Corresponding with Carlos: A Biography of Carlos Kleiber Paperback – December 26, 2013

This book is a jewel. Never have I read such an intimate understanding of this unique conductor. I hesitate to raise him to the level that many of his colleagues did, the greatest one in memory, not because they are wrong, but the words genius and greatest of all time are often overused or misplaced. They mostly obfuscate the true nature of the person behind it.But the value of this book lies in Charles Barber's search for why he was so esteemed, how he developed as the son of one of the greats, Erich Kleiber, and what actually distinguishes him.I would like to emphasize that the critical reviews here don't do justice to the quality of Barber's writing, thinking, curiosity, and his understanding of conducting as a craft and artistry.But I would like to add some reasons why (I think) some readers don't appreciate this book. While I am not a musician, (nor a writer) if you have ever experienced Carlos Kleiber you are left with the same feeling as Barber and many other great musicians: what just happened? Whether live, on records or the many videos now available on YouTube it is worthy trying to understand why he had such an erotic impact on his audience and performers.This book is fantastic in analyzing his nazi-defying father, his international upbringing, the wonderful fin-de ciecle musical tradition he was born into, his multilingual upbringing (his mother was American), his long education and learning the basics, his re-immersion into the post-war German culture and his love affair with the Munich orchestras aside from Stuttgart, Vienna, Amsterdam, London, Japan, Chicago and others that salivated for his services, but rarely got him.And because his reputation is so enigmatic, because he probably hurt many people's feelings, because he was hard to understand as a person, this book presents at least a personal peek into his character, which was first of all incredibly curious, full of humor and a funny melange of insecurity, perfectionism and desire to impress.If you want to understand what happens in the world of classical and opera music, or what goes into even attempting to perform at this level, you will enjoy this book. And if you ever delved into Beethoven's 7th, Die Fledermaus, or Tristan, you will be overwhelmed with the level of discussion that Barber presents, thanks to his curiosity and guts to just write Maestro Carlos, and be rewarded with a deluge of emotions. Thank you, maestro Barber, for taking the time to put this into a book 11 years ago, it is still so rewarding to read and re-read.

It's been a long wait, but finally we Kleiber addicts have been given a biography that amply rewards our patience.Well, not 'given', exactly. It's a pricey book, but after only an hour with it I ordered two more copies for gifts. If you are a fellow Kleiber nut, this book is cheap at the price. If you've never quite understood why some of us go a bit strange on the subject, then you need this book even more than we nuts do.Kleiber was simply the best conductor of the twentieth century, and that's a provable fact -- sort of. Here's the evidence. First, he was the highest paid conductor per concert. Any outfit would pay him almost any price thinking (correctly) that they had a bargain. That is, if he didn't cancel. He could get away with cancelling, and the cancellees would still come creeping back to him. He could demand fifteen or twenty rehearsals, and get them. Any other conductor would have to make do with maybe three. But not Kleiber.The result was perfection, or as near as mortals get. But not just perfection; Kleiber could find something new and astonishing in the most thoroughly trodden works (Beethoven's Fifth!) and present the new insight not only perfectly, but also convincingly. It seemed he had a Fountain of Youth reserved for tattered old music scores; he would swish them in the Fountain and they would come out new and shiny. This was why people shelled out the (very) big bucks and endured all the foibles. Whatever the price, Kleiber came cheap. Much like this book."Corresponding with Carlos" is not quite a hagiography, though Dr. Barber definitely worships at the shrine. But I must insist: it's a very fine shrine, as good as you can get. But unlike the rest of us, Barber had a correspondence with Kleiber lasting well over a decade. These letters form the basis for an unusual biography, but Barber doesn't stop there. Knowing Kleiber gave him access to others who also knew Kleiber, and Barber has thoroughly mined every vein of ore available to him. We are treated to as complete a biography as we're ever likely to see.But wait! There's more! The letters also contain fascinating discussions about music in general and certain works in particular; not ponderous appreciations of whole works, but the problems with them. It is unusual to hear a conductor wonder why nobody quite understands the importance of bar 147, or how to seat the cellos on stage, or advice on tempo at a certain moment. To hear (read) the things that concern a working conductor is to get a great look past the baton and beneath the tuxedo.So was Kleiber a cranky, quirky recluse given to temper tantrums? Well, yes and no, but mostly no. He demanded perfection (that elusive grail) first of himself, then of performers, who worshiped him for it. His letters have insight, of course, but also some fine wit. And also quite a few very bad jokes. It's refreshing to know that his obsession with perfection did indeed have a very human boundary. Charles Barber includes a generous portion of these warts.For many, Kleiber is the best conductor you've never heard of. Find him on You Tube conducting bonbons by Johan Strauss Jr. Play them first for the fun. Then play them again for the sound. Third time: watch Kleiber. Then you'll want to buy this book. Good for you.

This book is an excellent collection with lots of information about this great artist. There are some wonderful conducting tips that you probably won’t see or hear elsewhere.

Carlos Kleiber, para mi y muchos otros, ha sido el mejor director de la segunda mitad del s xx, por encima de Karajan, Giulini, Solti, Abbado, ... De hecho, en mi opinión, Toscanini y él han sido los más grandes. Ciertamente con numerosos puntos débiles: pequeño repertorio, especialmente en los últimos años, fastidioso perfeccionismo siempre insatisfecho con su trabajo, exigencia legendaria y temida a los músicos y contratistas, anulaciones de actuaciones y contratos por cuestiones a veces nimias,.... Pero su fascinación a músicos, orquestas, colegas y público superaba todo lo anterior con creces. Tuve la suerte de verle en Valencia en su última gira y serie de conciertos, de hecho el penúltimo que dirigió con su programa fetiche de 4ª y 7ª de Beethoven, insuperables.El libro recorre, a partir de una serie de cartas y entrevistas, su vida y obra, de una forma amena, con conocimiento personal del personaje y del tema (se trata de un colega más joven que, a partir de una petición de consejo, acabó en amistad). Se trata de un retrato, probablemente veraz y certero del artista, permitiendo conocerle en profundidad y detalle, así como a su trabajo, sus hitos, sus logros, su estilo.Para los enamorados de la música clásica y dirección orquestal, libro más que recomendable, sin dudarlo. Para los fans de Carlos Kleiber, imprescindible.

Muito boa biografia de uma figura fantástica e também misteriosa da música clássica.Poucos teriam condições de elaborar a biografia de CK.

This book may seem expensive at first sight but it is well bound, on good quality paper and in good clear print.It is in two parts, a biographical section which includes the discussion of some of Kleiber's recordings (a score would be helpful to understand some of the remarks) and tells us a number of things about his character - the fact that he was extremely highly strung and over-sensitive - which we would not guess from Kleiber's letters. We are not told that he suffered from bipolar disorder. The second part of the book contains the letters of the conductor with summaries of Barber's letters interposed. Kleiber sends up a veritable smokescreen of great wit and humour. He claims to know nothing about how one should conduct though he occasionally says how a phrase should be played. It is a pity that the musical quotes, essential to understanding, are not given.Kleiber's likes and dislikes among his colleagues are often surprising and amusing, though he rarely justifies his opinions. He admires Boult and Stokowski (not surprising) and also slowcoach Reginald Goodall yet strongly dislikes Celibidache for being too slow. Outside music, he has a particular affection for the poetry of Emily Dickinson - her mysterious, cryptic poetry reflects well Kleiber's character.There is a fuller biography in German which is unlikely ever to be translated now but Charles Barber's makes for a very enjoyable alternative as he was one of the very rare people to have kept up a correspondance with the perplexing genius that was Carlos Kleiber.

This excellent bio based on correspondence entirely and the interchange that takes place over a period close to 15 years or moreis a wonder in itself. Carlos Kleiber is an enigma that defies what we understand to be a conductor's mission in classical music to beThere are pages that may be trying in the attempt to get closer the the man himself but a brief survey of You Tube by those who knew Carlos (and father) can see and hear their comments and appreciate the man in a more visceral way. For me my several recordings esp the Sony cd/dvd of 1989 and 1992 with the Vienna Phil and the 1975 Beethoven #5 and #7 with Vienna Phil and the Beethoven #7 with the live performance of 1982 with the Bavarian State Orchestra on Orfeo are revelatory. Any other conductors are mere baton twirlers. The author does as much as anyone can decipher the enigma of Carlos and his place in classical music.

Eine der spannendsten Dirigentenbiographien, die ich je gelesen habe. Der Autor, selbst Dirigent sowie Wissenschaftler, hat erkennbar über Jahrzehnte recherchiert und eine persönliche Korrespondenz mit Kleiber gepflegt, aus der er ein höchst aufschlussreiches Psychogramm zeichnet und viele unbekannte Fakten enthüllt. Großartig, und mit halbwegs guten Englischkenntnissen verdaubar. Eine deutsche Übersetzung wäre gleichwohl zu wünschen (insb. auch für einige deutsche Quellen, die nur selten in Fußnoten im Originaltext komplett zitiert werden).