Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)
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 692 Collections and/or Records:
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 06 September 1910
Postcard, 6 September 1910, Holmbury St. Mary, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Eton, and a note on Wagner. Holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1912
Postcard, [1912], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Praising a performance of the Beethoven Mass and news of his visit. Holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1895
Postcard, [n.d], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey has arrived safely, but left his macintosh on the train. Photocopy of holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1895
Postcard, [n.d], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Asking how Miss. Weisse's journey was and news that Tovey is better after a cold. Photocopy of holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1893
Postcard, [1893], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey has arrived safely, and news of Eugenie Schumann. Photocopy of Holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 12 May 1895
Postcard, 12 May 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Indicating the timing of several works and informing Miss. Weisse that Brahms has accepted honorary membership of the musical club. Photocopy of Holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1895
Postcard, [n.d], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. List of items of clothing Tovey has, and informing Miss. Weisse that he is taking Chopin preludes as a substitute for another work. Photocopy of Holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1895
Postcard, [n.d], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey has written the last 8 pages of his new movement. Photocopy of holograph signed.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse from [Von Reinhardt], 14 December 1909
Postcard, 14 December 1909, Diepholz, [Von Reinhardt] to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for her letter. Holograph.
Postcard to Sophie Weisse fromSir Donald Francis Tovey, 09 October 1899
Postcard, 9 October 1899, Meiningen, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse of Tovey's companions and a note on Fritz Steinbach's conducting. Holograph signed, with black and white picture of Fritz Steinbach.
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- Social Interaction 366
- London (England) 96
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- Performances 82
- Composition (Music) 71
- Instruction and Study 67
- Surrey (England) 60
- Concert Programs 55
- Voyages and Travel 52
- Ill Health 50
- Englefield Green (England) 48
- Guildford (England) 40
- Edinburgh -- Scotland 38
- Performance practice (Music) 32
- Musical Criticism 22
- Professional Interaction 22
- Music Theory 21
- Family 20
- Music 20
- Hartree 18
- Instrumentation and Orchestration 18
- Eton (England) 12
- Opera | The Bride of Dionysus 12
- Condolence Notes 11
- Woking (England) 11
- Music Publishing 10
- Scholarships 10
- Worplesdon (England) 10
- Cambridge (England) 9
- Professional Recognition 9
- Bad Nauheim (Germany) 8
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- Academic Writing 7
- Berlin (Germany) 7
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- Dorking (England) 6
- England -- Northamptonshire -- Weston 6
- Lippe (Germany) 6
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- Manuscript Preparation (Authorship) 5
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- Societies and Clubs 5
- Universities and Colleges, Administration 5
- Windsor (Berkshire, England) 5
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- England -- Surrey -- Holmbury St Mary 4
- Germany -- Mainz 4
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- Music History and criticism 4
- Piano 4
- Shenley (England) 4
- Translations 4
- Administration 3
- Agent, Musical 3
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- Finance, Personal 2
- Job Offers 2
- Libraries 2
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- Liverpool Merseyside England 2
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- Marlow (Buckinghamshire, England) 2
- Moffat (Scotland) 2
- Music patronage 2
- Music | 20th century 2
- Musicians 2
- New York City (New York, United States) 2
- Oban Kilmore and Kilbride (parish) Argyllshire Scotland 2
- Proofreading 2
- Publications 2
- Spain 2
- Stuttgart (Germany) 2
- Trumpington (England) 2
- World War, 1939-1945 2
- Aachen (Germany) 1
- Accounts 1
- Andover (Massachusetts) 1
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- Bern Switzerland 1 + ∧ less