Oliver Knussen (1952 - 2018)

[french frank]

His death was announced a short while ago, aged 66.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44764282.

[Joseph K]

I am sorry to hear this.

I am quite fond of his music, particularly the second symphony.

Also value his recordings of Elliott Carter's music.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oh, sad news - he'd been very ill for some time, but 66 is far too young. A decent bloke (kind and generous), and admirably committed to helping and presenting the works of other composers .

[subcontrabass]

Oliver Knussen RIP

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/09/oliver-knussen-dies-aged-66-composer-conductor

[Bryn]

Sad indeed. While I cannot pretend to be fond of his own compositions, I found him a very fine conductor, not least of late Stravinsky. I will be spinning the surround SACD of him, Spano and de Leeuw conducting Stockhausen's Gruppen this afternoon, in tribute.

[Serial_Apologist]

Oh my goodness! When I interviewed Gunther Schuller for an obscure mag, he had a "minder" hovering on the fringes who, I thought, rather resembled Willy Rushton, the comic/satirist. It turned out to be "Olly", as Schuller introduced him, and we were able to exchange a few friendly words before he whisked his over-scheduled charge away to another probably cramped pre-engagement. Of the few remaining composers faithful to a post-Schoenberg/Stravinsky lineage not believed to exist when he started out as a talented teenager, ("too much like Walton" he said to me, however, of his first symphony), I loved his music for its humour, whimsy, density of information, colour and rich allusiveness, while sometimes wishing it could lay out and allow more time and space in which to unfold less hurried stories; but in that it reflected our times. The last work of his I heard was his very moving, almost Mahlerian "Songs for Sue", actually a mini-cantata to his wife, who had just died, also at a ridiculously young age.

Thanks for what you gave us, Olly.

[Bergonzi]

Very sad news. Worked with him years ago - also vaguely knew his dad centuries ago it seems. A great loss.

[MrGongGong]

Very sad news indeed
A great and enthusiastic musician who will be missed by many

[Pianoman]

Yes I have to agree - very sad indeed; I'd no idea he was so ill, having listened to a concert only a short while ago from Aldeburgh. I shall now play 'Flourish with Fireworks' at full belt !

[Stanfordian]

R-I-P


In 2011 I was at Bridgewater Hall with Oliver Knussen conducting the Halle. Knussen opened the programme with Liadov’s Baba-Yaga, the miniature tone-poem of slightly over three minutes duration. I love this atmospheric and mysterious clump of symphonic sound and was delighted when Knussen announced they would repeat it and they did. Also on the programme was Knussen's The Way to Castle Yonder and Horn Concerto.

[edashtav]

A great musician, with a huge generosity of spirit. He worried not a jot for the fickle finger of fashion but used his talents to show flawed works in the best possible light. As a composer, he was a perfectionist. His works were rarely long and never outstayed their welcome. What he gave us was a condensate, a reduction, with every drop of superfluity removed.

[BBMmk2]

:A very sad day. He was really good at programming his concerns. And at The Proms.

[Beef Oven!]

This is so sad. I hope he didn't suffer. RIP

[bluestateprommer]

Yes I have to agree - very sad indeed; I'd no idea he was so ill, having listened to a concert only a short while ago from Aldeburgh.

Was that this concert?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b6pfbt

R3 just put up a 2015 interview broadcast between OK and Tom Service: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04y9nmt

[Boilk]

Unfortunately this terrible news doesn’t entirely surprise me. People of such a physique are rarely destined to live a long life, the heart and other organs really have to work flat out, compounded in OK’s case by the enormous pressures of regular conducting (95% other people’s music he was so generous a spirit) and a life no dbout punctuated by one deadline after another.

You can hear in the music that, like Stravinsky, he was meticulous with the highest standards of craftsmanship in all he did. I know composing for him was often tortuous not easy, but I've long wished he’d done less conducting and more composing, thinking of his longer-term recognition. But the music we do have will for many years surely be a benchmark of excellence for younger composers, orchestrators and conductors.