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

Person

Staff Only

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 21 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 04 October 1897

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L472

Scope and Contents

Letter, 4 October 1897, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse and outlining plans for his concerto and reading. Typescript copy.

Dates: 04 October 1897

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 May 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L494

Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 May 1898, Littlehampton, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Oxford and details of a bad copy of a quintet by Tovey. Typescript copy of L495.

Dates: 14 May 1898

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 May 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L495

Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 May 1898, Littlehampton, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Oxford and details of a bad copy of a quintet by Tovey. Holograph incomplete.

Dates: 14 May 1898

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 November 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L520

Scope and Contents

Letter, 20 November 1898, Cambridge, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey will go to the Brahms concert, explaining his circumstances and requesting that Miss. Weisse send Tovey his compositions. Holograph signed, with annotation in red ink by Sophie Weisse.

Dates: 20 November 1898

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 November 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L521

Scope and Contents

Letter, [20 November 1898], Cambridge, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey will go to the Brahms concert, explaining his circumstances and requesting that Miss. Weisse send Tovey his compositions. Typescript copy of 520.

Dates: 20 November 1898

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 05 January 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L537

Scope and Contents

Letter, 5 January 1898, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Christmas wishes, praise of a concerto by Joachim and a discussion of the progress of Tovey's composition. Holograph signed.

Dates: 05 January 1898

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c01 April 1913

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L638

Scope and Contents

Letter, [April 1913], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Describing some time to be spent 'making music' with the Rontgens, development of Tovey's compositions, and of time spent at the Trevelyan's house. Holograph signed.

Dates: c01 April 1913

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 25 September 1919

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L653

Scope and Contents

Letter, 25 September 1919, Edinburgh, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for sending a table, news of Tovey's composition, comment on interesting visit 'South', and news of Mrs. Tovey. Holograph signed, written on University of Edinburgh headed notepaper.

Dates: 25 September 1919

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1922

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L660

Scope and Contents

Letter, [1922], Dusseldorf, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of the Busch family, Tovey's symphony, details of a successful concert at Prague, news of Mr. and Mrs. Rontgen, . Holograph signed.

Dates: c1922

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 31 January 1896

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L431

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 31 January 1896, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of the Tovey family, and Tovey composing music for his brothers play. Holograph signed.

Dates: 31 January 1896

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Filtered By

Subject: Composition (Music) X
Subject: Social Interaction X

University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

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

Dates

Biography

Found in 21 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 04 October 1897

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 May 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 May 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 November 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 November 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 05 January 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c01 April 1913

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 25 September 1919

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1922

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 31 January 1896

Filtered By

Additional filters: