Elusive, eccentric, willful, capricious... These are some of the milder
words used to describe Carlos Kleiber, the man widely considered "the most
venerated conductor since Arturo Toscanini" (The New York Times). Born in
Berlin but raised in Argentina, Kleiber made his conducting debut in
Potsdam in 1954. He has been freelancing for many years now, conducting
infrequently but at the world's leading venues and with the world's leading
ensembles. Thanks to Kleiber's legendary reluctance to produce recordings,
each of his recordings is an event, a classic. He can allow himself the
luxury of choosing his own repertoire and performers. The results can
perhaps be best illustrated with the image of "an expert art restorer who
clears away centuries of grime to reveal a painting in its pristine glory.
Kleiber... strips away the varnish from some of music's most tradition-
encrusted masterworks to expose the vital creation lurking beneath." (TIME)
