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 692 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

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 October 1894

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L371

Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 October 1894, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of Tovey settling in to his Balliol room and requesting his tennis racket be sent. Holograph signed.

Dates: 14 October 1894

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, 21 October 1894

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L372

Scope and Contents

Letter, 21 October 1894, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Describing a music lesson with Mr. Farmer and a discussion of his loyalty to Dr. Parry. Holograph signed.

Dates: 21 October 1894

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, 01 December 1894

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L375

Scope and Contents

Letter, 1 December 1894, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Discussion of Tovey's progress in classical scholarship, and his anxiety over balancing music scholarship and classical scholarship. Holograph signed.

Dates: 01 December 1894

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, c1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L376

Scope and Contents

Letter, [1895], Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Criticism of a concert Tovey attended, description of a concert Tovey gave and description of Tovey's Oxford contemporaries. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1895

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, c1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L377

Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Expressing Tovey's anxiety over his tiredness and inability to study. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1895

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, c1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L378

Scope and Contents

Letter, [January 1895], Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss Weisse for sending scores. Holograph unfinished.

Dates: c1895

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, 16 January 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L379

Scope and Contents

Letter, 16 January 1895, Biggar, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Explaining the reason for his delay, and asking for advice from Parry via Miss Weisse. Holograph signed, with envelope.

Dates: 16 January 1895

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, c1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L380

Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Apologising for Tovey's delay in arrival and concerned that Dr. Parry should sanction a concert performance. Holograph signed, in pencil, with envelope.

Dates: c1895

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, 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

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

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

Dates

Biography

Found in 692 Collections and/or Records:

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