Erich Kleiber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Erich Kleiber (August 5, 1890 – January 27, 1956) was an Austrian-born conductor.

Born in Vienna, Kleiber studied in Prague. In 1923, after conducting a stirring performance of Beethoven's Fidelio at the Berlin State Opera, he became that institution's music director.

He was known for his interpretations of the standard symphonic and operatic repertoire, as well as for championing new works. In 1925, for example, he conducted the première of Alban Berg's opera, Wozzeck. When Berg's second opera Lulu was branded Entartete Musik (degenerate music) by the Nazi Party, Kleiber resigned from his post at the Berlin Opera in protest. He was not Jewish. <ref> Kleiber also repudiated his contract with la Scala operas in Milan in April of 1939, saying that "...[since] la Scala is denied for Jews...both as a Christian and an artist, I can no longer cooperate." (Cited in "Notes from Abroad" in The Musical times, April, 1939.)</ref>

Later he moved to Buenos Aires, where he worked at the Colón Theater, becoming its music director. Here he specialized in the German operatic repertoire, particularly the works of Wagner. Through the prestige of his name, he was able to attract such luminaries to the Colón as Emanuel List, Kirsten Flagstad, and Set Svanholm. Some of his performances from this period have been available on CDs of varying quality, depending upon the conditions under which the original recordings were made. He took Argentinian citizenship in 1938.

After World War II, he was offered his old position at the Berlin State Opera, which was now in the Russian zone of the city, but after discovering that the Communists were no more to his taste than the Nazis had been, he resigned without having conducted a single performance. He became a roving guest conductor, never again having any permanent post.

His son, Carlos Kleiber, was himself a world-renowned conductor.