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 25 Collections and/or Records:
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from F. W. Deas, 16 January 1927
Letter, 16 January 1927, Edinburgh, F. W. Deas to Donald Tovey. Questioning Tovey on the balance of tone between piano and strings in the time of Haydn and how accurately is the sound the classical masters created emulated. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from [G. N. Wintour], 18 August 1931
Letter, 18 August 1931, Midlothian, [G. N. Wintour] to Donald Tovey. Discussion of the work of the work of Helmholz and Trautwein and comment on Tovey's conducting abilities. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from John Alexander Fuller Maitland, c02 June 1930
Letter, 2 June 1930, Carnforth, J. A. Fuller Maitland to Donald Tovey. Discussing a manuscript of an important work by Johannes Sebastian Bach. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from M. Beatrice McEwen, c1920
Letter, [n.d], Inverness, M. Beatrice McEwen to Donald Tovey. Inviting Tovey to Inverness to talk on music appreciation. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Max Hesse's Verlag, 20 October 1924
Letter, 20 October 1924, Berlin, Max Hesses Verlag to Donald Tovey. Discussing Tovey's translation of the 'History of violin playing' into English and Tovey's entry in Riemann's Lexicon. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Oliver Horsley Gotch, cSeptember 1910
Letter, [n.y], Oxford, Oliver H. Gotch to Donald Tovey. Requesting a commentary on Beethoven's Bb piano sonata Op 106, published in 1901 and a question concerning Bach's inversion of the XII Fugue, from the Kunst der Fugue. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Paul Wittgenstrein, 29 December 1932
Letter, 29 December 1932, Paul Wittgenstrein to Donald Tovey. New Year greetings and comments on Grillparzers ' Erinneringen an Beethoven '. Typescript signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sir James Steuart Wilson, 02 July 1930
Letter, 2 July 1930, London, Steuart Wilson to Donald Tovey. Explaining Wilson's critical article on Tovey's work as 'journalistic'. Holograph signed.
Letter to [ Sir Donald Francis Tovey] from The Hispanic Society of America, 27 June 1922
Letter, 27 June 1922, London, The Hispanic Society of America to [ Donald Tovey]. Requesting a copy of Tovey's analysis of The Goldberg Variations. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Unknown, 26 May 1932
Letter, 26 May 1932, Berlin, Unknown to Donald Tovey. Praising Tovey's ' Art of Fugue', and comparing it to work by Riemann and Graeser. Holograph incomplete.