English Translation of German Radio Interview of Carlos Kleiber
Hamburg, Germany; 7 December 1960

[Int = Interviewer/host; CK = Carlos Kleiber]

Int: …The Hamburg Radio Orchestra is being conducted by the son of a great father, if I may be permitted to say that, Mr. Kleiber. Where were you born?
CK: In Berlin.

Int: And you are thirty years old, yes?
CK: Yes.

Int: Where do you work now?
CK: In Dьsseldorf at the Opera, the Rhein Opera (“Rheinische Oper”).

Int: Carlos Kleiber conducted once before in Hamburg, directing “La Bohиme” at the State Opera. As I mentioned before, today’s concert is being given by Carlos Kleiber. And Mr. Kleiber the question comes up, were you able to learn under the eyes of your father?
CK: Well, that was impossible since he traveled a lot and I had to remain in school in one place. Unfortunately, I had to change schools about seven times, but he was always traveling and it was more of a change of continents, you see, the first time in Geneva, then in North America, South America, then again in Europe.

Int: Did your father encourage you to become a conductor?
CK: No, on the contrary, he opposed it somewhat. He said I should choose a reasonable profession, and I did that. And I wanted to become a chemist and went to Switzerland and did one and a half semesters at the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich. First I had to pass the entry exam, which was very difficult, because my German at the time was already somewhat broken. When I finally made it into the ETH — Ecole Polytechnique Fйderale — I was already fed up.

Int: How old were you when you gave up your chemistry studies?
CK: I was 20 and I had to begin my musical studies from scratch. And for that reason I traveled to Argentina where my father was at that time. I studied counterpoint and piano with two private teachers. I wanted to get into a theater as early as possible and practice. I did not want instructions in conducting, but instead, as my father advised me, to get into a theater instantly, preferably a low class theater and learn conducting from scratch.

Int: When did you conduct for the first time?
CK: That was in Montevideo . There was a small radio orchestra and I conducted a few orchestral works. Later when I was a bit more experienced in theater, I conducted operetta in Potsdam. My father believed that operetta was especially suited to teach one conducting.

Int: Would you agree?
CK: I would say that it’s about the hardest there is.

Int: Was your father able to secure positions for you?
CK: No, he did not get involved in that at all, and he suggested that I change my name, which I did. I did not use my name during the first few years in the theater. But when I realized people would find out sooner or later, I thought that this masquerade was senseless. So I used my real name.

Int: Now you probably remember your father’s rehearsals very well. What was especially noteworthy for you as a young conductor?
CK: In contrast to many other rehearsals, I found his rehearsals always very exciting. The orchestra was always poised. There was no reading newspapers, no dead point Todpunkt), and after a long period of tension he always managed to find the right moment for a joke, and it always resonated with the orchestra in a natural yet suspenseful way. And because he had memorized everything, not just for performances but for rehearsals, he had a keen perception and saw and heard everything, so the musicians gave everything they had. And since he was a good violinist, he could help a lot in the string orchestra.

Int: Ja, Mr. Kleiber, you are presently in Dьsseldorf. What kind of a position do you have there?
CK: I am currently transitioning from rйpйtiteur with conducting engagements to becoming a pure conductor. This transition is very difficult, especially in a big house, but now I believe that I have made it. And one has to learn a lot of repertoire, the opera repertoire is very large.

Int: You conduct mainly opera?
CK: Yes.

Int: Have you had many engagements in other countries? Did you go on guest conducting tours?
CK: No, I have only been away from Dьsseldorf as guest conductor, without rehearsals, a couple of times in Salzburg, where I conducted [Smetena’s] “Die verkaufte Braut,” here in Hamburg, and now I will probably continue to give guest performances.

Int: Will there be concerts as well?
CK: I very much hope so.

Int: Schцn. As usual at the end of our little conversation, we would like to ask you briefly about your future plans. Do you know them and if you could talk about them, Mr. Kleiber.
CK: Yes, I would like to master the opera repertoire as much as I am able, and that is so much that it says it all (“und damit ist alles gesagt”).

Int: And many thanks for coming here and may you have every artistic success that you wish for yourself...

Thus ends the only interview Carlos Kleiber ever gave.

Translated from the German by Sabina Sonneman.