Robert Graham Manson was a violinist, violist, pianist, and composer. Born in London, England on July 11, 1883 to James Alexander Manson (journalist and author) and Margaret Emily Deering, Robert G. Manson studied music at the Royal College of Music in London (1900-1903) with Arthur Somervell, Sir Frederick Bridge, and Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. After graduation he stayed in the United Kingdom where he performed with the Scottish Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra.
By 1911, he was living at a boarding house at 320 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario with fellow musician Percy Thomas, a second violinist in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) conducted by Frank Welsman starting in 1908. Manson also played in Welsman's TSO, and is listed as a violist on two programs for TSO concerts with Kathleen Parlow (March 16, 1911 and October 18, 1911).
After World War One, during which he served in the British Expeditionary Force, he married Mary L. Stewart in Bedford, England (m. 1921, d. 1940 in Toronto) and performed regularly in North America, including two seasons with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nikolai Sokoloff, and fifteen years with the "New" Toronto Symphony Orchestra, formed by Luigi von Kunits (violin, 1925-1932; viola, 1932-1940). He also performed with the Spivak String Quartet, led by Elie Spivak, and taught at the Hambourg Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Manson also wrote a number of original compositions and made several arrangements. His compositions exist in manuscript form only. Helmut Kallmann's *Catalogue of Canadian Composers* (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1952) lists eight manuscripts: Symphony in C minor, An Atlantean episode, Niagara, Canadian fantasy, Ukrainian fantasy, Quintet in F major, Quartet in D major, Alouette. and The collection of Manson's manuscripts at the University of Toronto Music Library also includes Symphony in G minor, which was premiered in County Orange Hall by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Donald Heins; Symphony in D major; and two of Manson's arrangements.
During World War Two, he served as a translator in Ottawa; on one of his travel documents from a trip in 1922 from England to Canada, he listed having reading comprehension of English, French, German, and Spanish. Following the war, he continued to perform regularly in and outside of Canada. According to his obituary, he performed at the Hart House Theatre two weeks before he died at his home on 49 Huntley Street, Toronto on February 14, 1950.
Published
Fonds consists of autograph manuscript scores and parts for compositions and arrangements for orchestra, string orchestra, string quartet, and woodwind quintet by Robert G. Manson.
Works listed in ascending chronological order, where date of manuscript is known. Undated material listed at the end.
Original envelopes that Manson used to store his scores and parts are in Box 2.
Donated to the Music Library by Myron Moskalyk (A2023-02). Moskalyk found the manuscript in his father's (John Moskalyk) music library. John Moskalyk was a violinist with the TSO from 1945 to 1952.
L.M., "Music and the drama : Capital twilight concert," *The Globe and Mail* (February 13, 1929): 14.
"Coming attractions : playhouses and concert producers say of their performances," *The Globe and Mail* (February 9, 1929): 5.
H.C.F., "Musical notes from abroad : Toronto," *The Musical Times* (May 1, 1929): 463.
"Toronto Symphony Orchestra," *Musical Canada* (March 1929): 20.
According to a review by "L.M." in *The Globe and Mail* the following day, the premiere performance was "warmly applauded, and Mr. Manson had to rise in order to bow his acknowledgements.... This, the second of his compositions to be played by our orchestra [Manson's *Ukrainian Fantasy* was performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1927], is really more a medley of folksong melodies than a rhapsody, since it has little continuity and less development, with only the return of the slow, chant-like folksong to bind it together. But it is pleasing music, ingenious in its instrumentation and especially clever in the variety given to material which might well be monotonous in its sameness. There is no trace of ultra-modernism in the treatment."
H.C.F. reviewed the performance for *The Musical Times* (May 1, 1929): "Dr. von Kunits presented a 'Rhapsodie Canadienne' by Anglo-Canadian Robert Graham Manson, once of London and now leading the orchestra's second violins. This is a cleverly atmospheric work, abounding in racy rhythms."
In *Musical Canada* (March 1929), the reviewer wrote: "The *Rhapsodie Canadienne* showed that we have another clever musician in our midst, this composition being from the pen of R.G. Manson, of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His arrangement of Canadian folk songs, finishing up with 'O Canada' is a most brilliant piece of scoring. It is safe to say Toronto never heard a transcription of 'O Canada' in any way approaching the treatment of Mr. Manson....The *Rhapsodie Canadienne* not only provoked unstinted applause—ti[sic] brought the immense audience to its feet. Mr. Manson, one of the most modest of men in rising to bow his acknowledgement may have just reason to feel satisfied. Why cannot we hand bouquets to male stars as well as to the ladies!"
Published
File consists of two autograph manuscript scores for Manson's *Canadian Fantasy* (initially titled *Rhapsody Canadienne*) for 25-piece orchestra. One version is heavily annotated. The piece was originally written for a contest in connection with the Canadian Folksong Festival in Quebec (1928) named for President E.W. Beatty of the Canadian Pacific Railway and later re-arranged for a larger orchestra [1929]. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Luigi von Kunits, premiered the work in a concert at Massey Hall (February 12, 1929). At the time, Robert Manson was the leader of the orchestra's second violins.
Also see Manson's arrangement of this piece for two pianos.
Published
File consists of two autograph manuscript parts for Manson's two piano, four hands arrangement of his *Canadian Fantasy*. The parts are annotated, possibly for performance.
See an [earlier] version of this piece for 25-piece orchestra.
"Social events," *The Globe and Mail* (March 13, 1933): 12.
"Friday afternoon recital," *The Varsity* (January 28, 1938): 4.
"Friday afternoon recital," *The Varsity* (January 31, 1938): 4.
Manson's label on the original envelope indicates that it includes "score and parts" but the full score is not included.
*The Globe and Mail* (March 13, 1933) reports a performance of Manson's wind quintet by the Toronto Woodwind Quintet (Walter Whitaker, flute; Oliver Woods, oboe; Herbert Pye, clarinet; Reginald Barrow, horn; and Frank E. Dennis, bassoon).
A second performance of the first movement "Allegro moderato" took place in a recital on January 28, 1938 by a later iteration of the Toronto Woodwind Quintet (Walter Whitaker, flute; D. Hutcheon, oboe; R. Causton, clarinet; C. Spearing, horn; and E. Huggins, bassoon) as announced and reviewed in *The Varsity*: "The *allegro moderato* from a woodwind *Quintet* by Robert Manson was a pleasant surprise. Well-written music, light and melodious, it reveals the existence of another Canadian composer of some ability, for Mr. Manson is one of the violists in the Toronto Symphony."
Two movements of the quintet ("Adagio" and "Minuet") were performed at a meeting of the Conservatory Chamber Music Club on March 7, 1938 by the Reicha Woodwind Quintet (David Buchanan, flute ; Wilfred Greenwood, oboe ; Jeff Jewell, clarinet ; Ernest Huggins, bassoon ; Reg Barrow, French horn).
Published
File consists of autograph manuscript parts for Manson's wind quintet in F major, including a part for clarinet in B-flat and for clarinet in C.
Also see Manson's arrangement of the second movement for string orchestra, and the minutes of the Conservatory Chamber Music Club, reporting a performance of this piece on March 7, 1938.
Published
File consists of an autograph manuscript score and parts for Manson's arrangement of the second movement of his own wind quintet in F major for string orchestra.
See the original version for woodwind quintet.
"New Canadian Music," *The Globe and Mail* (October 16, 1937): 8.
Manson's label on the cardboard cover indicates that it includes "score and parts" but the score is missing.
As of October 16, 1937, it was awaiting a public performance. A reviewer for the *Globe and Mail* wrote: "[This] pleasurably appealing and musicianly symphony, which occupies about twenty-five minutes in playing-time, is here cordially commended to all Canadian conductors and orchestras. This reviewer would certainly make every effort to attend any performance within a reasonable distance of Toronto, if the date permitted."
Published
File consists of the autograph manuscript parts for Manson's first symphony, including multiple manuscript copies for some instruments (e.g., violin, viola, violoncello, bass, oboe, clarinet). Manson composed his "magnum opus" in 1936 and it was premiered privately in April 1937 by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Donald Heins.
Also see Manson's arrangement of his Symphony for two pianos, four hands.
"New Canadian Music," *The Globe and Mail* (October 16, 1937): 8.
Published
File consists of the autograph manuscript parts for Manson's arrangement of his first symphony for two pianos, four hands. This arrangement was privately performed by Evlyn Howard-Jones and Healey Willan, according to an article in *The Globe and Mail* (October 16, 1937). File includes two manuscript versions of each part.
Also see parts for Manson's original version for orchestra.
The second oboe part is dated 1940.
Published
File consists of the autograph manuscript score for Manson's second symphony and two autograph manuscript parts for flute and second oboe.
Published
File consists of autograph manuscript parts and score for Manson's string quartet in D major. The file includes multiple copies of each part, all in Manson's hand, including a separate set of parts of the fourth movement only.
Published
File consists of an autograph score and parts for Robert Manson's arrangement for string orchestra.
Published
File consists of autograph manuscript scores and parts for Manson's arrangement for string orchestra of the second movement of Pietro Domenico Paradies' (1707-1791) Harpsichord Sonata in A major, P. 893.06. One of the manuscript scores includes an unidentified arrangement or composition for choir (SATB) in Robert Manson's hand.
The connection to Robert G. Manson is not known.
Published
File consists of a manuscript score for string quartet.
Published
File consists of two folded folios of manuscript paper with various sketches.