Tobias Matthay 1858-1945

[giles.enders]

Tobias Matthay 1858-1945. He had a number of famous pupils including, Cohen , Craxton, Hess  and Sharrer.  He seems to be better known for his teaching  than his compositions. He  composed two piano concertos.  Have these been performed in living memory?

[eschiss1]

are we including the concert-piece op.23 (pub. by Ricordi in 2-piano reduction in 1909, at IMSLP) here or is that something else? anyhow, will look into it. you may want to email the American Matthay Organization (homepage at http://matthay.org) to see if they have any information maybe?...
The op.23 has been performed 5 times at the Proms, from 28 August 1909 to 15 October 1925, by the way.  In living memory for a very stretched definition (a 90-odd-year-old going to the concert at age 10) but not I am guessing what the expression means...

[albion]

Many of Matthay's manuscripts are now in the Royal Academy of Music library, having been purchased at Sotheby's on 30th November 2006, including the following -

Scherzo in D minor, for Orchestra (1873)
Ouverture (1874)
Symphony in A minor (1874)
Piano Concerto in D minor (1874)
Scherzo, for Orchestra (1875)
Concert Overture (1877)
Symphony (1878)
Concert Overture, Reminiscences of Country Life (1879)
Hero and Leander, Scena for Contralto and Orchestra (1879)
Introduction and Allegro [Symphonic Overture, In Summer]  (1880)
Andante, for Orchestra (1881)
Concert Piece for Piano and Orchestra in D minor (1881)
Symphonic Overture, In May (1883)
Concert Piece for Piano and Orchestra in A minor (1895)

[Alan Howe]

He started early, didn't he?! Wonder what the music is like?

[eschiss1]

hrm. at a guess- a guess, I say- Concert Piece for Piano and Orchestra in A minor might be at least a first version of opus 23 (which a biography?? I forget now? I really need to check- something I saw online and thought trustworthy...- -- said was revised by the composer thoroughly until just before publication in 1905. The name and key are right, which is no proof of course.

[Lionel Harrsion]

Tobias Matthay 1858-1945. He had a number of famous pupils including, Cohen , Craxton, Hess  and Sharrer.  He seems to be better known for his teaching  than his compositions. He  composed two piano concertos.  Have these been performed in living memory?

His famous pupils included York Bowen as well, of course, beloved of many of us here!

[giles.enders]

Tobias Augustus Matthay  Born 19.2.1858 in Clapham, London   Died 14.12.1945 at High Marley Manor, Nr. Haslemere

He was the son of a Professor of Languages also named Tobias.  Tobias entered The Royal Academy in 1871 and studied under  Sir Arthur Sullivan, Sterndale Bennett and Ebenezer Prout and for piano with Durrell and Walter Macfarren.  In 1893 he married Jessie Kennedy.
In 1900 he founded his own piano school in London and later there was also a branch in Liverpool.  Among an illustrious list of pupils were; Bowen, Cohen, Curzon, Hess, Joyce, Langrish, Lympany, and Scharrer.  He is often referred to as the greatest British piano teacher.
In 1905 along with  Frederick Corder and John Blackwood McEwan, he founded The Society of British Composers.
Interestingly probate for his will was given to Myra Hess and Vivian Langrish.

Orchestral

Symphony in A minor  1874
Symphony  1878
Concert overture  1874
Concert overture in C 1877
Concert overture 'Reminiscences of Country Life'  1879
Symphonic overture 'In Summer' (introduction and allegro)  1880
Symphonic overture 'In May'  1883
Piano Concerto A minor  1874
Concert piece in D minor for piano and orchestra Op.23  1881 (There is also a two piano version)  pub. by Ricordi & Co
Concert piece in A minor for piano and orchestra  1895   pub. by Ricordi & Co
Scherzo in D for orchestra  1875
Andante in E for orchestra  1881
'Doubts' for small orchestra
Cadenza for Beethoven's piano concerto No.1  pub. by Augener

Chamber

Piano Quartet in F 1876
Piano Quartet in C,  1 movement  Op.20  1906   pub. by Cary
Piano Trio in F
Ballade for violin and piano
'A Pamphlet'  for violin and piano   Op.2   pub. by Edition Chanot
Romances in E anf for violin and piano
Ballade for cello and piano  Op.40  1936
Ballade and fantasia for cello and piano

Piano

Four Novelette in F minor  Op.1  pub. by Forsyth
Nocturne in D flat major  Op.3   pub. by Edwin Ashdown
Homage to Chopin Op.4   pub. by Forsyth
Seventeen variations on an original theme in C  Op.5   pub. by Forsyth
Autumn Song  Op.6  1884   pub. by Forsyth
In Springtime - three thought pictures; Larghetto Op7/1  ?7/2  ?  7/3  1885   pub. by Forsyth
A Summer Day Dream  Op.8   pub. by Anglo-French Music
A Waltz-Whim  Op.9  1888   pub. by Ascherberg
In Winter; Silhouette  Op.10  1888   pub. by Ascherberg
Moods of a moment  10 pieces  Op.11   pub. by Ascherberg also orchestrated for small orchestra.
Love-Phases; Doubts, avowal, response.  Op.12  pub. by Joseph Williams
Mono-Themes: Confidences and Confessions, 6 pieces  Op.13   pub. by Forsyth
Lyrics:  A presentiment, Des Midchens Klage, Secret a deux, Bei gutem humour, sing-song, pleading, peace.  Op.14  pub. by Paterson & sons
Scottish dances and melodies: The braes o'Tullymet, The Drummer, The braes o'Mar, The de,il among the tailors.  Op.15   pub. by Paterson
Studies in form of of a suite:  Prelude, intermezzo in E, bravurra.   Op.16  pub. by Ricordi & Co 1887   
Elves - impromptu  Op.17 1911 pub. by Weekes
Con Imitazione - preambulo  Op.18  1900   pub. by Weekes & Co.
Romanesque  Op.19   pub by Weekes & Co.
Toccata- Storm Clouds  Op.21   pub. by Anglo-French Music
Stray Fancies:  Album leaf, dirge.  Op.22  pub. by Anglo-French Music
From my sketchbook  books 1 & 2:  Vitality, May morning, May day, Solitude, Terpiscore.  Op.24 1914  pub. by Anglo-French Music
Mono-Themes: By my Fireside  5 pieces  Op.25  1914   pub. by Joseph Williams
From my sketch book  Op.26   pub. by Anglo-French Music
A Mood-Phantasy  Op.27  1916   pub. by Anglo-French Music  and  Joseph Williams
Thirty-one Variations and derivations on an original theme  Op.28   pub. by Augener
Five cameos for miniature players:  Distant horns, rising, dancing, pranks, impertuosity.  Op.29   pub. by Anglo-French Music
On Surrey Hills:  Twilight hills, On holiday, Night shadows, Wind sprites.  Op.30   pub. by Anglo-French Music
Three romantic pieces:  Ballade, duetto, a la mazurka.  Op.31
Summer Twilights  Op.32
Three lyric studies:  A portrait, Gnatts and Gnomes,  Air debonair.  Op.33
Toccata in F -moto perpetuo  Op.34
Playthings for little players; ten little studies  Op.35
Toccatina in D- Study in double noted  Op.36
First solo book: Chimes, The Wheelbarrow, On daddy's knee, Big Ben, The Bear, A Humming song, Gliding, The Rattle, Pirates, Dolly's cradle song. Op.37
Playthings for players young and old Op.38
Ballade in A minor  Op.39  1926
Stray Fancies:  A June day, In the folkestune mood, Humming song.  Op.41
Seven historiettes in the form of a suite  Op.43  1941
Playthings: A miniature suite for young and old  Op.44
Five miniatures  Op.45
Booklet of toys for young and old  Op.46
Cadenza on Beethoven's piano concerto No.1

Song

The Rose Message words by T P Nunn  1876  pub. by Weekes & Co.
Bright be the place in thy soul  words by Byron  1878   pub. by Leonard
Eventide  words by J Enderssohn
A Rover's life for me  words by E Oxenford  1879  pub. by Leonard
There be none of Beauty's daughters  words by Byron  1880  pub. by Marriott & Williams
The Spring beneath the willow tree  words by J Enderssohn  1880   pub. by Leonard
The fairy's serenade - part song  1883
The gentle eventide  1901   pub. by Dunkley
There's nae lark loves the lift   pub. by Ricordi

Vocal

Hero and Leander - scena for contralto and orchestra  1879

Tobias had a sister Dorothea born 1870, who was a music teacher

[Mark Thomas]

Well done, Giles. He wrote a devil of a lot of orchestral music whilst still in his teens and twenties. I wonder what it sounds like?

[giles.enders]

Much of the orchestral music is held at the Royal Academy.  I have asked one of their professors to look at it when they have time and give an opinion.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks very much. My breath isn't bated, to be honest, but my interest is piqued!

[eschiss1]

I like the 2 major works of his I've skimmed @ IMSLP (the concert-piece - in reduction - and the piano quartet) even though the former is a reduction... But yes, it would be nice to hear some of the major works too.

[motiaan]

Hi,

some very few short piano pieces are on youtube, but I have not listened to them so far:
On Surrey Hills:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4w6wI8ys6c
Prelude And Arpeggio Op. 16:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgYWRtUzFV4
Vitality , No. 1 Of 'from My Sketchbook' Op. 24:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Qp1QJMDMM
A Portrait, (From Three Lyric Studies) Op. 33 No. 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsn29PIxTr8
Prelude & Bravura:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8BgDdk5uQQ

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for these links. I have hyperlinked them for ease of access; if friends could do this themselves, I would be most appreciative.

[eschiss1]

This looks interesting too and relevant to this thread??- Eunice Norton's The Teaching of Tobias Matthay (part of a longer video) from the Eunice Norton archive on YouTube.

There's also a Matthay Collection at the University of Maryland, besides resources already mentioned.