Ebook388 pages8 hours
Corresponding with Carlos: A Biography of Carlos Kleiber
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Carlos Kleiber (1930-2004) was the greatest conductor of his generation. His reputation is legendary, and yet astonishingly, in his five decades on the podium, he conducted only 89 concerts, some 600 opera performances, and produced 12 recordings. How did someone who worked so little compared to his peers achieve so much?
Between his relatively small output and well-known aversion to publicity, many came to regard Kleiber as reclusive and remote, bordering on unapproachable. But in 1989 a conducting student at Stanford University wrote him a letter, and an unusual thing occurred: the world-renowned conductor replied. And so began a 15-year correspondence, study, and friendship by mail.
Drawing heavily on this decade-and-a-half exchange, Corresponding with Carlos is the first English-language biography of Kleiber ever written. Charles Barber offers unique insights into how Kleiber worked based on their long and detailed correspondence. This biography by one friend of another considers, among other matters, Kleiber's singular aesthetic, his playful and often erudite sense of humor, his reputation for perfectionism, his much-studied baton technique, and the famous concert and opera performances he conducted.
Comic and compelling, Corresponding with Carlos explores the great conductor's musical lineage and the contemporary contexts in which he worked. It repudiates myths that inevitably crop up around genius and reflects on Kleiber's contribution to modern musical performance. This biography is ideal for musicians, scholars, and anyone with a special love of the great classical music tradition.
Between his relatively small output and well-known aversion to publicity, many came to regard Kleiber as reclusive and remote, bordering on unapproachable. But in 1989 a conducting student at Stanford University wrote him a letter, and an unusual thing occurred: the world-renowned conductor replied. And so began a 15-year correspondence, study, and friendship by mail.
Drawing heavily on this decade-and-a-half exchange, Corresponding with Carlos is the first English-language biography of Kleiber ever written. Charles Barber offers unique insights into how Kleiber worked based on their long and detailed correspondence. This biography by one friend of another considers, among other matters, Kleiber's singular aesthetic, his playful and often erudite sense of humor, his reputation for perfectionism, his much-studied baton technique, and the famous concert and opera performances he conducted.
Comic and compelling, Corresponding with Carlos explores the great conductor's musical lineage and the contemporary contexts in which he worked. It repudiates myths that inevitably crop up around genius and reflects on Kleiber's contribution to modern musical performance. This biography is ideal for musicians, scholars, and anyone with a special love of the great classical music tradition.
Author
Charles Barber
Charles Barber is a Writer in Residence at Wesleyan University and a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Yale. He has written widely on mental health and criminal justice issues, both in popular and scholarly publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salon, The Nation, and Scientific American Mind. Charlie has appeared on the BBC, CNN, CBS News, and NPR’s Fresh Air. He lives in Connecticut with his family.
Read more from Charles Barber
Citizen Outlaw: One Man's Journey from Gangleader to Peacekeeper Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeace & Health: How a group of small-town activists and college students set out to change healthcare Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Corresponding with Carlos
Related ebooks
Zubin Mehta Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGustav Mahler: The Symphonies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mahler and Strauss: In Dialogue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Korngold and His World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGustav Mahler Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Behind the Baton: An American Icon Talks Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMahler Re-Composed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRichard Strauss: An Owner's Manual Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rimsky-Korsakov and His World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Real Toscanini: Musicians Reveal the Maestro Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOther Entertainment: Collected Pieces Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sérénade mélancolique Bb minor: Op. 26 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeethoven's Letters 1790-1826, Volume 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Toscanini Mystique: The Genius Behind the Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConducting Business: Unveiling the Mystery Behind the Maestro Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Richard Wagner: A Life in Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Portrait in 4 Movements: The Chicago Symphony under Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink, and Muti Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On the Performance of Beethoven's Symphonies and Other Essays Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEin Heldenleben: Tone Poem Op. 40 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bartók and His World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Stravinsky and His World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Conducting (Üeber Das Dirigiren) : A Treatise on Style in the Execution of Classical Music Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dvorák and His World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beethoven: A Memoir (2nd Ed.) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Leonard Bernstein Letters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Symphony No. 7 In Full Score Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCon Brio: Four Russians Called the Budapest String Quartet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBrahms and His World: Revised Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Music For You
Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Music Theory For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Circle of Fifths: Visual Tools for Musicians, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Songwriting Book: All You Need to Create and Market Hit Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure: Tools and Techniques for Writing Better Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Easyway to Play Piano: A Beginner's Best Piano Primer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & The Dark Heart Of The Hippie Dream Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Strange Loop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Jazz Piano: book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/588 Piano Classics for Beginners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Singing For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Guitar A Beginner's Course Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Guitar For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Your Fretboard: The Essential Memorization Guide for Guitar (Book + Online Bonus) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bowie: An Illustrated Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Play Ukulele: A Complete Guide for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More Myself: A Journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hal Leonard Pocket Music Theory (Music Instruction): A Comprehensive and Convenient Source for All Musicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Step By Step Mixing: How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songwriting For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Meaning of Mariah Carey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How To Practice Piano Effectively: 50+ Proven And Practical Tips Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Corresponding with Carlos
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
4 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Corresponding with Carlos - Charles Barber
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1