Competition and/or Art

FELIX MENDELSOHN  SUPPOSEDLY SAID "competition is for racehorses" in response to an invitation to participate in a piano competition. This was in the early nineteenth century. In 1958, at the prestigious tchaikovsky piano competition in moscow, a twenty year old american named van cliburn showed up and blew everybody away.

The judges, themselves accomplished pianists, voted cliburn the winner, and announced their intention of awarding him first prize. Upon reporting their decision to communist party officials, trouble began.

The party officials reminded the panel of judges that it would be greatly preferrable for a russian, or at least a non american, be given the award. This, in the midst of the cold war, when all forms of competition between the two super powers attained the highest importance. Communism must be proven superior to capitalism, even in the production of piano players.

The judges refused to change their decision. Integrity, they insisted, required that the prize go to the best, regardless of nationality, and the american was quite simply the best. The party officials made all kinds of threats, demanded that the judges acquiesce to political considerations, even threateniing to take the matter to russian premier Khrushchev, but still the judges would not relent.

So the party officials took the matter before the russian dictator. "Was the american the best piano player" asked the premier?...  "That's what the judges said", replied a party official. It didn't take much to anger nikita khrushchev, and, angered, he responded: "you have not answered my question. Please answer it now, or prepare to live in siberia".

"Yes, they said, the american was the best talent". "Then give him the damned prize, and bother me no further" said the big man. Kudos to the judges, and kudos to premier khrushchev, for having the guts and integrity to do the right thing.

Another possible solution would be for everyone to acknowledge that art is not the same thing as competition, and that activities such as piano competitions are petty, frivolous, and irrelevant. Competition is for racehorses.