Best Mozart conductor EVER, as Von Karajan as the best with Beethoven. Was lucky to have seen both live (V.K. in Berlin, Abbado in NYC and L.A.)
I remember reading that he would not take a job in the U.S. because he did not want to deal with union regulations that limited the length of rehearsals. He expected perfection from his players and if he had to drill them deep into the night, so be it.
That right there makes him a role model in my eyes.