As a conductor, composer and man, Oliver Knussen was larger than life
by Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times
Jul 11, 2018
4 minutes
British composer and conductor Oliver Knussen died Sunday at age 66, and since then, the tributes from those who knew and worked with him have flooded the British media. Reading their words, you might be led to believe there was no finer composer in all of Britain. No more exacting conductor. No livelier musical mind. No more imaginative programmer. No more beloved mentor to young composers or better friend to older ones. No more generous musician or one with a more expansive heart.
I too knew Knussen. Nothing has been exaggerated.
Everything about Olly - he was Olly to all - was big. He was a giant in every way. Tall, heavy, lumbering, his massive frame filled the
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days