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Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1852 - 1945

Biography

Sophie Weisse was born in Edinburgh in 1852 to a German father and Lithuanian mother. Little is known of her early life and education. In 1892, she founded the all-girls school of Northlands in Surrey, which she ran for twenty-five years. Although Northlands was a school of general education, music was given a particularly prominent place in the curriculum, and musical celebrities were often invited to visit and perform. Weisse employed the young Donald Tovey as a pianist at the school’s concerts, which provided a launch for his career as a musician and composer. Weisse had discovered Tovey’s talent at the age of four and had managed all aspects of his education. She further supported his career by funding the publication of his works between 1903 and 1913. Weisse and Tovey maintained a lifelong relationship. When Tovey was appointed to Edinburgh University’s Reid Chair of Music in 1914, Weisse followed him to Edinburgh. As Reid Professor, Tovey bestowed on Weisse an honorary degree of Doctor of Music in 1936. Weisse died in Guildford in 1945.

Weisse was a major benefactor of the University of Edinburgh. On Tovey’s death in 1941, she gifted 18 Buccleuch Place to the University as 'The Tovey Memorial Rooms', with the intention that it be used for student study. She also gifted the University portraits of Tovey and herself by Philip de Laszlo and endowed the Tovey Memorial Prize as an annual award for the most promising undergraduate composer or performer in the Faculty of Music. Her collection of around 600 books and scores relating to Beethoven was purchased by the University in 1948.

Found in 60 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 28 August 1939

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2612
Scope and Contents

Letter, 28 August 1939, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Expressing anxiety over the threat of a European war and over Tovey's health. Holograph signed.

Dates: 28 August 1939

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, c1914

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1926
Scope and Contents

Letter, 24 February [n.y], Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Discussion of Clegg's first concert and the advertisements for it. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1914

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Pablo Casals, 14 September 1911

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2068
Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 September 1911, Pablo Casals to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for her concern over the cholera epidemic in Barcelona and Catalonia. Holograph signed.

Dates: 14 September 1911

Letter to Sophie Weisse from [ Robert V. Mendelssohn], 14 July 1907

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2307
Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 July 1907, [ Robert V. Mendelssohn] to Sophie Weisse. Description of 'the great mans' illness, inviting Tovey to visit Joachim. Holograph signed.

Dates: 14 July 1907

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 17 July 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L357
Scope and Contents

Letter, 17 July 1893, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss Weisse of Tovey's time of arrival. Typescript copy.

Dates: 17 July 1893

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 03 August 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L360
Scope and Contents

Letter, 3 August 1893, Suffolk, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Details of Tovey's visit to Lowestoft. Holograph signed.

Dates: 03 August 1893

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 19 December 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L370
Scope and Contents

Letter, 19 December 1893, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Concerning Palestrina annotation and requesting that Miss. Weisse brings several scores to Moffat. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 19 December 1893

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 09 May 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L381
Scope and Contents

Letter, 9 May 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of Tovey's busy schedule and University music exams. Holograph signed, with envelope.

Dates: 09 May 1895

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 15 March 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L384
Scope and Contents

Letter, 15 March 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Discussion of technique and spontaneity in music and criticism of a music committee. Holograph signed, in pencil, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 15 March 1895

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 04 March 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L385
Scope and Contents

Letter, 4 March 1894, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Expressing anxiety over the Amsterdam choir. Holograph signed, with envelope.

Dates: 04 March 1895

Filtered By

  • Subject: Surrey (England) X

Additional filters:

Subject
Social Interaction 31
Oxford Oxfordshire England 24
Guildford (England) 11
Composition (Music) 9
Performances 8