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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 366 Collections and/or Records:

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

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1888
Scope and Contents

Letter, 17 October 1893, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Expressing Miss. Weisse's anxiety at not finding Donald on the train, and asking if he could stay on Friday night. Typescript copy.

Dates: 17 October 1893

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 29 October 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1890
Scope and Contents

Letter, 29 October 1893, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Covering note for some cod-liver oil, and advising Donald to work daily. Typescript copy.

Dates: 29 October 1893

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 10 December 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1891
Scope and Contents

Letter, 10 December 1893, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Advising Tovey to avoid water and milk, but to eat raisins, advising Tovey of travel plans. Typescript copy.

Dates: 10 December 1893

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 12 December 1893

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1892
Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 December 1893, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Asking how Tovey is, and wishing him well. Typescript copy.

Dates: 12 December 1893

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 03 August 1897

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1896
Scope and Contents

Letter, 3 August 1897, Chester, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Description of Miss. Weisse's time in Chester. Holograph signed.

Dates: 03 August 1897

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 07 June 1919

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1899
Scope and Contents

Letter, 7 June 1919, London, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Discussion of infants, and of Tovey's visit to England. Holograph signed.

Dates: 07 June 1919

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 02 September 1921

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1903
Scope and Contents

Letter, 2 September 1921, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Arranging to meet Tovey and expressing a desire to see Fritz Busch. Holograph signed.

Dates: 02 September 1921

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 12 November 1921

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1904
Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 November 1921, Suffolk, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Informing Tovey of the antics of his young adopted son, John. Holograph signed.

Dates: 12 November 1921

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 20 November 1921

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1906
Scope and Contents

Letter, 20 November 1921, [Suffolk], Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Discussion of Emmanuel Moor and the Aolian company, news of Tovey's adopted son and Miss. Weisse's state of health. Holograph signed.

Dates: 20 November 1921

Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 01 December 1921

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L1907
Scope and Contents

Letter, 1 December 1921, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Approving a concert programme of Tovey's, and news of Emmanuel Moor. Holograph signed.

Dates: 01 December 1921

Filtered By

  • Subject: Social Interaction X

Additional filters:

Subject
Oxford Oxfordshire England 56
London (England) 49
Surrey (England) 31
Guildford (England) 25
Instruction and Study 25
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Performances 24
Concert Programs 22
Composition (Music) 21
Englefield Green (England) 21
Edinburgh -- Scotland 20
Ill Health 18
Family 16
Voyages and Travel 16
Hartree 12
Instrumentation and Orchestration 11
Music 8
Performance practice (Music) 8
Cambridge (England) 7
Eton (England) 7
Travel 6
Woking (England) 6
Worplesdon (England) 6
Biggar (Scotland) 5
Condolence Notes 5
Lowestoft (England) 5
Biography 4
Littlehampton (England) 4
Music Theory 4
Musical Criticism 4
Professional Recognition 4
Scholarships 4
Shenley (England) 4
Societies and Clubs 4
Windsor (Berkshire, England) 4
Academic Writing 3
Arran Buteshire Scotland 3
Bad Nauheim (Germany) 3
Berlin (Germany) 3
Book Reviews 3
Bungay (England) 3
Dorking (England) 3
England -- Northamptonshire -- Weston 3
England -- Surrey -- Holmbury St Mary 3
Fairfield 3
Lippe (Germany) 3
Meiningen (Germany) 3
Careers Advice 2
Haslemere 2
Memorials 2
Moffat (Scotland) 2
Opera | The Bride of Dionysus 2
Paris (France) 2
Trumpington (England) 2
Aachen (Germany) 1
Amsterdam (Netherlands) 1
Andover (Massachusetts) 1
Appointment to Office 1
Book donations 1
Bristol (England) 1
Canstatt 1
Chamber Orchestra 1
Charlottenburg (Berlin, Germany) 1
Chester (England) 1
Chislehurst (England) 1
Conducting 1
Degrees, Academic 1
Diepholz (Germany) 1
Du¨sseldorf (Germany) 1
England -- Berkshire -- Ascot 1
England -- East Sussex -- Eastbourne 1
England -- North Yorkshire -- Stonegrave 1
England -- Surrey -- Egham 1
England -- Warwickshire -- Rugby 1
England -- West Sussex -- Rustington 1
Family History 1
Finance, Personal 1
Gifts 1
Gloucester (England) 1
Job Offers 1
Lamps 1
Libraries 1
Manchester (England) 1
Manuscript Preparation (Authorship) 1
Music festivals 1
Music patronage 1
Musical pitch 1
Oban Kilmore and Kilbride (parish) Argyllshire Scotland 1
Paisley (Scotland) 1
Piano 1
Poetry 1
Proofreading 1
Publications 1
Royalty 1
Scotland -- Argyllshire -- parish -- Kilninian and Kilmore -- Isle of Mull -- Tobermory 1
Scotland -- East Lothian -- Longniddry 1
Scotland -- Inverness-shire -- Isle of Skye -- Portree 1
Stuttgart (Germany) 1
Switzerland 1
Universities and Colleges, Administration 1
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