Conductor Carlos Kleiber belongs to a small group of orchestral leaders whom I have admired over the years. I found Kleiber to be a terrific interpreter of the music of Brahms and Mozart. What also contributed to his uniqueness was his amazing interpretation of music by Johann Strauss. What made him amazing, you ask? Three factors:
He knows the music he conducts COLD. He insisted that players perform with absolutely correct rhythm. And he had knowledge of STYLE. As an example, the music of Johann Strauss must be played with the correct Viennese style, and Kleiber knew exactly how to play it.
Carlos Kleiber (3 July 1930 – 13 July 2004) was a German conductor who was born in Berlin, and grew up in Buenos Aires. Kleiber remains widely regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.
Kleiber’s father was the well-known conductor Erich Kleiber. While Carlos’ father noticed his son’s musical talents, he nevertheless dissuaded Carlos from pursuing a musical career: “What a pity the boy is musically talented”, wrote Erich to a friend. Carlos first studied chemistry in Zurich, but soon decided to dedicate himself to music.
Here is my playlist for you, which allows you to explore seven selections. This includes the Brahms Symphony #4, several Strauss waltzes, and more.
