Oliver Knussen

Par KNUSSEN OLIVER. An engaging solo piano work by Oliver Knussen that draws the listener into its hazy texture and present fleeting moments of tension and release that make for compelling if nonspecific narrative./ Répertoire / Piano

The study score for Knussen's Violin Concerto Op.30 composed in 2002 by commission from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The piece was first performed by Pinchas Zukerman with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall Pittsburgh in April 2002.

Par KNUSSEN OLIVER. '. . .fresh as paint in its firing of a melodic line that just goes on in a kind of angular strain, shuttled from one instrumental colouring to another.'Paul Griffiths, The Times, 12 February 1991/ Répertoire / Conducteur

Higglety Pigglety Pop! is the second of Knussen’s two extraordinary fantasy operas created in collaboration with the acclaimed author Maurice Sendak. Composed between 1984-5 but finding its final form after a number of substantial revisions in 1999 the opera subtitled ‘There Must be More to Life’ is the story of a well-fed Sealyham terrier Jennie who escapes boredom to become prima donna of the Mother Goose World Theatre. Brimming with invention this hour-long work culminates in a witty opera-within-an-opera complete with a lopsided and slightly screwy overture after Mozart absurdly abrupt changes of tone and gear and numerousmadcap false endings!

Par KNUSSEN OLIVER. 'A tightly constructed work inspired by Shakespeare's description of Ophelia's madness, it blends wind, string and keyboard timbres superbly and moves easily between sprightliness and dreamy introspection.'Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, 20 April 1991/ Répertoire / Conducteur

Par KNUSSEN OLIVER. Edward Greenfield says 'Taking the word Hum literally, Knussen has subjected A.A.Milne to some lighthearted but intense expressionist treatment, even developing a series of aphorisms which present such incidents as Piglet meeting the Heffalump with an economy and compression that Webern might have envied' The Guardian 15th June 1983, / Niveau : Elémentaire / Répertoire / Conducteur

Par KNUSSEN OLIVER. In his Financial Times review Max Loppert says '. . .the title aptly reflects both the songful character of the musical invention and the relationship of wind solo to string trio. . .a composition of great charm and precise character - its other virtues, of well-found proportions, distinctive harmonic movement, and secure control of incident, must not be allowed to sound negative ones.' 9th March 1981 / Niveau : Assez Facile / Répertoire / Conducteur

This enchanting 8-minute piece for violin and piano – Oliver Knussen’s penultimate work – is made up of various kinds of musical reflection: melody reflected in its inversion; a six-note mode reflected in its complement; and the relationships between the three main parts of the piece which are in a way varied reflections of each other. There are some reflections in water too the work’s opus number (31a) demonstrating a relationship to Knussen’s unfinished Cleveland Pictures: ‘The main melody began as a response to Gauguin’s painting of a Breton woman swimming’ Knussen wrote ‘and there is also perhaps anecho of the lonely underwater world of an ondine eventually breaking the surface at the end of the piece.’

Par KNUSSEN OLIVER. For Soprano and Orchestra. Andrew Clements says 'None of the four songs lasts more than a few minutes, yet they pack in an astonishing range of emotional and vocal nuance. . .with wonderfully lucid colours drawn from a vast ensemble - each song seems to define its sound world within a couple of bars, compressed into a phrase or a couple of chords. They are beautifully achieved little songs, brought off with the lightest of touches'. Financial Times, 10 March 1992/ Répertoire / Conducteur