Dossor, Lance (1916-2005)
Scores and papers

MSS 0151

Biographical Note

Harry Lancelot (Lance) Dossor was one of the longest serving and highly regarded teachers of piano at the Elder Conservatorium of Music. Born and schooled at Weston-super-Mare in the West of England, he achieved a great boost to his musical career when at the age of only 16 he won a major open scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London. There he studied piano with Herbert Fryer and composition with Herbert Howells, and won numerous awards and prizes.

He then scored a series of successes in major international piano competitions, including the Franz Liszt Prize at the third Vienna International Competition in 1936; Fourth Prize and a Special Prize at the third Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1937; and Fourth Prize in the third Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 1938.

Dossor then served briefly on the part-time staff of the Royal College of Music before being called up for military service in 1939. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery and served with them in Egypt. He was then invited to join ENSA (the troops' entertainment wing) whilst still with the RA, and did tours of Germany and Italy. He was in uniform until 1946, when he rejoined the staff of the RCM, now as a full-time "professor of piano".

In 1953 the fourth Elder Professor of Music, John Bishop, headhunted Mr Dossor and enticed him to the Elder Conservatorium, initially on a three-year contract. He stayed and became a central figure in the musical life of the University of Adelaide. After his retirement from full-time teaching, at the end of the 1970s, Mr Dossor continued to teach part-time for another 20 years. In total his teaching career at the University of Adelaide spanned some 47 years.

In November 1940 he married Diana Levinson who had been a fellow student at the Royal College (as a harpist and pianist).

Adapted from the Obituary by Professor Charles Bodman Rae, Adelaidean March 2006

Sound recordings of Lance Dossor have been separately catalogued (see Library catalogue for locations)

Contents Listing

Series 1. Annotated scores.

(Where there are several works in a volume, only selections have been annotated)

Absil, Jean. Concerto pour piano et orchestra (2 piano version) (publisher unknown)

Arensky, Anton. Suite, op. 15 for two pianos (Schirmer)

Bach, J.S.. Französische Ouvertüre (Suite H moll), Fantasia con Fuga, A moll; Capriccio B dur, Vier Duetten (Peters); Zweistimmige Inventionen (Henle)

Balakirev, M. Islamey (D. Rahter)

Bax, Arnold. A hill tune (Murdoch)

Benjamin, Arthur. Pastorale, arioso and finale (Boosey & Hawkes); Two Jamaican street songs (2 pianos) (Boosey & Hawkes)

Bliss, Arthur. Concerto for piano and orchestra (2 piano version) (Novello)

Borodine, A. Petite suite suivi d’un scherzo (Leduc)

Brahms, J. Famous songs, third collection (High voice) (Lengnick); Gavotte von Christ. W. Gluck (für Clara Schumann) (Peters); Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema von Händel, op. 24 (Peters)

Cannon, Philip. Concertino for piano and strings (2 piano version) (Novello)

Chopin, F. Sonate, op. 35 (Kristner, Lengnick); Sonate, op. 58  (Kristner, Lengnick)

Debussy, Claude. Bruyères (Durand); Children’s corner (Durand, United Music Publishers); Estampes. II. La soirée dans Grenade (Durand); Estampes. III. Jardins sous la pluie (Durand); Images. Reflets dans l’eau; Images. Hommage à Rameau; Mouvement (Durand); La plus que lente (Durand); Pour le piano. Toccata (Durand); Sonate pour violoncelle et piano (Durand)

Delius, F. Dance for harpsichord (piano solo) (Universal)

Dohnány, E. von. Capriccio,op. 28 (Rózsavölgyi); Variationen über ein Kinderlied, op. 25 (2 pianos) (Elite); Vier Klavierstücke, op. 2 (Doblinger)

Dvořák, A. Legenden (2 v.) (piano cuet) (Simrock)

Fauré, Gabriel. Dolly, op. 56 (piano duet) (Cramer); 2me Impromptu, op. 31 (Hamelle); Theme and variations, op. 73 (IMC)

Ferguson, Howard. Five bagatelles (Boosey & Hawkes)

Field, John. 18 nocturnes (Peters)

Franck, César. Prélude, choral and fugue (Enoch)

Haydn, J. Sonaten (Bd I, Bd III) (Peters)

Ireland, John. Two pieces. 1. April (Augener)

Kreisler, F. Liebesleid, transc. Rachmaninoff (Schott)

Liapounow, S. 12 etudes. X. Lesghinka (Zimmermann); Fêtes de Noël. 2. Cortége des mages (Chester)

Liszt, F. Soirées de Vienne (Peters)

Liszt-Busoni. Andante capriccioso: Etüde Nr. 2 nach Paganinis Capricen (Breitkopf)

Medtner, N. Sonate-conte, op. 25, no. 1 (Edition russe de musique, Boosey & Hawkes); Sonate-conte, op. 25 no. 1 (Edition russe de musique); Quatre contes, op. 26 (Edition russe de musique); Conte, op. 34, no. 2 (Edition russe de musique, Boosey & Hawkes); Sonaten-Triade, op. 11 no. 2 (Élégie) (Benjamin); Sonaten-Triade, op. 11 no. 3 (Benjamin); Sonate-vocalise, op. 41 (Zimmermann); Trois novelles, op. 17 (Edition russe de musique); I.Zyklus, op. 38 (Zimmermann); III.Zyklus, op. 40 (Zimmermann) [With Dossor’s notes on Medtner]

Mendelssohn, F. Variations concertantes, op. 17 for piano and cello (Breitkopf & Härtel); A midsummer night’s dream. Scherzo, transc. Rachmaninoff (Tair)

Moeran, E.J.. Rhapsody in F sharp (2 piano version) (Chester); Summer valley (OUP); Theme and variations (Schott)

Morawetz, O.. Piano concerto no. 1 (2 piano version) (Leeds Music)

Mozart, W.A.. Concerto in A, K414 (2 piano version) (Schirmer); Concerto in C minor, K491 (2 piano version) (Steingräber); Concerto in E flat, K365 (Double concerto) (Peters); Concerto in G, K453 (2 piano version) (Schirmer); Sonata & fugue, K448, K426 (2 pianos) (Augener)

Poulenc, Francis. Deux novelettes, no. 2 (Chester); Valse (Schott)

Prokofieff, Serge. Sonata for violoncello and piano, op. 119 (Leeds Music)

Rachmaninoff, S. Sonata no. 1, op. 28 (Boosey & Hawkes); 2e suite pour piano, op. 17 (Boosey & Hawkes); Minuet from L’Arlésienne, transc. Bizet (Metzler)

Ravel, Maurice. Gaspard de la nuit. I.Ondine (Durand); Gaspard de la nuit. II.Le gibet(Durand); Gaspard de la nuit. III.Scarbo (Durand); Le tombeau de Couperin (Durand)

Schumann, Robert. Album leaves, op. 124 (Novello); Andante and variations for two pianos, op. 46 (Schirmer); Dichterliebe, op. 48 (Elkin) (owned by R. Dawe, LD’s annotations); Pianoforte works, Bk VI (Novello)

Vaughan-Williams, R. On Wenlock edge, for tenor, piano and string quartet (Boosey & Hawkes)

Series 2. Master classes

Ms notes for master classes by Lance Dossor (22 leaves) divided into sections:

• Introduction
• Tone
• Cantabile
• Phrasing
• Pedalling
• Synchronisation of sounds

Also pencil and biro notes for sessions:

• Tone (14 leaves)
• Scale playing (15 leaves = 30 pages)
• Chords (8 leaves)
• Pedalling (33 ie 35 leaves)
• Position (various pagings)
• [The pianoforte] (19 leaves)
• [Piano playing] (15 leaves)
• Phrasing (6, 3 leaves)
• Rhythm (2 leaves)
• Ingredients in performance (2 leaves)
• Editions (2 leaves)
• Varying methods of world famous pianists (3 leaves)
• Touches (14 ie 16 leaves)
• Style (5 pages)
• Bach (25 leaves) plus second incomplete copy
• Debussy & Ravel (11 leaves)
• Cantabile playing (13 leaves)
• Chopin (7 pages)
• Synchronisation of sounds [3 pages)
• Schumann (6 leaves)
• [Piano writing 1880-1920] (5 pages)
• Study in interpretation (15 leaves)
• [Inventions] (7 leaves)

Cheryl Hoskin
August 2011