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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 16 Collections and/or Records:

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, 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

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 21 February 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L403
Scope and Contents

Letter, 21 February 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Covering note for the themes of a first movement of a composition by Tovey. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 21 February 1895

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 October 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L425
Scope and Contents

Letter, 22 October 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of a pianoforte quintet Tovey is composing. Holograph, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 20 October 1895

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 21 December 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L428
Scope and Contents

Letter, 21 December 1893, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Request for musical scores. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 21 December 1893

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 27 December 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L429
Scope and Contents

Letter, 27 December 1895, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Apologising for not writing, details of a quintet Tovey is composing. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 27 December 1895

Letter to Sophie Weisse from William Strecker, 25 October 1911

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2485
Scope and Contents

Letter, 25 October 1911, London, William Strecker to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse of the cheapest estimate for engraving and printing Tovey's Sonata and quintette, and discussing their publication to coincide with performance. Typescript signed.

Dates: 25 October 1911

Letter to Sophie Weisse from William Strecker, 12 November 1912

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2499
Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 November 1912, London, William Strecker to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey has delivered proofs of his works for printing and advising on the difference of opinion and difficult situation between Tovey and another party. Typescript signed.

Dates: 12 November 1912

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 12 May 1895

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L374
Scope and Contents

Postcard, 12 May 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. List of performance times of various pieces. Holograph signed.

Dates: 12 May 1895

Filtered By

  • Subject: Surrey (England) X
  • Subject: Music X
  • Subject: Music X

Additional filters:

Subject
Composition (Music) 9
Oxford Oxfordshire England 6
Guildford (England) 5
Music 3
Instrumentation and Orchestration 2