Kleiber: Maximum tension

The wonderful documentary "Carlos Kleiber: Traces to Nowhere" serves as a great introduction to Kleiber and what made him special. The extraordinary lineup of guests provide great insight into this reclusive genius.

"Maximum tension, not just high tension, maximum tension was what he conveyed both to the audience and the musicians." - Klaus Konig, oboist in SDR Orchestra

I think this idea of maximum tension gets at what makes Carlos Kleiber unique. Below I identify two examples. 

Schubert's 'Unfinished'

Woodwinds bars: 170-175

The climax, and moment of maximum intensity, arrives after a series of ff outbursts. Consider the woowinds shown, shown above, and their trill.

In the climax in the first movement we get a true sense of the terror in the music. The strings have a simple minor pattern (Hanon anyone?) , but it is played with such intensity!

Strings I and II - bars 176-178

A major difference between this recording and many others are the ostinato parts in the horns, trumpets, timp. and oboe. The horns in particular really kick out the sound to replace the timpani.

Finally the trombones play the melody with the "choppy quality" that Callas was after in the Rigoletto masterclass. Nothing ruins this dramatic section like a trombone section trying to play with a beautiful legato here -- no such thing is needed.

  Coriolan Overture: Running into a wall at 60mph

Kleiber wanted the downbeat to hit the audience without giving it away with an enormous upbeat gesture. He found the solution in a tape of Duke Ellington and his band. "The Duke and I whipped a downbeat sans upbeat out of nowhere for the start and similar 'starts', making it sound like running into a wall at 60mph with a Rolls-Royce, OK?" - Carlos Kleiber, correspondence with Charles Barber.