German-born Austrian Conductor Carlos Kleiber Was Born in 1930

Despite his relatively few appearances with symphonies and limited repertoire, he is regarded as one of the greatest conductors of all time

Carlos Kleiber, born Karl Ludwig Kleiber, was the son of eminent Austrian conductor Erich Kleiber and his American wife Ruth Goodrich.

Born in Berlin in 1930, Carlos and his family left in 1935 due to the Nazi regime and eventually settled in Buenos Aires in 1940.

Growing up in English boarding schools, Carlos studied the timpani and piano, it quickly became evident that he possessed serious musical talent. His father Erich actively discouraged Carlos from pursuing a musical career.

Carlos went on to study law and chemistry at ETH Zurich, but the following year his father agreed to let him study music in Buenos Aires. His conducting premiere was in Montevideo in 1949.

A highly respected freelance conductor of both operatic and symphonic works, Kleiber conducted the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera in London, La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Berlin Philharmonic — although later in his life, he was not formally affiliated with any musical institutions.

His repertoire consisted almost entirely of nine operas — including "La Bohème," "Carmen," "Der Rosenkavalier," and "Wozzeck" — and a handful of symphonic works, such as Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, and 7; Haydn's Symphony No. 94, and Brahms' Symphony No. 4.

Kleiber passed away in 2004, aged 74. He is remembered as an eccentric genius.

BEETHOVEN | SYMPHONY NO. 4 | CARLOS KLEIBER & THE ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA | 1983