Simon Waley Waley
Encyclopedia
Simon Waley Waley was one of the leading members of Anglo-Jewry in the 19th century.
He was a leading broker on the London Stock Exchange
and a prominent amateur musician. He was a leading figure in the Jewish community during the period of the emancipation of the Jews from civil disabilities.
He contributed many letters to The Times
under the signature W. London. His letters on A tour in Auvergne
, published in the Daily News in 1858, were incorporated into John Murray
's Handbook for Travellers in France
.
Waley was a highly gifted musician. He began to compose as a child. His first published work, L'arpeggio (for piano), was published in 1848. He had piano lessons from Ignaz Moscheles
, William Sterndale Bennett
and George Alexander Osborne, and lessons in theory and composition from William Horsley
and Bernhard Molique. As well as being a brilliant pianist (he performed regularly at concerts of the Amateur Musical Society conducted by Henry Leslie
), Waley was a prolific composer. His published compositions include a piano concerto (op. 16), two piano trios (in B flat and G minor, op. 15 and op. 20), marches and caprices for piano, and many songs, including "Angels' voices" and "Sing on, sing on, ye little birds". He also wrote orchestral pieces, which were not published. One of his finest works is a setting of Psalms 117 and 118 for the synagogue service.
. Among other members of the same family were Arthur Waley
, Sir Robert Waley Cohen
and Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen
.
He was a leading broker on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and a prominent amateur musician. He was a leading figure in the Jewish community during the period of the emancipation of the Jews from civil disabilities.
He contributed many letters to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
under the signature W. London. His letters on A tour in Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
, published in the Daily News in 1858, were incorporated into John Murray
John Murray (publisher)
John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
's Handbook for Travellers in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Waley was a highly gifted musician. He began to compose as a child. His first published work, L'arpeggio (for piano), was published in 1848. He had piano lessons from Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles was a Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso, whose career after his early years was based initially in London, and later at Leipzig, where he succeeded his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as head of the Conservatoire.-Sources:Much of what we know about Moscheles's life...
, William Sterndale Bennett
William Sterndale Bennett
Sir William Sterndale Bennett was an English composer. He ranks as the most distinguished English composer of the Romantic school-Biography:...
and George Alexander Osborne, and lessons in theory and composition from William Horsley
William Horsley
William Horsley was an English musician.In 1790 he became the pupil of Theodore Smith, an indifferent musician of the time, who, however, taught him sufficiently well to obtain the position of organist at Ely Chapel, Holborn, in 1794...
and Bernhard Molique. As well as being a brilliant pianist (he performed regularly at concerts of the Amateur Musical Society conducted by Henry Leslie
Henry David Leslie
Henry David Leslie was an English composer and conductor. Leslie was a leader in supporting amateur choral musicians in Britain, founding prize-winning amateur choral societies. He was also a supporter of musical higher education, helping to found national music schools.-Biography:Leslie was...
), Waley was a prolific composer. His published compositions include a piano concerto (op. 16), two piano trios (in B flat and G minor, op. 15 and op. 20), marches and caprices for piano, and many songs, including "Angels' voices" and "Sing on, sing on, ye little birds". He also wrote orchestral pieces, which were not published. One of his finest works is a setting of Psalms 117 and 118 for the synagogue service.
Family
He was the son of Solomon Waley and the younger brother of Jacob WaleyJacob Waley
Jacob Waley , was an English legal writer.Waley, born in 1818, was elder son of Solomon Jacob Waley of Stockwell, and afterwards of 22 Devonshire Place, London, by his wife, Rachel Hort. Simon Waley Waley [q. v.] was his younger brother. He was educated at Mr. Neumegen's school at Highgate, and...
. Among other members of the same family were Arthur Waley
Arthur Waley
Arthur David Waley CH, CBE was an English orientalist and sinologist.-Life:Waley was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, as Arthur David Schloss, son of the economist David Frederick Schloss...
, Sir Robert Waley Cohen
Robert Waley Cohen
Sir Robert Waley Cohen, KBE was a British industrialist and prominent leader of Anglo-Jewry.- Early life :He came from a prominent Jewish family, being the grandson of Jacob Waley and a cousin of Arthur Waley...
and Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen
Bernard Waley-Cohen
Sir Bernard Nathaniel Waley-Cohen, 1st Baronet , was a British businessman. He was Lord Mayor of London in 1960. He was educated at Clifton College where he was a member of Polacks....
.