Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 15, 2018

Carlos Kleiber’s recorded output is almost ludicrously meager, especially given his rather totemic reputation in the world of conducting. As I mentioned in our Carlos Kleiber: Traces to Nowhere Blu-ray review, it came as something of a shock a few years ago when the venerable (and, frankly, occasionally kind of stuffy) BBC Music Magazine named Kleiber the greatest conductor of all time. Those wanting a little firsthand listening experience as to why Kleiber is held in such high regard need look no further than this new set from Deutsche Grammophon, one which would seem to repeat at least some of Carlos Kleiber: Complete Orchestral Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon from a few years ago (I never received a review copy of that one, and so cannot authoritatively state anything about its contents, but from the looks of the Amazon listing it appears it had the Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert Symphonies offered on this release).

The fact that his “Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon” comprises only a total of seven pieces is probably as good an indication as any of Kleiber’s sparse output. Add to this fact that one of the recordings, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, was reportedly finished without the input of Kleiber himself, who left before everything was done, and this set may in fact only have “6.5” Kleiber-conducted works. That said, there’s a rather thrilling variety on tap here, and Kleiber’s well regarded accountings of the symphonies in this set may well be worth the price of admission alone. His Beethoven Fifth is really unbelievably energetic (the first movement clips along at a pace few conductors would dare, but it has moments of intense lyricism, including the oboe solo). The Seventh is arguably a bit more measured, but also shows rather picayune attention to phrasing and dynamics. I’ve often rated Kleiber’s Brahms Fourth as one of my top favorites, even if it doesn’t quite match the majesty of my personal all time champion, the old Bruno Walter recording with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.

The operas show the same facility with tempo and dynamics as the purely orchestral pieces, and also offer some typically adept singing, but I have to say for me personally none of the opera recordings quite equals the sheer artistry of the instrumental pieces.

Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's no real video per se on this audio Blu-ray, other than a static menu which does allow access to track names and numbers. Since the disc only has one audio option, this is another recent DG audio release where it really isn't even necessary to have a monitor or display involved in the "listening experience".

Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon is presented on audio Blu-ray courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon with DTS- HD Master Audio 2.0 (96/24) audio, with the exception of Tristan und Isolde, which was a (then early) digital recording made at 16 bit, then the industry standard for resolution. There's a slight variability in sound here, perhaps due in part to the transition from analog to digital recording methods. I found the Beethoven tracks especially to be a bit on the boxy side, with a somewhat compressed sound that just didn't seem to "breathe" as much as some of the other recordings. That said, all of these recordings offer sometimes breathtaking fluidity and extremely wide dynamic range (Kleiber likes to pull out all the stops in terms of changes in amplitude). The orchestral forces sound gorgeously burnished throughout the set, though I'd personally give top marks to the overall sound of the Vienna Philharmonic (Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert), even given the "boxiness" of some of those recordings. While the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and Staatskapelle Dresden may not match the Vienna forces in terms of overall acuity and nuance, the playing on all of the operas is typically excellent, supporting some fine singing from a coterie of iconic opera stars, including Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Placido Domingo and Margaret Price.

Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The audio Blu-ray disc has no supplements, but this is another DG audio Blu-ray release which also contains "mini LP" jacket recreations housing the CD versions of the discs. There's also a rather lavish booklet included. One packaging issue that consumers may want to be aware of: the slipcase is a bit oversized, and there is therefore room around the discs and booklets. My slipcase arrived pretty badly torn and squished as a result.

Carlos Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is another really handsomely packaged release from Deutsche Grammophon (with the possible exception of the slightly oversized slipcase, for those who obsess about receiving things in pristine condition), and it contains a really startling array of material that helps to cement Kleiber's reputation as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation. While I personally found the sound on some of the older recordings a tad on the boxy side, overall fidelity here is sterling and the performances are all excellent. Recommended.