Drawing heavily on their 15-year correspondence this book is the first English-language biography of Carlos Kleiber ever written Charles Barber offers unique insights into how Kleiber worked This biography considers Kleiber's singular aesthetic his playful & often erudite sense of humor his reputation for perfectionism his much-studied baton technique & the famous concert & opera performances he conducted It explores the great conductor's musical lineage & the contemporary contexts in which he worked & it repudiates myths that inevitably crop up around genius & reflects on Kleiber's contribution to modern musical performance