What is Otto Klemperer?
{{Infobox person | name = Otto Klemperer | image = Otto Klemperer.jpg | caption = Otto Klemperer in about 1920. | height = {{height|ft=6|in=6}}{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} | birth_place = [[Wrocław|Breslau]], [[Silesia Province]], [[German Empire|Germany]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1885|5|14|df=y}} | death_place = [[Zurich]], [[Switzerland]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1973|7|6|1885|5|14|df=y}} | occupation = Conductor, composer | spouse = Johanna Geisler }}'''Otto Klemperer''' (born [[Breslau]], 14 May 1885; died [[Zürich]], 6 July 1973) was a German-born [[Conducting|conductor]] and [[composer]]. He is thought of as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite book| first1=Hans | last1=Keller | chapter=Otto Klemperer | year=1957 | last2=Cosman | title=Musical Sketchbook | publisher=Cassirer | location=Oxford | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hr4iAAAAMAAJ&q=%22'The+last+of+the+few+really+great+conductors+of+his+generation%22 | oclc=3225493}}</ref> == Early life == Klemperer was born in [[Breslau]], [[Silesia]], which was then in Germany, but is now called [[Wrocław]] in [[Poland]]. He was born into a [[Jewish]] family. He studied music at the Conservatory in [[Frankfurt am Main]], and then went to Berlin where he studied [[conducting]] and [[Composition (music)|composition]] with [[Hans Pfitzner]]. In 1905 he met [[Gustav Mahler]] who was very impressed with him. == Career == He recommended him for the job of conductor at the German Opera in [[Prague]]. He soon got jobs in other places: [[Hamburg]], [[Barmen]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Cologne]] and [[Wiesbaden]]. He was offered a job at the [[Berlin Staatsoper]], but he did not want it because he thought he would not be able to do things there the way he wanted. However, four years later, in 1927, he took a job with a special branch of the Staatsoper which had been started in order to perform new music in modern (non-traditional) performances. They played in the [[Kroll Theatre]]. Klemperer beca