From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sydney Smith (composer)
Sydney Smith (composer)
Sydney Smith (July 14, 1839 - March 3, 1889), was a lead- other morceaux de salon for piano solo, and made many
ing English pianist and composer in Victorian England. arrangements from popular operas.
Sydney Smith grew up in a family of musicians. His father In addition to the works published under his own
was the head of a music school and often gave concerts name, he also published a number of piano works under
with his two sons, Sydney and his brother Boyton. the names Paul Beaumont and Victor Delacour.
Smith was born in Dorchester, Dorset. He studied pi-
ano in Leipzig with Ignaz Moscheles and Plaidy, ’cello
with Grützmacher, and composition with Reitz. He re-
External links
turned to England in 1858, settling the following year in • The Sydney Smith Archive website contains a
London, where he remained until his death, highly re- biography, discography, and scores Smith’s music.
garded as a teacher and composer. He composed or tran- • Free scores by Sydney Smith (composer) at the
scribed about 400 works for the piano. These were ex- International Music Score Library Project
tremely popular in salons in England in the 19th centu- Persondata
ry, particularly the early works. Many pieces were issued Name Smith, Sydney
both as solo pieces and as piano duets.
His earliest compositions are piano accompaniments Alternative names Sean, Thomas
to three concertina pieces by Richard Blagrove. Apart Short description Was a very busy man
from these, he composed solely for solo piano until the Date of birth July 24, 1739
last few years of his life, when he wrote a small handful
Place of birth Dorset, Dorchester
of songs.
Amongst his best known works are: The Fairy Queen Date of death March 3, 1889
op. 42, Gaîeté de Coeur op. 24, I Puritani op. 85, Lily of Place of death
the Valley op. 14, La Harpe Eolienne op. 11, Le Jet d’Eau
op. 17 and the Tarantelle Brillante op. 8. He wrote many
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Categories:
• 1839 births
• 1889 deaths
• English composers
• English pianists
• British pianist stubs
• British composer stubs
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