Susi Jeans
Encyclopedia
Susi Jeans otherwise Lady Jeans, was an Austria
n-born organist, musicologist and noted teacher. Born in Vienna, she was the oldest child of Oscar and Jektaterina Hock. Initially, she trained as a ballet dancer by the modernist teacher Gertrud Bodenwieser, but growing rather rapidly, switched to the piano. From 1925 to 1931, she studied piano at the Vienna Conservatory, with organ as a second study. This became her first instrument from about 1928, when she began studies with the composer Franz Schmidt
and the organist Franz Schütz.
In 1931, she was heard by the organist and composer Charles-Marie Widor
. After criticising her pedal technique, which he thought not legato enough, Widor invited her to become a student. Although she accepted his offer, Jeans was always reluctant to discuss their lessons other than to say that he was a very old man at the time.
Between 1933 and 1935, she studied at the Leipzig Kirchenmusikalisches Institut, Leipzig, with Karl Straube
. It was whilst studying at Leipzig, however, that Jeans became aware of period instruments, which altered her musical interests considerably.
Her first concert tour in Britain, in 1934, was a great success and the following year she returned to play at the Handel Festival in Cambridge. During this tour she met the astronomer and mathematician Sir James Hopwood Jeans OM, whom she married, in Vienna, in September 1935. They lived together at Cleveland Lodge, Westhumble
in Surrey
and gave issue to three children before Jeans' death in 1946. Before their marriage, Cleveland Lodge boasted a large three manual Willis II instrument in a specially built concert hall. In 1937, however, it was supplemented by a new tracker action instrument, built into her study by Eule of Bautzen. Although she later claimed that the action was installed by Hill, Norman and Beard , it was, nevertheless, the first neo-Classical instrument built in Britain in the 20th century.
Advocating, amongst other theories, that Bach's trio sonatas were conceived with the pedal harpsichord in mind, rather than the organ, Jeans took delivery of a two manual and pedal harpsichord by Maendler-Schramm of Munich. In ensuing years, she was to make many broadcasts from this instrument and the study organ.
With Sir James Jeans' death, Susi Jeans continued to live at the house until she died in 1993. She founded the Mickleham and Westhumble Festival in 1954, which was renamed the Boxhill Music Festival in 1966 and subsequently held at Cleveland Lodge almost until her death. She also founded and ran an annual summer school for organists.
Susi Jeans' concert tours took her throughout Europe, the United States and Western Australia. She adjudicated major international competitions and from 1967 held a post at the University of Colorado. She is regarded as an important early champion of historically-informed performance and of historically-aware restorations of old instruments.
Jeans championed many modern Germanic composers, not least her teacher Schmidt, and played a number of works that were dedicated to her by such composers as Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (Toccata Francese) and Hendrik Andriessen
(Thema met Variaties, written at Cleveland Lodge). Jeans was also an exponent of the clavichord, which she preferred to play above all other keyboard instruments. She performed both early and contemporary works on her favourite clavichord, a single-strung instrument by Thomas Goff clavichord, and maintained that clavichord technique was the backbone of all keyboard playing, whether this be organ, piano or harpsichord.
Her scholarly interests ranged widely from organs, harpsichords and keyboard music, British music especially of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Austrian music, to topics as diverse as William Herschel
, mountaineering (she climbed the Matterhorn twice) and natural medicine. (Of the latter, most past pupils remember with glee the prescriptions of vitamin pills that she insisted they take, especially Vitamin B12 for co-ordination and Vitamin D for nerves.) She published many articles in scholarly journals, as well as editions of music. Her pupils included a wide range of musicians: George Guest
, Peter Hurford
, David Lumsden
, Ralph Cupper
, Tim Rishton
, David Sanger
and others. Others on whom she had a direct influence included harpsichordists Ruth Dyson and Davitt Moroney
and, as a clavichord and harpsichordist, Jon Baxendale.
Jeans bequeathed her house to the Royal School of Church Music
in order that it could remain a centre for musicians. When the Royal School of Church Music relocated to Sarum College
in Salisbury
the Cleveland Lodge buildings, much restored and modified using lottery money, were sold to property developers who have carried out controversial demolition and building work, some of it without planning permission.
"Lady Jeans at 70: a Conversation with Gillian Weir", Organists' Review 67/2 (1982), 9–14
Guy Oldham, "Susi Jeans: a Seventieth Birthday Tribute", Musical Times 122 (January 1981), 47-49
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born organist, musicologist and noted teacher. Born in Vienna, she was the oldest child of Oscar and Jektaterina Hock. Initially, she trained as a ballet dancer by the modernist teacher Gertrud Bodenwieser, but growing rather rapidly, switched to the piano. From 1925 to 1931, she studied piano at the Vienna Conservatory, with organ as a second study. This became her first instrument from about 1928, when she began studies with the composer Franz Schmidt
Franz Schmidt
Franz Schmidt was an Austrian composer, cellist and pianist of Hungarian descent and origin.- Life :Schmidt was born in Pozsony , in the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . His father was half Hungarian and his mother entirely Hungarian...
and the organist Franz Schütz.
In 1931, she was heard by the organist and composer Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie Jean Albert Widor was a French organist, composer and teacher.-Life:Widor was born in Lyon, to a family of organ builders, and initially studied music there with his father, François-Charles Widor, titular organist of Saint-François-de-Sales from 1838 to 1889...
. After criticising her pedal technique, which he thought not legato enough, Widor invited her to become a student. Although she accepted his offer, Jeans was always reluctant to discuss their lessons other than to say that he was a very old man at the time.
Between 1933 and 1935, she studied at the Leipzig Kirchenmusikalisches Institut, Leipzig, with Karl Straube
Karl Straube
Montgomery Rufus Karl/Carl Siegfried Straube was a German church musician , organist, and choral conductor, famous above all for championing the abundant organ music of Max Reger. He studied organ under Heinrich Reimann in Berlin from 1894 to 1897 and became a widely respected concert organist...
. It was whilst studying at Leipzig, however, that Jeans became aware of period instruments, which altered her musical interests considerably.
Her first concert tour in Britain, in 1934, was a great success and the following year she returned to play at the Handel Festival in Cambridge. During this tour she met the astronomer and mathematician Sir James Hopwood Jeans OM, whom she married, in Vienna, in September 1935. They lived together at Cleveland Lodge, Westhumble
Westhumble
Westhumble is a village situated north of Dorking in Surrey, England. Neighbouring villages include Mickleham and Great Bookham. The census area Mickleham, Westhumble and Pixham has a population of 1,932....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and gave issue to three children before Jeans' death in 1946. Before their marriage, Cleveland Lodge boasted a large three manual Willis II instrument in a specially built concert hall. In 1937, however, it was supplemented by a new tracker action instrument, built into her study by Eule of Bautzen. Although she later claimed that the action was installed by Hill, Norman and Beard , it was, nevertheless, the first neo-Classical instrument built in Britain in the 20th century.
Advocating, amongst other theories, that Bach's trio sonatas were conceived with the pedal harpsichord in mind, rather than the organ, Jeans took delivery of a two manual and pedal harpsichord by Maendler-Schramm of Munich. In ensuing years, she was to make many broadcasts from this instrument and the study organ.
With Sir James Jeans' death, Susi Jeans continued to live at the house until she died in 1993. She founded the Mickleham and Westhumble Festival in 1954, which was renamed the Boxhill Music Festival in 1966 and subsequently held at Cleveland Lodge almost until her death. She also founded and ran an annual summer school for organists.
Susi Jeans' concert tours took her throughout Europe, the United States and Western Australia. She adjudicated major international competitions and from 1967 held a post at the University of Colorado. She is regarded as an important early champion of historically-informed performance and of historically-aware restorations of old instruments.
Jeans championed many modern Germanic composers, not least her teacher Schmidt, and played a number of works that were dedicated to her by such composers as Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (Toccata Francese) and Hendrik Andriessen
Hendrik Andriessen
Hendrik Franciscus Andriessen was a Dutch composer and organist. He is remembered most of all for his improvisation at the organ and for the renewal of Catholic liturgical music in the Netherlands. Andriessen composed in a musical idiom that revealed strong French influences...
(Thema met Variaties, written at Cleveland Lodge). Jeans was also an exponent of the clavichord, which she preferred to play above all other keyboard instruments. She performed both early and contemporary works on her favourite clavichord, a single-strung instrument by Thomas Goff clavichord, and maintained that clavichord technique was the backbone of all keyboard playing, whether this be organ, piano or harpsichord.
Her scholarly interests ranged widely from organs, harpsichords and keyboard music, British music especially of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Austrian music, to topics as diverse as William Herschel
William Herschel
Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer. Born in Hanover, Wilhelm first followed his father into the Military Band of Hanover, but emigrated to Britain at age 19...
, mountaineering (she climbed the Matterhorn twice) and natural medicine. (Of the latter, most past pupils remember with glee the prescriptions of vitamin pills that she insisted they take, especially Vitamin B12 for co-ordination and Vitamin D for nerves.) She published many articles in scholarly journals, as well as editions of music. Her pupils included a wide range of musicians: George Guest
George Guest
George Guest was a Welsh organist and choral conductor.- Birth and early life :George Guest was born in Bangor, Wales. His father was an organist, and George assisted him by acting as organ blower. He became a chorister at Bangor Cathedral, and subsequently at Chester Cathedral, where he...
, Peter Hurford
Peter Hurford
Peter Hurford OBE is a British organist, born St Cecilia's day 1930 in Minehead, Somerset.Educated at Blundell's School, he later studied both music and law at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating with dual degrees, subsequently obtaining an enviable reputation for both musical scholarship and...
, David Lumsden
David Lumsden (musician)
Sir David James Lumsden PhD, DPhil, MA, MusB, FRCM, FRNCM, FRSAMD, FLCM, FRSA, Hon RAM, Hon FRCO, FKC .*Choirmaster, organist and harpsichordist,**St Mary's Church, Nottingham, 1954–1956**Southwell Minster 1956-1959,...
, Ralph Cupper
Ralph Cupper
Ralph Cupper is an organist, director and composer who was born and raised in Norwich, England.-History:Ralph Cupper began to play the Piano with Edna Watering when he was 6 years old. Later he learnt the Organ with David Storey and Peter Notley and the Clarinet with Charles Unwin...
, Tim Rishton
Tim Rishton
Tim Rishton is a classical concert musician, author and broadcaster, known as an advocate for the natural musical qualities of pre-1800 keyboard music and as an innovative thinker regarding music in “ordinary” churches....
, David Sanger
David Sanger (organist)
David John Sanger was a concert organist, professor and president of the Royal College of Organists.- Biography :Sanger was educated at Eltham College and the Royal Academy of Music...
and others. Others on whom she had a direct influence included harpsichordists Ruth Dyson and Davitt Moroney
Davitt Moroney
Davitt Moroney is a British-born and educated musicologist, harpsichordist and organist. His parents were of Irish and Italian extraction – his father was an executive with the Anglo-Dutch Unilever conglomerate...
and, as a clavichord and harpsichordist, Jon Baxendale.
Jeans bequeathed her house to the Royal School of Church Music
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
in order that it could remain a centre for musicians. When the Royal School of Church Music relocated to Sarum College
Sarum College
Sarum College is an ecumenical Christian institution in Salisbury, England. The College was established in 1995, and occupies the buildings formerly home to the Salisbury and Wells Theological College...
in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
the Cleveland Lodge buildings, much restored and modified using lottery money, were sold to property developers who have carried out controversial demolition and building work, some of it without planning permission.
Further reading
Cecil Clutton, "The influence of Susi Jeans", Aspects of Keyboard Music: Essays in honour of Susi Jeans (Oxford, 1992), 10-12"Lady Jeans at 70: a Conversation with Gillian Weir", Organists' Review 67/2 (1982), 9–14
Guy Oldham, "Susi Jeans: a Seventieth Birthday Tribute", Musical Times 122 (January 1981), 47-49