The Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: Here to Make Music
by Peter Rosen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dudley MooreDirector: Peter Rosen
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Video Artists Int'l
Movie Reviews of The Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: Here to Make Music
Movie Review: If in doubt, begin with the 8th Van Cliburn [1989] competition!
Summary: 5 Stars
I would agree with the previous reviewer, Ariel, that if you have to start somewhere with the available Van Cliburn competition DVD's, the 1989 8th Van Cliburn ["Here to Make Music" -- Emmy Award Winner production by Peter Rosen Productions] is the one to choose!
The competitors with emphasis on the six finalists of course literally grow on you and, in my opinion, the viewer can make up their own mind about what I felt to be the excellent playing/interpretations and in fact "well earned" gold medal by Alexei Sultanov who was then only 19. But so what! It's not the age of the competitor, it's the playing and interpretive ability! Joyce Yang took the silver medal at the 2005 competition and she was but age 19 herself! Indeed, even the 2005 competition media wag dubbed "the Undertaker" [sic], Alexander Kobrin, at 25, had the last 'dig', as it were, by taking home the gold!
Why Van Cliburn jury member Gyorgy Sandor was so upset about the '89 Sultanov win totally escapes me and readers may recall Mr. Sandor relegating Sultanov's 1989 gold medal win as a publicly stated "tremendous scandal" [sic]. Even juror member John Lill made with the "medal weighing heavily" rhetoric on Sultanov. I stated in another review on a different DVD item that Mr. Sandor appeared in the DVD itself to be biting on lemons when the name "Sultanov" was announced and he sat there stone-faced as various of the other jurors caught by the camera applauded. Why? Dunno! Apparently, to Mr. Sandor anyway, 'anyone' in their teens or perhaps under 30 which is in fact the 'maximum' age for the Van Cliburn 'pro' competition [as opposed to the Van Cliburn "Outstanding Amateurs" competition open to the over 35 crowd] simply 'lack the experience and depth of understanding' of the great pieces yet it remains ironic that the pianistic masters themselves were 'composing' much less playing the great classical pieces while they themselves were quite young!
As is known, Alexei Sultanov passed away at age 35 from long term medical issues and complications in 2005, the same year as Mr. Sandor's own passing in his 90's, but I believe the DVD is a fine testament to his playing skills and his overly friendly, daring albeit within reason and charismatic demeanor much akin to Davide Cabassi in the 2005 competition.
So too, this DVD has ample bonus extras including a Van Cliburn competition retrospective. Those of us who both love and play classical piano and at whatever level of competence [what's that? Well, let's just say that 'my' rendition of Beethoven's rather sublime 2nd movement "Appassionata" may not always conform to the way the great master composed it. Ahh -- for that "Muppet Show" shtick and the "Bust of Beethoven", you know, the great man in bust form placed near the piano but when Borge hits a [purposeful] clinker in the "Moonlight Sonata" piece and Fozzie-bear says to Borge, "Did you make a mistake?", the 'Bust of Beethoven' suddenly pipes up to defend Borge and quips, "No, that's the way I wrote it!"] should enjoy it immensely.
The DVD has a little bit of everything both behind the keys and behind the scenes so to speak including the on-going commentary segments by well known artists and the Van Cliburn competition jurors and administration. An excellent compliment or adjunct companion, if you will, to this particular DVD is Joseph Horowitz and his book, "The Ivory Trade" [1990] which has a specific focus on the 1989 8th Van Cliburn competition with a built-in Van Cliburn competition retrospective and is an excellent read which well compliments the Emmy award winning DVD!
Doc Tony
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