Percy Sherwood (23 May 1866 - 15 May 1939) was a German-born composer and pianist of English nationality. He was born in

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

, the son of a lecturer in English at Dresden University, John Sherwood, and a German mother Auguste Koch, who had been a successful soprano. After his studies with

Theodor Kirchner Fürchtegott Theodor Kirchner (10 December 1823 – 18 September 1903) was a German composer and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Musical career Kirchner enjoyed the friendship and admiration of many leading composers of the 19th cen ...

Felix Draeseke Felix August Bernhard Draeseke (7 October 1835 – 26 February 1913) was a composer of the " New German School" admiring Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. He wrote compositions in most forms including eight operas and stage works, four symphonie ...

and Herman Scholtz, Sherwood became a major figure in the music life of Dresden before the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1889 he won the Mendelssohn Prize for his Requiem. He was first a teacher, then professor, at the Dresden Conservatory from 1893 and 1911 respectively. His own students included

Dora Pejačević Countess Maria Theodora Paulina "Dora" Pejačević (; 10 September 1885 – 5 March 1923) was a Croats, Croatian composer, pianist and violinist and one of the first composers to introduce the orchestral song to Croatian music. Her Symphony in F- ...

. Shortly before war broke out in 1914 he and his wife abandoned their Dresden villa and returned to England, where he was almost unknown. Thereafter he made a living as a private teacher in London and travelling weekly to Oxford and Cambridge. He died in London. Sherwood’s compositions come from the classic German tradition. They include five symphonies (Nos. 4 and 5 are lost) and several concertos (two each for cello, piano and violin), as well as chamber music (including two cello sonatas and at least six string quartets) and solo piano works. Modern recordings have started to appear.Lyrita SRCD.368 (2019), reviewed at MusicWeb International
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Selected works

* ''Funf Kleine Stücke'' for cello and piano (1886-87) * Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor (1887) * Symphony No.1 in C major (1887) * Requiem, for chorus and orchestra (1889) * Sextet for piano, horn, 2 violins, viola and cello (1889) * Cello Concerto No.1 (1890, rev. 1893) * Cello Sonata No. 1 op. 10 (1891) * Symphony No.2 in B minor (1892) * ''Sechs Lieder'', op.2 (1893) * Sonata for Two Pianos (1896) * ''Serenade for Orchestra No.1'' in F major (1897) * ''Miniatures'', 10 piano pieces, op. 9 (1898) * ''Drie Romanzen'' for piano, op.11 (c.1899) * ''Drei Stücke'' for cello and piano, op. 19 (c.1900?) * Cello Sonata No. 2 op. 15 (1900) * Trio for piano, oboe and horn (1901) * Cello Concerto No.2 in D minor (1902) * Violin Concerto in F major (1902) * Suite for Two Pianos (c.1901-02) * Symphony No.3 in E flat major (1905-7) * Violin Sonata No 1 in c, op. 12 (1906) * Piano Quintet (1907) * Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (1908) * ''Five Songs from the Golden Treasury'', op.16 (1908) * ''Humoresques'' for piano, op. 20 (1910) * Suite for two violins, op. 23 (1913) * ''Idyls'' for piano (1920) * ''Serenade for Orchestra No. 2'' (1920) * String Quartet No. 6 (1922-30) * Suite for String Orchestra with flute, oboe, clarinet & horn (1925-6) * Piano Concerto No 2 (1932-3)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwood, Percy 1866 births 1939 deaths Musicians from Dresden English composers Emigrants from the German Empire to the United Kingdom