Oliver Knussen obituary

One of the most influential British composers and conductors of his generationOliver Knussen, who has died aged 66, was a towering figure in contemporary music, as composer and conductor, teacher and artistic director. The relatively small size of his compositional output conceals music of exceptional refinement and subtlety – a few bars of Knussen may have more impact than whole movements by lesser composers.Besides definitive interpretations of his own music, he must surely have given mo