Search - Alban Berg, Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart :: Carlos Kleiber Plays Mozart, Haydn, Berg

An essential collector's item for the orchestral music lover, this CD presents three extremely rare live performances by the legendary, elusive conductor Carlos Kleiber leading the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Kleiber never recorded any of these works commercially, and this live recording boasts very good stereo sound. Born in 1930, the son of another fine conductor (Erich Kleiber), Carlos Kleiber ended up outshining his father and being widely recognized as one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century. He had a cult following through much of his career, and since his death in 2004 it has only increased in intensity. He was famous for brilliant interpretations of a smallish repertoire, mostly a few operas and symphonies. His recording of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is frequently singled out as the greatest of all time, a model of balance between excitement and repose. He appeared seldom in public and was more famous for canceling appearnaces than making them. His behavior may have been eccentric, but his artistry was sublime.