DAVIES, Fanny (1861-1934)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 1249 7499-7511
Held at	: Royal College of Music   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.rcm.ac.uk/library/contactus/archivesandrecords/ ›
Full title	: DAVIES, Fanny (1861-1934)
Date(s)	: 1883-1914
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 1 box (15 files)
Name of creator(s)	: Davies | Fanny | 1861-1934 | pianist

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Fanny Davies, born Guernsey, 27 June 1861; studied at Leipzig Conservatory under Carl Reinecke, Oscar Paul and Salomon Jadassohn, 1882-1883; studied at Frankfurt under Clara Schumann, 1883-1885; made London début at Crystal Palace in Beethoven's Fourth Concerto, 17 October 1885; began collaboration with the violinist Joseph Joachim and cellist Alfredo Piatti on the London Popular Concerts; made Berlin début at the Singakademie, 15 November 1887; made other continental appearances in Leipzig, Rome, Bonn (the Beethoven House Festival, 1893), Vienna and Bergamo (Donizetti Centenary Festival, 1897); performed with the Joachim and Rosé String Quartets, and in later years with Pablo Casals and with the Czech String Quartet; was the first pianist to give a recital in Westminster Abbey, July 1921; pioneered revival of English virginal music, as well as performing the music of contemporary Czech, Spanish and English composers; died, London, 1 Sept 1934.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of or relating to Fanny Davies, 1883-1914, comprising:
Draft of her article 'Some Personal Recollections of Brahms as Pianist and Interpreter' on Brahms for Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music London, 1929-1930 (MS 7499a).
Typescript drafts of articles on Schumann's Piano Trios and Chamber music (MS 7499b).
Manuscript of 'Joachim's Jubilee in Berlin' (MS 7500a).
Notes on St Elizabeth of Hungary (MS 7500b).
Letters (16) and postcards, cards and notes (16) from Clara Schumann, 1883-1892, also includes announcement of Clara Schumann's death, 1896 (MS 7501).
Letters (3) from Clara Schumann to Dr Richard Wilkinson and George Henschel (MS 7502).
Letters and other papers relating to the controversy with Eugenie Schumann, 1892-1893 (MS 7503).
Letters (4) from Alfredo Piatti to Davies, 1887-1894 (MS 7504).
Letters (15) and postcards (2) from Joseph Joachim, 1886-1904, includes projected programmes in Davies' hand and annotations by Joachim, and programme of recital by Davies and Joachim in the Singakademie, Berlin, 15 Nov 1887 (MS 7505).
Letters (5) from Mary Cowden-Clarke, George Henschel and Richard Mühlfeld, 1891-1914 (MS 7506).
Papers 'letters etc which may be interesting for writing memoirs', includes letter from Davies to Mrs Joachim and letters to Davies from Ethel Smyth, A J Hipkins, Frederick Corder and 4 letters from F C Burnand to Miss Grist (MS 7507).
Concert bills and German concert reviews (MS 7508).
Agreements between Davies and a) The New Queen's Hall Orchestra and b) Messrs Welte Soehne (MS 7509).
Correspondence relating to the Woodhill family (maternal branch of her family) (MS 7510).
Notes and correspondence relating to a proposed music college, 1901 (MS 7511).

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

In 15 separate files (MS 7499a-7511) as indicated in scope and content.

Conditions governing access:

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.

Finding aids:

A detailed entry is given in the supplement to volume 3 of the Manuscripts catalogue in the library of the Royal College of Music.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

RCM holds letters from Davies to Doris Armitage (MS 6899), from Davies to Muriel Smith (Ref: 6896), an autograph book of Davies, 1881-1884 (Ref: Scott), and letters from Joachim to Anne Isabella Ritchie (Ref: MS 6922).

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Source; article on Davies by Frank Dawes and George S Bozarth, Grove Dictionary of Music.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Jul 2002