges were obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Then give him the prize!" Cliburn returned home to a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only time the honor has been accorded a classical musician. His cover story in Time magazine proclaimed him "The Texan Who Conquered Russia".

[fwdude]

FW resident here, so I’ve been in close proximity to his influence for almost a lifetime.

Cliburn was a class act. Although he was probably homosexual, he was NOT openly “gay,” (that is purely a political identity). Yet, his private proclivity, that he did NOT make a part of his very identity, has been hijacked by the Gaystapo for their own political ends. It grieve me that these deviants are so heartless and wicked to drag out as purported “support” what even Cliburn was willing to completely repress.

[PieterCasparzen]

I wonder who the heirs are, if all the cash goes to Tom Smith.

[afraidfortherepublic]

My husband’s cousins are (now retired) concert duo-pianists and they knew Van Cliburn personally. They always said that he was a very nice person.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I wish that the article had provided pictures of some of the goods. It seems a shame that there was no one to whom to pass his appreciation of fine things. I hope the money goes some place great — like a scholarship — and not all to taxes.

[afraidfortherepublic]

From Christie's catalog:

Van Cliburn's mother's piano -- Bechstein 1869, pre-auction estimate $8000-$12,000.

If it is in good working order, I think that's a bargain!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Here's the William IV silver tray:

$50,000 - $80,000. Lovely, but not such a bargain.

[Chuzzlewit]

Not hugely expensive, but I love the sound. I own a current Yamaha amplifier that I have integrated for T.V. and for my music listening. I have two 1970s Bose speakers for the front, and two 1970s IMF (from England) rear speakers. A cheapo JBL center speaker for voice. I’ve got a 1970s Harmon Kardon amplifier that I use for a pre-amp for my Project One red Turntable (purchased for $300 at magnolia, nexst to Best Buy store)and a very good Grado Cartridge... Not tons of money sunk into this.. the IMF speakers I have owned since 1981. The Bose speakers are very nice, and my wife has owned them since the early 80s.

man oh man, but the sound... of love classical on vinyl that is in good condition, and you can still pick up classical records, most in good condition for under $5 at the use record stores... we have a few here in Los Angeles.

[TheConservativeParty]

Great article, and I agree the price on the piano is a bargain. I would pay for it in that range, and happily.

[Agamemnon]

In my music room at home, among other wall hangings that I created for it I put together a 3' x 5' framed collection of autograph signatures and portraits of 20 of the greatest classical pianists of the 20th century.

Pianists include Ignace Paderewski, Wanda Landowska, Artur Schnabel, Artur Rubenstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andre Watts, Myra Hess, Glenn Gould, Emmanuel Ax, Sviatoslav Richter, William Kapell, Cladia Arrau, Rudolf Serkin, Vladimair Horowitz, Alexander Brailowski Ivan Davis, Ivan Moravc, Philipe Entremont, Byron Janis, and of course Van Cliburn.

I actually wrote to some of the some of these pianists and they were kind enough to send me their autograph with an inscription. Some of the performers I had the privilege of actually seeing in concert; Van Cliburn was one of those I got to hear in 1972.

I save programs and ticket stubs from all concerts and shows I have attended for some 50 years since I was a kid. I sent one of the programs that I had from the 1972 performance to Van Cliburn in 2003, and he was kind enough to autograph it and inscribe it with a personal message to me. The ticket stub and that program have a prominent place on that wall hanging!

FReegards!

[afraidfortherepublic]

My father talked all his life about a concert by Paderewski that he heard in LA when he was in grad school. I was fortunate to hear Rubenstein in 2, or 3, “farewell” concerts in the 1960s and early 1970s. I did not save anything, except memories, however.

[afraidfortherepublic]

[sitetest]

Classical Music Ping List ping.

[Agamemnon]

I saw Rudolf Serkin and Valdimir Horowitz also.

FReegards!

[Chuzzlewit]

Beautiful!! I’m sure it’s quite a room. I am imagining it now.

Music makes life worth living, specifically classical music in all it’s forms and periods. As well, I love organic American bluegrass music, some folk and singer/songwriter pop music, Motown, Ragtime, and Irish music. I very much appreciate jazz and I’m quite fond of the Blue period (Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, etc)..

Carry on fellow freeper !

[Agamemnon]

On another wall in that same room I have three 3' x 5' wall hangings hung in series which together comprise a timeline from 1930 - 2000. Like the other one I described earlier it features original autographs of close to 200 keyboardists spanning from George Gershwin through John Williams, each labeled with a song which they were either the composer for or the artist named on the recording. One panel contains artists from 1930 -1960, another 1960 - 1980, and the last one, 1980 - 2000. Not all artists are well known but their renderings are known the world over.

Consider for example: who was the pianist who played on the recording of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel? Do you know? The name of that person was Larry Knechtel. I wrote Larry and he was kind enough to send me a signed card. Or how about who was the pianist on Christopher Cross's "Sailing" -- it wasn't Chris; he's a guitarist. The pianist is a contemporary Christian artist by the name of Michael Omartian. He too was kind enough to sign a card for me. Each are on the timeline

Of course there's Carol King ("You've Got a Friend), Alex Bugnon ("Love Season"), Neal Hefti ("Batman"), Henry Mancini ("Pink Panther"), Keiko Matsui ("Wildflower") Bill Withers ("Lovely Day") among others who supplied a few measures from these hits on staff paper along with a autograph and sentiment too.

Have some extremely difficult signatures to locate too (not obtained in person) from the likes of Vince Guaraldi ("Charlie Brown" theme), Thelonious Monk ("Straight, No Chaser"), Bud Powell ("Bouncing with Bud"), Jelly Roll Morton ("King Porter Stomp"), Art Tatum ("April in Paris"), Max Steiner ("Gone With the Wind") theme.

Have another whole staircase wall with autographed/signed albums mounted as contiguous 12" x 12" tiles. Lot's of great musicals form the '50's and '60's. Even have Van Cliburn's autograph on his famous Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #1 competition I Moscow LP from 1958.

If you are looking for a delightful on-line Classical music station with truly engaging personalities as presenters I refer you to ClassicFM from London www.classicfm.com

And for one last thing to cheer your day. I found this little gem over the weekend. You can "visualize" a very famous piece as performed by a very famous composer: Debussy plays "Claire de Lune" (piano roll)

FReegards!