Otto Klemperer, His Life and Times. Vol. 2. 1933 - 1973

Otto Klemperer #2

by Peter Heyworth

Otto Klemperer was one of the great conductors of the century, best known for his performances and recordings of the classical symphonic repertory from Mozart to Mahler. Peter Heyworth's biography has become established as a classic account of the conductor, one of the crucial figures in the musical life of the early twentieth century. Volume 1 and the long-awaited sequel, volume 2 are now available as a set. Volume 1 of Peter Heyworth's biography follows the conductor's career from early days in Prague through his appointment as director of the Kroll Opera in Berlin, to his abrupt departure from Germany in 1933. The second volume of the biography follows the conductor's fortunes from his frustrating and unhappy time as an émigré in the United States to his final years as conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London.

Genres: Music

486 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Tom Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klemperer continues to amaze me....as a conductor, a terrible composer, and the human conduit through which countless people from all walks of life flow. His career was continuously threatened by erratic behavior brought on by manic depression. Through it all, people described him as a force of nature, who by his overwhelming authority, could draw out of musicians the best performances of there lifetimes.

I read this definitive two volume biography every two or three years.

[Johan Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a simple biography, but also providing insights in the interaction between a person and history (Nazism, McCarthyism, ...)