Andrew Clements obituary

"Andrew Clements, who has died aged 75 after a period of ill health, was for more than three decades the Guardian's chief classical music critic. His style was a model of critical integrity authoritative and intelligent, sometimes enthusiastic and sometimes slightly grumpy, dry-humoured yet never showy. Music may say things that words cannot express, but he mastered the rare art of putting music into words, always using language with precision; reading him, you knew what a performance had sounded like."

"Best known for championing new music with tireless devotion, Andrew had much wider musical interests than many realised. However, music was only one of his passions. Topping the list of other fascinations were natural history and Latin American literature, and these strands all came together when he reviewed the world premiere of Peter Eotvos's opera Love and Other Demons based on Gabriel Garcia Marquez at Glyndebourne in summer 2008."

Andrew Clements, aged 75, served as the Guardian's chief classical music critic for more than three decades. His criticism combined authoritative intelligence, precision of language and dry humour, enabling readers to imagine performances. He was a tireless champion of new music while maintaining broad musical interests. Natural history and Latin American literature featured among his passions and informed his perspectives, notably in his response to the Glyndebourne premiere of Peter Eotvos's opera Love and Other Demons in 2008. His career included roles at the New Statesman, Time Out, the Musical Times and the Financial Times, where he also reviewed rock and pop.

Read at www.theguardian.com