The great unknown

"He was lucky enough to be tall and slim: most conductors are small, so they act like sergeant-majors to compensate."  Brigitte Fassbaender, mezzo-soprano

"You felt you were recreating the music when he was conducting."  An anonymous Stuttgart flautist

"He said he did not need to conduct as he would be happy driving a minicab."  Oliver Gilmour

"He has a genius for a conducting but he doesn’t enjoy it."  Herbert von Karajan

"Musically the perfect mediator between God and mankind."  Ioan Holender, Artistic Director, Vienna State Opera

Of whom do all of these people speak?  Carlos Kleiber of course.  The entire Spectator essay can be found here.