Evelyn Suart
Encyclopedia
Evelyn Suart, Lady Harcourt (30 April 188126 October 1950) was a notable English pianist.
She was born in 1881 in Sindapore, India
, the daughter of Brigadier-General W. H. Suart, and she spent some of her early childhood there. She also lived for periods in Gibraltar
and England. Her piano studies were with Storck in Brussels, Raoul Pugno
in Paris and Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna. She made six tours and appeared in Vienna, Brussels, London, and with the Berlin and Warsaw
Philharmonic Orchestras. In London she often played at the St. James's Hall, under conductors such as Hans Richter
and Sir Henry J. Wood
, and appeared with violinists of the calibre of Eugène Ysaÿe
and Karel Halíř
, and other artists.
Her British premieres included the original version of Sergei Rachmaninoff
's 1st Piano Concerto
(under Wood, 4 October 1900), Max Reger
's Violin Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp minor (with Halíř), and pieces by Debussy
, Ravel
, H. Balfour Gardiner, and most particularly Cyril Scott
. She met Scott in 1902 and soon became his champion, frequently playing his works, and introducing him to his publisher, Elkin. Scott dedicated his Scherzo, Op. 25, to her.
She was also a Christian Scientist
, and interested in metaphysics
. It was through her that Cyril Scott began his lifelong interest in such matters.
Evelyn Suart was a President of the Society of Women Musicians
. She died in London in 1950.
in 1916. They had one son (also named Gerald Gould) and two daughters. The elder daughter Diana Gould
became a noted ballerina and was the second wife of Yehudi Menuhin
. The younger, Griselda, became the second wife of the pianist Louis Kentner
.
Evelyn Suart had no time for her children, and had so little understanding of the world that Diana found it hard to imagine how she and her siblings had been conceived. She told Griselda, "Don't think of her as a mother, think of her as a fascinating woman".
In 1920 she married a second time, to a naval officer, Cecil Harcourt. He had a prominent career, rising to the rank of Admiral in 1949. He was Head of the Military Government of Hong Kong
in 1945-46, and became Second Sea Lord
in 1948. He was knighted on 18 December 1945, and Evelyn Suart became Lady Harcourt.
She was born in 1881 in Sindapore, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the daughter of Brigadier-General W. H. Suart, and she spent some of her early childhood there. She also lived for periods in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and England. Her piano studies were with Storck in Brussels, Raoul Pugno
Raoul Pugno
Stéphane Raoul Pugno was a French composer, teacher, organist, and pianist known for his playing of Mozart's works.Raoul Pugno was born in Paris. He made his debut at the age of six, and with the help of Prince Poniatowski he was then able to study at the École Niedermeyer. He then went to the...
in Paris and Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna. She made six tours and appeared in Vienna, Brussels, London, and with the Berlin and Warsaw
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra , one of Poland's premier musical institutions, was established in 1901 on the initiative of an assembly of Polish aristocrats and financiers, as well as musicians...
Philharmonic Orchestras. In London she often played at the St. James's Hall, under conductors such as Hans Richter
Hans Richter (conductor)
Hans Richter was an Austrian orchestral and operatic conductor.-Biography:Richter was born in Raab , Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire. His mother was opera-singer Jozsefa Csazenszky. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory...
and Sir Henry J. Wood
Henry Wood
Henry Wood was a British conductor.Henry Wood may also refer to:* Henry C. Wood , American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient* Henry Wood , English cricketer...
, and appeared with violinists of the calibre of Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...
and Karel Halíř
Karel Halír
Karel Halíř was a Czech violinist who lived mainly in Germany...
, and other artists.
Her British premieres included the original version of Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
's 1st Piano Concerto
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)
Sergei Rachmaninoff composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1, in 1892, at age 19. He dedicated the work to Alexander Siloti. He revised the work thoroughly in 1917.-First version:...
(under Wood, 4 October 1900), Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
's Violin Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp minor (with Halíř), and pieces by Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
, H. Balfour Gardiner, and most particularly Cyril Scott
Cyril Scott
Cyril Meir Scott was an English composer, writer, and poet.-Biography:Scott was born in Oxton, England to a shipper and scholar of Greek and Hebrew, and Mary Scott , an amateur pianist. He showed a talent for music from an early age and was sent to the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, Germany to...
. She met Scott in 1902 and soon became his champion, frequently playing his works, and introducing him to his publisher, Elkin. Scott dedicated his Scherzo, Op. 25, to her.
She was also a Christian Scientist
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
, and interested in metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
. It was through her that Cyril Scott began his lifelong interest in such matters.
Evelyn Suart was a President of the Society of Women Musicians
Society of Women Musicians
The Society of Women Musicians was a British group founded in 1911 for mutual cooperation between women composers and performers, in response to the limited professional opportunities for women musicians at the time. The founders included Katharine Eggar, a composer, Marion Scott, a musicologist,...
. She died in London in 1950.
Private life
In 1910, Evelyn Suart married Gerald Gould, an Irish-born civil servant with the Foreign Office, who died of typhoid feverTyphoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
in 1916. They had one son (also named Gerald Gould) and two daughters. The elder daughter Diana Gould
Diana Gould (dancer)
Diana Gould, later Diana Menuhin, Baroness Menuhin was a British ballerina and occasional actress and singer, who is best remembered as the second wife of the violinist Yehudi Menuhin...
became a noted ballerina and was the second wife of Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
. The younger, Griselda, became the second wife of the pianist Louis Kentner
Louis Kentner
Louis Kentner was a Hungarian, later British, pianist who excelled in the works of Chopin and Liszt, as well as the Hungarian repertoire....
.
Evelyn Suart had no time for her children, and had so little understanding of the world that Diana found it hard to imagine how she and her siblings had been conceived. She told Griselda, "Don't think of her as a mother, think of her as a fascinating woman".
In 1920 she married a second time, to a naval officer, Cecil Harcourt. He had a prominent career, rising to the rank of Admiral in 1949. He was Head of the Military Government of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
in 1945-46, and became Second Sea Lord
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in 1948. He was knighted on 18 December 1945, and Evelyn Suart became Lady Harcourt.
Sources
- Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., 1954