Tovey, Sir Donald Francis, 1875-1940 (Reid Professor of Music, University of Edinburgh)
Dates
- Existence: 1875 - 1940
Biography
Donald Francis Tovey was born at Eton on 17 July 1875. His father was an Assistant Master at Eton College. He was educated privately by the music and general teacher Miss Sophie Weisse (1851-1945) and later on studied under Sir Walter Parratt (1841-1924) and Sir C. H. Parry (1848-1918). Tovey then won a music scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, graduating with a BA, Classical honours, in 1898. As a pianist, a series of chamber music concerts followed in London, Berlin and Vienna where he played with Halle, Joachim, Hausmann, Casals, and other artists. He also composed. In 1914 he was appointed to the Reid Chair of Music at Edinburgh University in succession to Professor Niecks (1845-1924). As Professor he broadened the music curriculum by instituting classes in musical interpretation, orchestration, history and analysis, thorough-bass, score reading, and advanced counter-point and composition. Tovey also established and conducted the Reid Orchestra and organised an annual series of concerts. His musical compositions were in many forms including chamber music, symphony, grand opera and concerto, and probably the most famous was his opera The bride of Dionysus produced in Edinburgh in 1929. His literary publications include the six volumes of Essays in musical analysis (1935-1939), and A musician talks (1941). Tovey was knighted in 1935. Sir Donald Francis Tovey died on 10 July 1940.
Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:
Letter to Mary Gardner Grierson from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1930
Letter, 1930, Edinburgh, Donald Tovey to Mary Grierson. Instructions and plans for forthcoming concert series. Holograph signed.
Letter to Mary Gardner Grierson from Sir Donald Franics Tovey, c1915
Letter, [n.d], Edinburgh, Donald Tovey to Mary Grierson. Notes and plans for forthcoming concerts. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Florence Houtton, 07 February 1921
Letter, 7 February 1921, Edinburgh, Florence Houtton to Donald Tovey. Expressing a disappointment in a concert review in 'The Scotsman' and discussing place and time for forthcoming concert series. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from W. B. Moonie, 04 December 1932
Letter, 4 December 1932, Edinburgh, W. B. Moonie to Donald Tovey. Thanking Tovey for included Moonies, ' Springtime on Tweed ' in a Reid concert and for Tovey's programme notes that accompanied the work. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from W. B. Moonie, 02 December 1933
Letter, 2 December 1933, Edinburgh, W. B. Moonie to Donald Tovey. Thanking Tovey for putting Moonie's work on the Reid orchestra programme. Holograph signed.