Newton, Ivor
Newton, Ivor
Newton, Ivor, English pianist; b. London, Dec. 15, 1892; d. there, April 21, 1981. He studied piano with Arthur Barclay; then went to Berlin, where he studied lieder with Zur Mühlen and the art of accompaniment with Conraad van Bos. An earnest student of the history of song and the proper role of accompaniment, Newton became one of the most appreciated piano accompanists of his time, playing at recitals with celebrated singers and instrumentalists, among them Dame Nellie Melba, John McCormack, Fyodor Chaliapin, Kirsten Flagstad, Pablo Casals, Yehudi Menuhin, and Maria Callas. His career, which spanned more than 60 years, is chronicled in his interesting autobiography, At the Piano-Ivor Newton (London, 1966). In 1973 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire