Pièce 156 - Letter from Donald Tovey to Elizabeth Trevelyan

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Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Apologises for telling her so late about his plans again: is going to see his aunt [Anna Walter Thomas], which he has been putting off for two years, over Christmas; Miss Weisse has planned something which will delay him another day; the Trevelyans cannot do before the 20th or he would have come over now. Must be back at Northlands for New Year's Eve. Bessie will have to 'say something pretty strong to Miss Weisse' soon: she is still spreading the 'dismal & (both to [Tovey] and to her) utterly discreditable & mischievous lie that [Tovey] is "in a dangerous state of depression"'. Meanwhile she holds him 'here by the leg', even organising for his father's solicitor to come here to settle his business with him tomorrow night. Will have to get away if he is to be told 'absolutely nothing but lies', but his friends should understand that because musical prospects in England are so bad, he would have to leave the country altogether. His 'fine London concert patrons' are too busy 'choosing between [him], Kelly & Grainger' to give him 'any prospects at all'; their circles are also 'far too appearance-keeping' for him to 'earn an honest living'. Should not need to keep up appearances in Vienna, but begin with a 'European reputation' unhampered by the 'handicap' which his 'ten year's service as charwoman to the C.C.S [Classical Concert Society]' now seems. Is not sure it will be any use protesting to Miss Weisse though, if the 'lessons' she has had are not enough.

A pencil annotation dates the letter to '19 Dec 1912'; the year is then crossed out and replaced with '1911'. The reference to the solicitor, however, points to a date after his father's death in September 1912, while Mary Grierson's biography of Tovey (1952, p. 164) says that Tovey spent Christmas 1912 'in Wales at the home of the delightful aunt who had become a Welsh Bard'.