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 29 Collections and/or Records:
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Pitts Sanborn, 02 November 1937
Letter, 2 November 1937, New York, Pitts Sanbon to Donald Tovey. News of Sanbon's latest book, ' The Metropolitan book of the opera ' and an acknowledgement of Tovey's book ' Essay's in musical analyses'. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Richard Aldrich, 04 January 1935
Letter, 4 January 1935, New York, Richard Aldrich to Donald Tovey. Congratulating Tovey on his title. Typescript signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Richard Snow, 20 October 1925
Letter, 20 October 1925, New York, Richard Snow to Donald Tovey. Expressing Snows appreciation of Tovey's performance and of his work for the Encyclopeadia Brittanica. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Richard Welling, c 29 September 1920
Letter, 29 September [n.y], New York, Richard Welling to Donald Tovey. Inviting Tovey to New York. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sir Herbert John Clifford Grierson, 22 March 1939
Letter, 22 May 1939, New York, H. J. C. Grierson to Donald Tovey. Hopes for Tovey's health, News of Grierson's illness and convalescence. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Walter Howe Jones, 10 October 1925
Letter, 10 October 1925, New York, Walter Howe Jones to Donald Tovey. Expressing pleasure at hearing Tovey play, hoping to arrange a meeting. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Kate Friskin, 15 August 1940
Letter, 15 August 1940, New York, Kate Friskin to Sophie Weisse. Expressing sympathy over the death of Tovey. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1920
Letter, [n.d], New York, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Impressions of New York and news of Tovey's engagements there. Holograph signed.
Letter to The Librarian from G. I. C. de Courcy, 07 March 1962
Letter, 7 March 1962, New York, G. I. C. de Courcy to The Librarian, Reid School of music. Asking If the library has any copies of autograph letters from Joseph Joachim. Typescript signed, with annotation in pencil, from the librarian to Mary Grierson.