While he chose to conduct rarely, Carlos Kleiber was one phenomenal conductor, and perhaps the finest during the past 100 years.
Carlos was the son of the great German conductor Erich Kleiber, and Carlos – because of the rarity of his performances and his superb musicianship – achieved legendary status during his lifetime.
He conducted fewer than 100 orchestral concerts in his entire career. He left a small but critically admired recorded legacy with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, arguably his most celebrated recording.
Tributes came from many; here is an example:
‘What was it that propelled Carlos Kleiber to near mystical heights? It was the unforgettable experience of surpassing one’s own boundaries, yet also the utter helplessness when he stormed off in the last minutes of a final rehearsal. This was not pretension, but rather the expression of deepest despair, even though the orchestra had performed at the highest level – or perhaps for that very reason.
‘Extreme contradictions characterised his personality: one constantly feared catastrophe, yet he was always available to musicians for private conversations. He had a vast repertoire, yet restricted himself to a very few works…’
Here he is in an amazing and enjoyable rehearsal:
