Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story-How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War

by Nigel Cliff

Gripping narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic story of a remarkable young Texan pianist, Van Cliburn, who played his way through the wall of fear built by the Cold War, won the hearts of the American and Russian people, and eased tensions between two superpowers on the brink of nuclear war.

In 1958, an unheralded twenty-three-year-old piano prodigy from Texas named Van Cliburn traveled to Moscow to compete in the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. The Soviets had no intention of bestowing their coveted prize on an unknown American; a Russian pianist had already been chosen to win. Yet when the gangly Texan with the shy grin began to play, he instantly captivated an entire nation.

The Soviet people were charmed by Van Cliburn’s extraordinary talent and fresh-faced innocence, but it was his palpable love for the music that earned their devotion; for many, he played more like a Russian than their own musicians. As enraptured crowds mobbed Cliburn’s performances, pressure mounted to award him the competition prize. "Is he the best?" Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev demanded of the judges. "In that case . . . give him the prize!"

Adored by millions in the USSR, Cliburn returned to a thunderous hero’s welcome in the USA and became, for a time, an ambassador of hope for two dangerously hostile superpowers. In this thrilling, impeccably researched account, Nigel Cliff recreates the drama and tension of the Cold War era, and brings into focus the gifted musician and deeply compelling figure whose music would temporarily bridge the divide between two dangerously hostile powers.

Genres: Music, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Russia, Travel, Politics

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2016

About the author

Nigel Cliff is a British historian, biographer, critic and translator. He specialists in narrative nonfiction, especially in the fields of cultural history and the history of exploration.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put down Nigel Cliff’s Moscow Nights – the Van Cliburn Story – How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War, a fascinating re-visiting of the pianist’s life and career, set against the backdrop of the height of the Soviet-United States rivalry as superpowers.

I loved the pacing of Cliff’s storytelling, and how he alternates important chapters in Cliburn’s life with important events in the Cold War – Stalin’s death and Khrushchev’s “thaw”, his secret speech denouncing Stalin’s cult of personality, Sputnik, Gary Powers and the shooting down of the U2 over Soviet air space, the Cuban Missile Crisis, as well as the relationship between various U.S. presidents and the Soviets. Regardless of even severe hostility between the two nations, Van Cliburn was always greeted in the Soviet Union as a native son, to the extent of arousing the suspicions of the FBI – we mustn’t forget that this was also the time of the “Red scare.”

Although relying heavily on Howard Reich’s biography of Cliburn, Cliff also revealed many new details that I had not known. Cliff gives us much more details about the intrigues of the competition, about Cliburn’s relationship with the other contestants, as well as how members of the jury viewed him. I had also not realized Rosina Lhévinne’s resentment at not having heard from Cliburn personally after he won the Tchaikovsky, and how Cliburn hadn’t even offered to pay her back for all the (free) extra lessons she gave him before the competition. To me, what was especially revealing was the pianist’s friendship with Khrushchev, and how his standing with the Soviet politburo fell after Khrushchev’s fall from grace, even though the Soviet and the Russian public continued to love him until his death.

I, and I’m sure, many others, have probably wondered – what kind of a musician would Van Cliburn had not won the Tchaikovsky Competition? With his talent and pianistic abilities, he would have had a career as a pianist. Perhaps he could have developed as a conductor, as he had already exhibited talent in that direction. But he simply didn’t have time to do anything else but play one concert after another, and play for one president after another. I suppose Cliburn’s win in Moscow had also been responsible for today’s proliferation of music competition, of young musicians’ mindset that winning a major competition would “make” their career like Van Cliburn.

As Cliff writes, “Fame had set him up to be the greatest pianist of all, and he could not quite manage that.” What person could? Cliburn’s mother had brought him up to be a Southern gentleman, a church-going, courteous, and somewhat idealistic man who believed in the power of music in bridging people. Again, to quote Cliff, “As the gears of international relations turned and, for a moment, clicked into place, he was delighted to play his part.” At the end, he remained an American icon, a symbol of greatest in the arts that the country is capable of.

At its best, Van Cliburn’s performances should be remembered for their transcendental pianism as well as beauty of sound, a throwback to the days of Rachmaninoff and Hoffman. Perhaps he saved his best and most inspired playing for his beloved Russian audience, an audience that accepted him for the artist he was. Certainly he deserved to be remembered for his performances of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concerti more than having played Moscow Nights for Gorbachev.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moscow Nights : The Van Cliburn Story – How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War [2016] – ★★★★

“We now have a Tchaikovsky competition and an American pianist who plays well…we don’t know what to do”, a Soviet Minister reports to First Secretary of the Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev; Khrushchev: – “What do the others say about him? Is he the best?” – “Yes, he is the best” – “In that case, give him the first prize.”

This is the story of Louisiana-born American pianist Van Cliburn and his unbelievable “conquest” of the Soviet Union in times of the Cold War. Immensely talented and aged only 23, lanky, innocent-looking Cliburn won the hearts of the Soviet people at the very first Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958, a competition that was designed to showcase the supremacy of the Soviets. From the depth of Texas wilderness to the heart of Moscow, he made the longest journey of his life, but his greatest accomplishment was not physical or even musical, it was spiritual, piercing the Russian soul, leaving it craving for more, while also uniting two opposing nations, even for a very brief period.

Van Cliburn, born in 1934, was a child prodigy, “taking to piano like children take to toys”, and beginning his first piano lessons at the age of three from his mother, Rildia Bee O’Bryan, an accomplished pianist who never realised her own dream of becoming a concert pianist. It was his mother, who once studied with a student of Franz Liszt and even met Sergei Rachmaninoff, who instilled in young Cliburn the love for Russian music and composers. When Cliburn entered the Juilliard School in New York, he began his studies under Rosina Lhévinne, the celebrated pianist and Russian émigré, who was so strict in her practice room with her students that it was said that “whoever was able to go through their pieces in her room was then able to play anywhere in the world.” When Cliburn entered the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958, few thought he would have any success and he had some notable competition, for example, from Soviet Lev Vlassenko and from Chinese talent Liu Shikun. The jury was as intimidating, comprising Shostakovich, Richter, Oborin, Gilels and Kabalevsky. However, it turned out Cliburn should not have worried – even in the preliminary round his interpretation of Tchaikovsky was viewed as so “ecstatically lyrical, thrillingly Romantic, and symphonic in scale …[that] tears glistened in many eyes” [Nigel Cliff, Harper, 2016: 137]. His final performance at the Competition earned him the first prize when the jury agreed that his performance was the best, and his concert boasted an unprecedented eight-minute standing ovation.

The Soviets saw that Cliburn genuinely loved the music he played and they were entranced by his innocence, sincerity and passion. If Russians conquered Cliburn’s heart, with the pianist saying that the warmth and sincerity of the Russian people reminded him of the Texan people back home, he definitely conquered theirs, with the whole fan-base establishing over Van Cliburn in Moscow and beyond. His later career had its ups and downs, with Cliburn playing for every American President, but always being somewhat uncomfortable with fame and never managing to dispel the Texan stereotypes nor the prejudice concerning his sexuality. There were many years when he did not touch the keys publicly, and he passed away in 2013.

🎵 Nigel Cliff’s biography is so incredibly detailed that it is often quite difficult to see the narrative through the multitude of little facts presented, but the book’s incredible thoroughness may also be its strength. Van Cliburn’s achievement was a triumph of people’s humanity and love for music over politics and national barriers. At least for the duration of Cliburn’s pieces, the American and Soviet people united in their sincere appreciation of great music, in their common feelings of gratitude to one another for the talents on display, showing kindness and human understanding that transcended ideologies, flags and language-barriers.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I bought a box of 28 cds of Van Cliburn recordings, a musical treasure containing the majority of his most important performances as one of the greatest concert pianists. Nothing special about such a purchase for a classical music lover. But it turns out that I was barely aware of the 1958 Moscow competition that kicked his career in overdrive. But beyond this musical event that catapulted a young phenom to a stratospheric level of public recognition, this book introduced me to the role this pianist played in the realm of Cold war diplomacy. So this book is both a biography and a political and social history of the confrontation between both superpowers of the period. Van Cliburn became a symbol of cultural cooperation as he was a link between two adversaries, one of the few channels of communication open to them that would let them speak to one another beyond the wall of paranoia typical of the Cold War. Well written and very enjoyable.

[Jing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Van Cliburn’s story is nothing new: a talented young pianist who won the first Tchaikovsky Piano competition held in Moscow during the height of the Cold War, who then played piano for US and Soviet politicians for decades as a music ambassador, whose own music and personal development (including his homosexuality) were somewhat stunted by early success, societal culture and the public’s curiosity. I wondered what I would gain from this book, but after finishing the book I was quite touched.

In a sense, everyone has a role to play in the world. We might not know it or might not like it, and of course we try to define our roles instead of being defined. For Van Cliburn, his role was defined by his early success and he did not fight it. He was a kind-hearted, innocent child who went along, dutifully playing the pieces that he became known for and dutifully saying all the cliché. No, he did not get to fully develop himself musically, he concealed his homosexuality, he couldn’t live his life exactly how he wanted it. But these just made him to be one of the majority of the people in this world, who have to accept a reality that is so far from their dreams. What’s remarkable about Van Cliburn is that he carried himself with dignity, a sense of duty and kindness. He seemed to have identified something that is larger than life. Is it music, is it duty to his country, is it love or friendship or Russia? Or all of the above? But whatever it was, he gladly gave himself up for it. He is gone, just like we all will be gone, but the music that he played will still be around and will touch the hearts of many generations to come.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Read this book. What a writer to be able to tell Van Cliburn's story so well in such detail in such a positive fashion intermingling with all the political events surrounding the story. I learned so very much about events I actually was living through with no idea what was really behind the news. I was surprised how easy it was to read and how intriguing the politics were. A truly worthwhile book.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books I enjoyed throughout but can't justify a rating higher than 3 stars. I'm not agonizing over this but something inside of me wants to rate it higher.

Cliff writes well and with good humor and Van Cliburn is a thoroughly likable subject. The Cold War story is told with enough detail to inform but not so much as to overburden the reader. I was familiar enough with Cliburn's name to know he was a brilliant pianist and the story of his upbringing and career filled in all of the gaps. Yet it's a book I didn't think about when I wasn't reading it and I didn't find extra time for it when I had the opportunities. Maybe it's USSR/Russia fatigue.

I recently read Piano by James Barron which I preferred and would recommend highly as an accompaniment to Moscow Nights.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I had heard of Van Cliburn, I never knew what a sensation he had been, especially in the Soviet Union, nor the unique circumstances surrounding his acclaim. This was a rare book where I wished I had the soundtrack of his performances as accompaniment. Cliff was at his best telling the story of Van Cliburn's preparation for and success at the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition - success at a time when the cultural superiority of Soviets was seen as a Cold War bragging right. This portion of the book contained many of Cliburn's statements of love for the Soviet people, statements which led me expect later Red-baiting intrigue at the hands of Hoover or McCarthy. However, much of what transpires after the competition held less interest. Cliburn's later reclusiveness made for a difficult subject to hold a reader's interest, yet I found the recitation of how much crowds worshipped him and how dutiful he was in paying back their affections to be a little repetitive. The drama of the rest of the book was more from the Cold War context. Tales of Khrushchev (an admirer of Cliburn) who sparred with Vice President Nixon and reoriented the USSR away from Stalinism; the sad situation of musicians like Shostakovich, who struggled to toe the party line during changing regimes; the different Presidencies having varying levels of respect for classical music. I was surprised to learn of Van Cliburn's sexual orientation, prefaced by Horowitz's quip that there were only 3 kinds of pianists: 'Jewish pianists, homosexual pianists, and bad pianists,' but it didn't seem to have a big influence on his life, at least from what could be gathered from the book. After reading 'Moscow Nights,' I am left nostalgic for the days when classical music and musicians were a force on the American (and world) cultural scene.

[Phil Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The perfect combination of music and politics , two of my biggest interests. I admit a prejudice as a long time fan of Van Cliburn who was in heaven when I attended his concert at the Minneapolis Auditorium with the Minneapolis Symphony (not their usually venue.....indicative of his rock star status) as a child.

The author does a wonderful job of mixing the politics of the day, which play a major role in Cliburn's career, with the intense pressure of being a musician at the highest levels of musicianship and competition.

I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fantastic writing about the Cold War and about music. It was hard to get a clear picture of Van Cliburn as a person, but he was a very private person so I guess there's not much to do about that. The scene where Van plays for Gorbachev was amazing and made me cry. Also this book made me feel very warmly toward Khrushchev.

We constantly hear about art being a universal language, about how it brings people together, but it's sometimes hard to understand what that really means in practice. It really can take just a small amount of beauty to remind people of their humanity and compassion.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Moscow Nights as part of a Goodreads giveaway.'

Moscow Nights is a unique look at the cold war through the biography of pianist Van Cliburn. This is a history gem that is very well written, and is an enjoyable read!

[Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

`Moscow Nights' is a fine book that describes the career of Van Cliburn and the remarkable impact that winning the Tchaikovsky competition had on the cold war and the policy of relaxation afterwards. The role of art and in particular music is often underestimated when it comes to building connections between people. The book is well researched with sources from both music and 20th century history.

That said, the psychological description of Van Cliburn's development is disappointing. His deeply felt Christian faith and his homosexuality must have caused serious conflicts from the beginning of his life, especially in the United States in the 1950s. There is so little about the homosexuality for the first 300 pages that it made me feel uneasy.

Otherwise a great book from which I learned a lot. Good sheet music of Van Cliburn's rendition of Moscow Nights can be found under the link:
https://www.pianorarescores.com/archi...

[Denise Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very interesting book about Van Cliburn. His cousin is a dear friend of mine and loaned me the book. He also shared interesting family stories!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading some of this, as Van Cliburn was my freshman theory professor's cousin. Many of the details were fascinating, encouraging, and/or amazing. However, I neither appreciated nor enjoyed some of the other details the author included. Perhaps I'm too close to the subject (knowing his cousin and other family members), but I do not enjoy reading things that I know the biographee would rather not have had shared. (This was a posthumous biography.)

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story-How One Man and his Piano Transformed the Cold War
By Nigel Cliff

This is a beautifully written and amazing biography about a person whose unlikely background left a seminal effect on foreign relations between America and the Soviet Union. Nigel Cliff’s “Moscow Nights” tells the story of Van Cliburn, the prodigy pianist from East Texas, who, in the late 1940’s through the 1950’s captured the essence of Russian Romantic classical composers such as Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff in his style of playing.

His mother was a classical piano teacher, and from the age of three, Van practiced and perfected his interpretation of the classical composers such as Chopin, Brahms and Schubert. But his talent on the keyboard expressed the very soul of the Russian Romantic composers.

After introducing us to Van Cliburn’s early life in the oil-rich fields of Kilgore, Texas, Cliff describes the origins of the Romantic period of classical music from the mid 1800’s through the turn of the century, and the influence Russia had on this music. From early childhood, Van had always had a fascination with the Romantic composers. At seventeen, Cliburn entered the Juilliard School in New York City and studied under the great Rosina Lhevinne, herself an accomplished pianist who studied at the Moscow Imperial Conservatory, and who had even greater influence on Cliburn’s love of Tchaikovsky.

But, no story is complete without an antagonist-in this case, the political struggle between capitalism and Communism known as the Cold War. Cliff describes the stark reality of post- World War II Soviet Russia, whose expansionist tactics were suddenly interrupted by the death of Josef Stalin in March of 1953. Nikita Khruschev took over and promptly launched an anti-Stalinist revisionist regime, which ultimately lead to a concentrated effort in technology and re-building of the Soviet empire. It also signaled the Soviets’ desire for supremacy in everything possible, including culture, against the “decadent capitalist West”.

When Soviet Russia held the First International Tchaikovsky Competition for Violin and Piano in April of 1958, Van Cliburn “turned heads” from the judges and fellow Russian competitors in the first three rounds. But, in the final competition, Cliburn took the competition, and ultimately, the entire Soviet Union by storm by flawlessly performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto Number One and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto Number Three. Cliburn’s modest demeanor and ultra-politeness endeared him to the throngs of Russian music lovers young and old alike.

He was an instant sensation, and immediately put the Soviets into a quandary: if they gave Cliburn the Gold Medal, the Party members would give their adoring masses a “Western idol” to worship…one who represented freedom. If, on the other hand, the Party members denied Cliburn the coveted first prize, they realized the competition’s future chances of ever being respected by the world as objective were nil. Khruschev ordered the prize be given to Cliburn, and a fascinating, if uneasy friendship was struck between them.

Cliff effortlessly combines the historical facts of Cliburn’s success with behind the scenes political intrigue and drama. The Cold War embroiled American and Soviet ideology at a time when the most fearful game of brinkmanship took place. But perhaps it took the talent and humble personality of Van Cliburn to prove in William Congreve’s words, “Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”

This book is a must read for both music and history lovers alike.

[Tavner Delcamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting account of the life of one of the most famous pianists of the 20th century, Van Cliburn. Van Cliburn rose to international fame when he won the first Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958. The author relates the early life of Cliburn in Shreveport, Louisiana, and later in Kilgore, Texas. He was taught by his mother, Rildia Bee Cliburn, from an early age after his musical gifts were recognized. Throughout his childhood his mother exerted an enormous influence on his musical and pianistic development. She herself had studied with the great Russian pianist, Arthur Friedheim, who had studied with Franz Liszt. She imbued her son with a deep love of the 19th cnetury romantic piano repertoire, in particular, with an emphasis on the Russian school of piano performance. In his late teens he was able to enter the Juilliard School in New York City where he studied with the famous teacher Rosina Lhevinne. Being Russian she taught the grand style perfected by the teachers at the Moscow Conservatory where she studied. The first Tchaikovsky competition was set up to showcase the accomplishments of Soviet pianists. However, when Cliburn participated in the competition he created a sensation with the Russian audiences and judges of the jury, too, which included the great pianists Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter. Even Nikita Khruschev agreed with the jury's decision to award first prize to the young, very talented American. Cliburn's experience gave him a deep love of Russian music and the Russian people. He made several visits over the next 30 years to tour and re-establish his friendships with the many Russian friends he made during the competition. His career took off at an extraordinary pace during the 1960's when he was promoted by the famous promoter Sol Hurok who was behind the success of many other great artists. Also, Cliburn was influenced by performing for and socializing with several Presidents beginning with Eisenhower. He did undertake a 15-year sabbatical from performing beginnning in the mid 1970s. The stress of performing at a high level and expecting to be a constant international celebrity took its toll. But, he came out of retirement in the 1980s when 'perestroika' occurred under the direction of Mikhail Gorbachev. He gave a noteworthy White House recital playing for both Reagan and Gorbachev which re-ignited his career. He followed that event with several more trips to Russia where he was still lionized 40 years after winning the Tchaikovsky competition. I had the privilege of seeing Cliburn perform in 1972 at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. For several years Cliburn performed benefit concerts in July to support the arts programs at the camp. I'll never forget the first rehearsal when he arrived onstage to play through Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto, a favorite concerto of his. I was playing French Horn in the orchestra. The sound he could generate was simply awesome. He had huge hands and could navigate the extremely difficult piano part with ease. I was able to speak to him during the week and found him to be a really friendly, open person. I recommend this book as a document of a great pianist and who loved both his own country and Russia and had a passionate interest in using music for promoting peaceful relations between countries.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met him once in Cincinnati, introduced by a musician friend who had attended Juilliard with him. He was friendly and personable but a bit shy also. His life was overshadowed by his mother, Rildia Bee who dominated his whole life and kept him sexually repressed. Sad story all around about how she ruined his personal life and directed his friendships, even encouraged him into a gay relationship in spite of his deep Christian beliefs. The parts in Russia are fascinating, and I loved his love of Russian classical Music as I am a fan of romantic music, where the Russians such as Rachmaninoff, Tschaikovsky , Rimsky-Korzakoff and Borodin have no equal.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating bit a dual-history, both a biography of Van Cliburn and a treatise on American-Soviet relations post-World War II and how they two intertwined.

I knew that Van Cliburn won the 1st Tchaikovsky Piano/Violin competition (1958), but didn't understand the cultural and political significance or context. Nor did I know that his mother and his primary teacher at Juilliard had roots deep in the Russian musical past. And I had no idea of Van Cliburn's immediate and continued popularity in Russia (and in the States, for that matter). For a time he rivaled Elvis.

This is well researched and well written and completely absorbing.

Here is a performance of Van Cliburn playing Moscow Nights. Many years later, when President Reagan asked him to come and perform at the White House for Premier and Mrs Gorbachev, this is the piece that moved them to tears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkxSg...

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing and a wonderful, heartwarming story that seems unbelievable (though true) from this remove of nearly 50 years. I was only 8 years old when Van Cliburn won the 1st Tchaikovsky Music Competition, and hadn't even started piano lessons. But I do remember the Cold War, if through a child's eyes, and as a classical pianist I loved all the details about Van's childhood and education at Juilliard, and all the behind the scenes stories of the competition and the other competitors. The book begins with the death of Stalin, and is as much the story of the Cold War as it is of music. I learned a lot. Scary times, though in a different way from today.

[Dschreiber · Rating 3 out of 5]

For rabid Van Cliburn fans, this must be pure gold. For the rest of us, however, it's interesting, certainly, but maybe a little too much of a good thing. The author has researched Cliburn's Russian connections so thoroughly, including with lots of interviews, that we are often led in an hour-by-hour description of events, anecdote after anecdote, all of them true, one assumes, but not all of them of significance. It often feels like one of those cinema verite documentary films that takes us to the concert and the reception afterward and to the next morning, but which could really do with some editing to make sure it all adds up to something. With that caveat, though, it's highly readable. Good story-telling.

[Rose Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic story -- not just of the life and career of this transcendent artist, but of the personalities and background of the world leaders and other artists of the times. I have loved Van Cliburn since I was a teenager and it is because of him that I came to know and love the great Romantic composers. I was lucky enough to have heard him perform twice.

The author has done an outstanding job with his research -- the bibliography is excellent and extensive end-notes add to the story -- but he does not hit you over the head with his knowledge. The entire book flows so smoothly and the end result is a riveting tale of a man and an artist and the indelible impact he had on the world. Highly recommended for everyone.

[Barbara Phillips-Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a pianist from the Fort Worth area, so I knew about Van Cliburn. This filled in some gaps regarding his life and career. It also reminded me about the tensions between USSR and US -- the Cold War. Cliburn loved Russian music and, as Rosina Lhevinne predicted, played with the grand, sweeping style that would win over the judges at the first-ever Tchaikovsky competition. Winning that was both a boon and a curse for Cliburn. Much of his success should be attributed to his mother, Rildia Bee, who taught him until he left for Juilliard.
The bibliography and notes for the book indicate that a good deal of research went into its writing.

[Donni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never heard of Van Cliburn before this book. He was an American piano child prodigy, in a time when classical music was ruled by the Russians. His rise to fame during the Cold War inspired American pride at a time when the two countries were both adversaries and competitors. Ironically, he created a bridge to the Soviets, who fell madly in love with him, while his American fans were torn: was he an American hero or a turncoat in light of his passion for Russia? So little of the Col War was covered during my high school days, that this was a fascinating way to learn more about it.

[Victor Sonkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant account of Van Cliburn's victorious season in Moscow in the 1950s and his life (and the life of the Soviet Union) before and after — and even though the Soviet parts were written for a completely ignorant reader, I enjoyed them immensely. I couldn't put this book down at all, which is something that only happens quite rarely.

[June J. McInerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cold War was at its peak when the USSR launched Sputnik I into orbit, propelling the USSR into the leading role of technology and further plummeting the USA into the downside of the tenuous, escalating arms race. Six months later, in April of 1958, with both sides still seeking – but failing – to reach a semblance of compromise, a tall, lanky twenty-three-year old heretofore unknown Texan with a shock of reddish-blond curls transformed the impending hostilities by winning the First International Tchaikovsky Competition held in Moscow.
With his vibrantly brilliant, soul-searching piano playing, and love of “all things Russian”, Van Cliburn charmed not only the Soviet citizens, but their bombastic leader, Nikita Khrushchev, as well. The Soviet Premier instantly became one of, if not Cliburn’s biggest fan. Who, because of Cliburn, began to soften his pompous, self-righteous stance. According to Nigel Cliff in "Moscow Nights", Cliburn’s triumph, coupled with his warm embrace of Russian music and culture, kindled a spark of hope that, perhaps, the two factious, most powered nations of the world had finally found a pathway to peaceful coexistence.
"Moscow Nights" unexpectantly arrived on my doorstop three weeks ago with a request from Harper Collins for a review. Thinking it was a novel, I began reading the book that night and was surprised that it, starting with a ticker tape parade followed by two short stories about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff, was not. It appeared to be a treatise about Van Cliburn’s llife and his rise to prominence and international fame. Yet, as I continued to read Cliff’s fourth work of literary non-fiction, I discovered, however scholarly, that "Moscow Nights" reads like a well-written novel. Slowing my pace down to “history mode”, I settled in to absorb fascinating aspects and nuances of 1950s/1960s world events.
This author, whose writing style and composition is just as vibrant and as brilliant as Cliburn’s piano playing, covers just about everything; leaving nothing unturned. Music history and theory; Van Cliburn’s life, including training at an early age (4) learning to play the piano while sitting on his mother’s lap [a piano teacher classically trained by Russian pianist and composer Arthur Friedheim]; causes and effects of the Cold War; cultural similarities and differences between the USA and the USSR; FBI, CIA, and KGB intrigues [there were several surrounding the competition and Cliburn]; insights into Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy as well as Khrushchev [including his insidiously strategic rise to power via deceit and betrayal]. Not to mention his famous show-pounding appearance in the United Nationals General Assembly. Shall I go on?
Most intriguing is the author’s in-depth look into Van Cliburn’s personal as well as his public lives – how they intertwined, opposed, and yet complemented each other. His inner turmoil and outwardly sunny, optimistic, gregarious disposition. It was almost as if the talented pianist came back to life and was sitting right next to me, unraveling his story. Through Cliff’s eyes and words he, in fact, was… The attention to painstakingly researched detail of all aspects of Cliburn’s life – even down to the flapping loose sole of his left shoe as he came up on stage for one of his myriad concerts – was, for lack of a better word, phenomenal. Rarely featured in works of non-fiction and seldom so artistically interfaced in historical novels, Cliff captures the very heart and essence of both literary worlds.
In this tumultuous, age – the parallels between 1958 and 2017 are astoundingly scary – "Moscow Nights" is a most timely, maturely sober reminder of how threatening – and frightening – the facetious follies of foolish leaders can be. And how they can – and must – be assuaged and appeased not by the escalation of school-yard taunts backed by nuclear armaments, but by the coming together and sharing of common cultural interests and mutual concern and humane understanding.
Nigel Cliff’s brilliantly crafted "Moscow Nights" is definitely the best non-fiction book of this century. And a must for those of us who do not wish to ever again see the darkest side of history repeat itself.
Enjoy the read!

[Marjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voor mij is dit de eerste biografie die ik ooit gelezen heb (ja, echt!). Ik las het met mijn boekenclub. Zelf zou ik niet snel naar dit boek grijpen. Af en toe vond ik het een behoorlijke beproeving om het te lezen. De schrijfstijl sprak me niet aan: langdradig, heel veel namen en veel uitvoerige beschrijvingen van gebeurtenissen die niet altijd belangrijk lijken om te vermelden.

Maar het is nu eenmaal geen roman, maar een uitgebreide biografie. Het doel van de auteur is niet dat we ons kunnen verplaatsen in de pianist Van Cliburn en dat is juist waar ik zo nieuwsgierig naar ben: wat dacht en voelde hij zelf? We lezen alleen dat Van altijd beleefd en discreet bleef, dat hij hield van Rusland en de muziek van Russische componisten. Zijn opinie over politiek komt nauwelijks aan bod, omdat hij zich daar nauwelijks over uitliet. Er wordt beschreven dat hij altijd verbaasd bleef over zijn populariteit, hoe hij soms worstelde met zijn roem en hoe hij de lat zeer hoog legde voor zichzelf. Hij had op jonge leeftijd al zo'n hoog niveau getoond, dat het altijd een strijd met zichzelf bleef om dat niveau te handhaven. En dan heeft hij ook nog jarenlang zijn homoseksualiteit geheim gehouden (moeten houden?) Wat zou het interessant zijn om te lezen wat dat allemaal met hem deed.

Ik geef het boek wel drie sterren, want informatief is het zeker. Ik heb veel geleerd over klassieke (piano)muziek, De Koude Oorlog en de Sovjetunie. Verder bevat het boek mooie passages over het spel van Cliburn, dat de mensen steeds wist te raken. In die gedeeltes voelt het alsof je in de zaal aanwezig bent, je kunt de emoties bijna voelen - en dat terwijl ik geen enkel stuk ken. Ook het gedeelte over de keerzijde van roem vond ik mooi, evenals de stukken die ik hierboven heb beschreven, over zijn worstelingen met zichzelf. De kern van dit boek is gevat in de ondertitel: 'Hoe een man en zijn piano de Koude Oorlog veranderden'. Keer op keer blijkt dat muziek verbindt, zelfs onder de moeilijkste omstandigheden. En dat is toch een prachtige boodschap.

[Gayla Bassham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fascinating account of the pianist Van Cliburn and his attachment to Russia, and how that attachment affected his own life and Cold War politics. I knew nothing about this story at all when I picked up the book -- I knew nothing about Van Cliburn except that he was a pianist -- so I learned quite a bit. I think the author does a good job of describing the atmosphere of the Cold War and, later, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and also making it clear why the American intelligence community viewed Van Cliburn with some suspicion after his competition win in Russia.

Cliburn himself comes across as shockingly naive and more than a bit full of himself (at one point he arrives in Washington for a concert, realizes he doesn't have his tuxedo, and calls President Lyndon Johnson to see if he could borrow one -- Johnson obliged). It's believable, given his sheltered upbringing in a small Texas town and the behavior of his ever-present mother, who took helicopter parenting to a whole new level. But by the time the book reached the Sixties I was getting frustrated with him myself, so I can only imagine how exasperating he must have been to deal with.

And one of the few frustrations of the book is that you don't really get a sense of how the people around Cliburn dealt with him. I wouldn't call this a bio; its hyper-focus on Cliburn and Russia means that you don't get a full understanding of what he was like as a person, what his relationship with his mother was like, how he dealt with conflicts between his sexuality (he was gay) and his deep religious beliefs, or really anything else other than his attachment to Russia. That's not really a shortcoming of the book -- the subtitle makes it pretty clear what Cliff wants to focus on in this book -- but it did leave me wanting to know more.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, the way the author intercut Cliburn’s biography with detailed history of American-Soviet politics — and made it super-interesting! I knew nothing about Cliburn except there's a competition named after him and now I feel like I really know this period in time, how his background perfectly meshed with being sent to the USSR and winning not just the first Tchaikovsky Competition but also the hearts of Russians and Americans alike because he was an American steeped in Russian tradition and culture, studying the Russian Romantic masters and performing them with meaning, with deep understanding, with soul. And the incidental details, like how the (I think) CIA was championing avant garde music to undercut the Soviets — what!! Or what happened to the Chinese finalist during and after the Cultural Revolution, the years of starvation and deprivation. Man. I mean, to put classical music on the same footing as the brinksmanship of the Cold War is crazy, but Cliburn was in the middle of it all, instrumental (yes, literally and ha ha) in bringing people together, getting them to talk to each other, building bridges and relationships. Yeah. Amazing.

[Rose-Billie Canter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful Tribute to an Incredible Talent

As a young piano student in the 1950s, I remember discussing with my piano teacher Van Cliburn’s winning the Tchaikovsky prize. The teacher was not as impressed with his success as I was, but that didn’t change my opinion.

Then in the early 1960s, I had a chance to see Van Cliburn play with the Pittsburgh Sympathy Orchestra and was even more impressed. Watching his hands, with their wide key span, was truly the experience of a lifetime.

From then until now, life happened. As an historian, I was very much aware of the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, but I had not kept up with Van Cliburn and his performances or his international reputation.

When I noticed “Moscow Nights” as a kindle offering on Amazon, I immediately purchased it. I didn’t start reading it immediately, but, as soon as I started reading, my memories of the 60s flooded back.

Thank you, Nigel Cliff, for bringing back a hero of my youth, and giving a wonderful pianist a wonderful biography. Perhaps, we should have more musicians and other entertainers as part of our diplomatic corps.

[Linda Temples · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book kept me enthralled from the beginning. As a young teen when Van Cliburn won the First International Tchaikovsky Competition, outshining the other brilliant pianists in the competition, I rejoiced in the fact a classical musician could garner such acclaim in an era when rock and roll was taking over the music world. This book showed me my joy was eclipsed by that shown in Russia for this gentle, talented giant. That he could bring joy to the jaded American people was a great surprise.

But oh! the steps of the cold War took me back - to school and studying how to survive the Atom Bomb (as it was called then) to the stand-off over the Cuban Missile Crisis when young men I knew might have had to go to war with Russia to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolving of the Soviet Union. This was a ride through my life and I was amazed to remember most of the events as if they were just happening.

The informative, but utterly readable, book is a good read for musicians, history buffs or a serious reader. Thank you Mr. Cliff.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Van Cliburn, a tall lanky Texan and classical pianist, entered music history when he won the the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 at the age of 23. He also won the hearts of pretty much all Russia, too. The feeling was mutual and Van Cliburn, or Vanya or Vanyusha as they called him, fell in love with the Russian people. It was the beginning of a life played out across the stage musical history and of foreign relations spanning from US Presidents Truman to Obama and from Russian leaders, Khrushchev to Putin: from the Cold War to Glasnost.

It was the time of Sputnik, the Berlin Airlift, Gary Frances Powers and the downing of the U2 spy plane, the arms race, the Cuban missile crisis------all in my own lifetime. And I remember them. It was a time when it was hoped the virtuosity of Van Cliburn could warm the Cold war.

Well told and so informative, like reliving a part of my growing up years, only with more information and insight.

Thank you, Nigel Cliff.