London West and South

Grave of the music historian Charles Burney (1726-1814). Burney was a composer of chamber music and songs, but his fame rests on the two books with his observations about ‘the state of music’ on the continent, collected during grand tours in 1770 and 1772; they still are of inestimable value for music historians today. He was organist of the chapel from 1783 organ originally by Renatus Harris) and had an apartment; Haydn visited him here.

The composer Peter Warlock – pseudonym for Philip Arnold Heseltine (1894-1930) – died here from gas poisoning (accident or suicide?).At nr 31 was the atelier of the painters Singer Sargent and Whistler, where Percy Granger and Fauré had met in 1908.

The composer Thomas Atwood (1765-1838), a pupil of Mozart, friend of Mendelssohn and organist of St Paul’s Cathedral, lived here from 1834.

At nr 13 Ravel visited his former pupil Vaughan Williams (house demolished).

House of the composer Richard Addinsell (1904-1977), whose Warsaw Concerto was very popular in the 1940s and ‘50s.

House of the writer Osbert Sitwell, with whom William Walton frequently stayed between 1919 and 1932; Gershwin was a visitor too. Walton’s first masterpiece Façade was first performed here in 1922 by the text writer, Edith Sitwell, and the composer at the piano. The orchestrated version appeared in 1923.

The Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909) stayed here in the 1890s.

House of the Australian composer, pianist and folklorist Percy Grainger (1882-1961).

Graves of the composer Constant Lambert (1905-1951) and the singer Richard Tauber (1891-1948).

The composer John Ireland (1879-1962) lived here between 1908 and 1953. He was organist in the nearby St Mark’s church.

In the house of Paul and Muriel Draper, musical evenings took place in the 1910s. Szymanowski, Ysaÿe, Stravinsky, Shalyapin, Nijinsky and Casals were among the guests. Of all the beautiful houses in this street, this house sadly was demolished.

In 1962, Mick Jagger and Stevin Jones moved to this address, Keith Richards soon occupied a bed in te living room. The cradle of a famous rock band: The Rolling Stones!

House of the violinist Jelly d’Arányi (1895-1966), a friend of Bartók, who dedicated his two sonatas for violin and piano to her. First performed in 1922 and 1923, accompanied by the composer.

Bartók also visited the violinist Adila Fachiri-d’Arányi, a sister of Jelly. Another visitor was Leoš Janáček, who rehearsed with her his violin sonata in 1926.

Bartók visited London several times between 1922 and 1937 and always he stayed with his admirers Sir Duncan and lady Wilson. Nearby a Bartók monument was erected.

House of the famous Swedish singer Jennie Lind (1820-1887) and her husband Otto Goldschmidt. Plaque from 1909.

Britten lived in this boarding house from 1931 to ’33, together with his sister Beth.

William Schwenck Gilbert, the librettist of Sullivan in the ‘Savoy 0pera’s’, had this exuberant example of Victorian architecture built in the 1880s.

As a museum of the decorative arts, the V&A museum displays its collection of musical instruments as works of art between furniture, rather than to show their musical meaning. Nevertheless worth visiting for music lovers.

One of the main concert halls in London, built in 1867-’71 and today venue for the Promenade Concerts. Seating 2000 listeners, standing more, during the famous ‘last nights’. At the Gore were the last houses of the composer William Boyce (1710-1779) and the piano maker John Broadwood (1732-1812); demolished. Still extant is the flat of the conductor Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967) at 9 Albert Hall Mansions.

Next to Guildhall and the Royal Academy, this is another important Conservatory of London. It was founded in 1884 with Charles Grove as its first director. The present monumental building was opened in 1894; Hubert Parry became the director; until 1918.

A museum displays instruments and memorabilia on the history of the institute.

The pianist and composer Clara Schumann-Wieck, widow of Robert Schumann, stayed here in 1870 and ’71. In 1882 she stayed at nr 42 of this street.

House of two celebrities: the ballerina Margot Fonteyn and, later, the violoncellist Jacqueline du Pré.

The composers Grainger, Scott, Holst and – frequently – Delius visited Norman O’Neill (1875-1934), composer of incidental music for the Haymarket Theatre.

The Polish composer Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) visited his friend, the pianist Jan Smeterlin (originally Hans Schmetterling, 1892-1967).

House of the composer Arthur Bliss (1891-1975) from 1948 to 1955.

House of the composer Sir Charles Stamford (1852-1924) from 1894 to 1916.

The great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) stayed here in February/March 1909 with the writer Rosa Newmarch.

House of the composer and teacher of Britten, Frank Bridge (1879-1941).

House of the composer of Jerusalem, Hubert Parry (1848-1918) from 1887 until his death. Ralph Vaughan Williams was his pupil here.

House of the Italian composer and piano trader Muzio Clementi (1752-1832) from 1820 until 1823. A later occupant was William Horsley, organist of the Charterhouse. His guests included Mendelssohn, Moscheles and Spohr.

Benjamin Britten lived in this beautiful villa between 1948 and 1953.

Maurice Ravel visited here the Swedish opera singer Louise Alvar (1896-1966) several times between 1922 and 1932; other visitors were Falla and Dukas.

House of the young composer Arthur Bliss from 1896 until 1923.

The composer Granville Bantock (1868-1946) was born in this beautiful street. House number not provided.

House of the composer Cyril Scott (1879-1970) in the 1930s.

House of the composer Thea Musgrave (1928- ) between 1956 and 1970. Then she moved into the USA.

Graves of the composers Balfe, Benedict, Hullah, Smart and Wallace, of the conductor Sir John Barbirolli and of the friend of Mendelssohn, Karl Klingemann.

Two composers have been imprisoned here: Michael Tippett in the summer of 1943 on account of pacifism and Ivor Novello in 1944 on account of ‘offense against the Motor Vehicles Order’.

House of Edward Elgar (details unknown).

House of the Goossens family, of Belgian descent, between 1912 and 1927. All children were engaged to music: the conductor and composer Eugene and the hoboist Leon became well known, their brother Adolph played horn and the sisters Sidonie and Marie harp.

Gustav Holst was director of this school and had a studio here where many compositions came into being.A later director was the composer Herbert Howells.

Large collection of musical rolls, self-playing instruments and Edison phonographs. The museum was founded in 1963 by Frank Holland and occupies the present building since 2009.

The composer Ernest John Moeran (1894-1950) was born here as son of Rev. Joseph Moeran of Irish descent.

Kneller Hall, the institute for the training of musicians in the 22 music bands of the British army, was established in 1857. With a Museum of Army Music (instruments, documents, images, uniforms, banners etc.)

Birthplace of the composer, writer, actor and producer Noël Coward (1899-1975).

House of the composer Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) during the early 1960s.

Grave of the Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991). He was one of the leading 20^th century composers of Poland, moving to England in 1954. He lived in Twickenham (address not available).

House of the choir composer Herbert Howells (1892-1983) from 1963 until his death.

House of Gustav Holst between 1908 and 1913. He worked at the St Paul’s Girl School (>3309) and at Morley College. In 1913 he started his magnum opus, The Planets, with Mars, thus foreshadowing the first World War.

Gustav Holst worked at the music department of this school from 1907 until 1924, Michael Tippett worked here from 1940 until 1951. The school was damaged during the Blitz in 1940.There are Holst memorabilia and the Holst Room, a concert room with 100 seats.

Grave of the singer Nancy (Anna Selina) Storace (1765-1817), for whom Mozart composed some arias; also she was the first Susanna in the FP of Le Nozze di Figaro in Vienna, 1786.

The 14^th century church was desecrated in 1972 and today belongs to Lambeth Palace and the Garden Museum.

Felix Mendelssohn played the organ here in 1840. The interior was destroyed during the war and was restored in 1950. Venue for concerts.

The complex includes three concert halls: the large Royal Festival Hall with 2700 seats (1951) and the Queen Elisabeth Hall and Purcell Room (1967/2018). Home to the London PO, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia Orch., Orch. of the Age of Enlightenment and some others.

Edvard Grieg visited the music editor George Augener in 1888, 1889 and 1897. In the nearby St Barnabas’ Church, Vaughan Williams was organist.

Birthplace of the great composer Arnold Bax (1883-1953).

The Czech composer and conductor Ladislav Zavertal (orig. Zavrtal, 1849-1942) stayed here when applying for the function of army band master. He filled that position from 1881 to 1906 and also taught at the school of military music (>3514). His house in Woolwich, where Dvořák stayed, couldn’t be found.

Four paintings by Thomas Gainsborough will draw the attention of music lovers, all fine portraits of the Linley family of musicians: Thomas senior, musician in Bath;  Thomas junior, the gifted son and a friend of Mozart – he died tragically, aged 22;  the daughters Elisabeth Ann and Mary, both soprano singers.  In this website they will return in Bath (uk6) and in Lincolnshire (uk7).

Although better known as a Natural History Museum, the ‘Horniman’ also displays western and ethnic musical instruments from the collections of Dolmetsch and Boosey & Hawkes.

The composer Charles Gounod stayed here in 1870, having fled from the German-French war.

House of George Grove (1820-1900) from 1860 until his death. He is best known for the monumental Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians which, expanded, still is a major source of musical knowledge. Grove also organised concerts in the nearby Crystal Palace.

The Westwood House was the splendid villa of the music editor Henry Littleton (Novello). Liszt stayed with him in 1886 and shortly later also Dvořák, childishly pleased that he had slept in the same bed as Liszt had. The house was sadly demolished in 1959.

The monument of Mendelssohn at the Crystal Palace had survived from the great fire in 1936. The famous pianist/accompanist Gerald Moore later managed its move to this site and also founded a Gerald Moore Art Gallery.

Grave of the composer Alfonso Ferrabosco jr. (1578-1628), member of an Italian dynasty of at least six musicians, of whom three worked in England. Memorial window of the great composer Thomas Tallis (1505-1585), whose Spem in alium for 40 voices (8 choruses a 5) is a unique phenomenon within the renaissance polyphony and rightly his most famous work. He was buried here.

The school is a fusion of Trinity College and the Laban Dance Centre, established in 2005. and occupies the former Greenwich Hospital, a baroque building by Wren. Rudolf von Laban (1879-1958) was a Hungarian dancer and choreographer who invented a dance notation that is still used. He lived in England since 1937.

House of the black composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875-1912) from 1898 to 1901. He composed a large oeuvre in all genres; his best known compositions are the scenes from The Song of Hiawatha (Longfellow) for soloists, choir and orchestra.

Last house of Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Monument of Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Grave of Samuel Coleridge Taylor. On the tombstone are notes from Hiawatha.