Musicians in shock at the death of Olly Knussen
mainA selection of tributes:
Awful news : the death of Oliver Knussen, one of the truly iconic figures in British music, and a wonderful, warm, witty, generous man. He conducted the premiere of The Protecting Veil – one might not automatically associate him with that style, but he ‘got’ it immediately.
— Steven Isserlis (@StevenIsserlis) July 9, 2018
Very sad to learn of the death of Olly Knussen. An extraordinary composer and conductor, an exceptionally inspiring man. I got to know him just a little bit 25 years ago in Tanglewood. We were so proud that he agreed to come and conduct our orchestra in Stockholm. A great loss
— Daniel Harding (@djharding) July 9, 2018
Mark Anthony Turnage: He was like my dad really, he was just so generous and kind apart from being an amazing musician. He was a great teacher as well. He used to say to me: just get on with it, don’t listen to other people, you will be played by orchestras.
Susanna Mälkki: Deep sadness about the immense loss. But gratitude. Thank you dear Olly Knussen for everything you gave to us, your wisdom, your insights, your wit, your caring and your support, and your music. Your music!! Every note is a gift. You will be terribly missed. So much loving thoughts, Sonya.
Devastated to hear of the death of Ollie Knussen—a great man and towering artist. -AG
— Alan Gilbert (@GilbertConducts) July 9, 2018
Very sad to hear about Olly Knussen’s death. He was an inspiration in everything he did, and a well loved member of the BBCSO family. https://t.co/ktf0Tkv6Cs
— Sakari Oramo (@oramsa) July 9, 2018
We mourn the loss of the great composer and conductor Oliver Knussen (b. 2 June 1952 – d. 8 July 2018). Rest in peace, Olly. pic.twitter.com/u85yxC7Av5
— Concertgebouworkest (@RCOamsterdam) July 9, 2018
Here’s a picture from the BSO archives of Oliver Knussen (I believe) in a class with Bruno Maderna, Tanglewood summer 1971. pic.twitter.com/aUIXgwyfEG
— Anne Shreffler (@acshreff) July 9, 2018
Mathias Pintscher: We lost one of the greatest musicians today
one of the finest musicians I had the honor to know and spend time with
Your wit and inspiration will be deeply missed
I have no words”
The same lifespan as the composer he did so much to promote: Toru Takemitsu.
Of the many Knussen conducted performances I’ve attended, a few really stand out in the memory:
Stockhausen: Jubilee (BBC Proms), Birtwistle: CAMP( BBC proms, and easlily eclipses the commercial recording under Elgar Howarth), and Copland’s Connotations from the Carter festival at the Barbican. This piece runs the risk of seeming a bit dry, but it had a spring in its step under Knussen’s alert direction.
What’s the awful news…
2018 is continue to collect a sad harvest..
Great musiacians are leaving us.
Let’s remember all of them.
RIP
Honestly, when will it stop? Ollie was already on the staff when I was at the RCM Junior Department in the late 1970’s. He must have been in his mid-twenties at best. All my references are shedding this mortal coil, it’s horrific.
Ollie Knussen was an inspiring man and musician. I shall never forget the first time I saw him, conducting his First Symphony with the LSO in 1968, age 16, at the Royal Festival Hall. I was sitting in the choir seats immediately behind his father, Stuart, who was principal double bass. I can’t remember if Ollie was actually in short trousers, but he looked as if he ought to have been! But after all the indulgent smiles at this youthful and energetic boy on the rostrum, we were soon left in no doubt that here was a genuine composer and, as it happened, an able conductor at what was probably his first experience of a full orchestra. He was a natural – as Steven Isserlis says, ‘he “got” it immediately’. His early death saddens me profoundly.
I had the pleasure of working with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota in the mid-80’s when we presented the U.S. premiere of “Where the Wild Things Are” together with the Minnesota Opera. Pride of place in my office is the poster from those performances, autographed by Knussen, Maurice Sendak & Pinchas Zukerman (our conductor at the time). We did 8 performances for schoolchildren that week and the kids, well, went wild!!
This is really true??? Terrible, horific.
R.I.P. Maestro.
I recall as a young Double Bass player with the London Symphony Orchestra in about 1969 going to Daytona Beach Florida USA for their Music Festival which was our residency for a month and Oliver, who had earlier in the year premiered his First Symphony at the Festival Hall in London with us , gave a first USA performance .
After the final morning rehearsal there was an auction of his original score in order to help Daytona in their funding of the Festival . During the bidding the score reached several thousand dollars and the Festival was delighted with the outcome .
So, if anyone is looking for the original manuscript and it has not left Daytona Beach it could be now lying in a desk or attic in a small house in Florida .
I would be interested to hear of its location and ownership today as it would make an interesting detective story in its own right of its whereabouts and last 50 year journey .
Re: Mr Isserlis’ comment, that would have been quite a night in 1989:
Programme
Oliver Knussen Flourish with Fireworks, Op 22
Claude Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Minna Keal Symphony, Op 3 First concert performance of complete work
John Tavener The Protecting Veil World premiere
Modest Mussorgsky Intermezzo in modo classico (orchestral version)
Igor Stravinsky Chant du rossignol
His music was totally unmemorable and he failed to come up with a decent tune.
Not to be contrary, but hardly a day goes by without melodic fragments of Olly’s music playing in my brain — ‘Flourish’, the Two Organa, Higglety, the Horn Concerto, the Aria from the Violin Concerto, Ophelia’s Last Dance, The Whitman Settings — all of them memorable, tuneful, masterfully executed and sheerly musical. I’ll miss Olly; he was a real hero for me, growing up.