PASC125: Erich Kleiber in Concert, 1946

Notes on the recording: This recording was rebroadcast by BBC Radio, most probably in the late 1970s, and was well captured on top-quality open-reel tape which survived the next thirty years in excellent condition.

Although these recordings have, separately, appeared on reissues before, we think this may be the first time that this concert has been issued in its entirety (minus original announcements, which the BBC omitted in favour of their own commentary).

The recording has responded very well indeed to XR remastering and Ambient Stereo processing. Despite the relatively dry sound associated with Studio 8H, there is good presence, and not the dead sound too commonly associated with NBC Symphony Orchestra recordings of the era.

Overall, a delightful concert, an excellent performance, and an intriguing range of music!

Notes on the 24-bit download: Please see this page for test files and further information regarding this format. Although restoration work is done at a sample rate of 44.1kHz, we have upsampled the final 24-bit master to 48kHz for additional replay compatibility of our FLAC download.

Our twenty-four bit FLAC downloads can be replayed in full quality using a standard DVD video player, a DVD writer and an inexpensive piece of PC software - see here for more information about replay from Video DVD discs.

Erich Kleiber

biographical notes from Wikipedia

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.[1]

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, Viorica Ursuleac (in her only American appearances) 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.

Erich Kleiber made a few recordings, mainly for Decca. Two operatic recordings are especially remarkable: Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" and Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier". The former was included in Gramophone Magazine's 100 Great Recordings.

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

1. Kleiber also repudiated his contract with La Scala 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.)

Notes from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Kleiber