Mann, William (Somervell)

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Mann, William (Somervell)

Mann, William (Somervell), English music critic, writer on music, and translator; b. Madras, Feb. 14, 1924; d. Bath, Sept. 5, 1989. He studied piano with Kabos and composition with Seiber; also studied at Magdalene Coll., Cambridge (1946–48), with Patrick Hadley, Hubert Middleton, and Robin Orr. He was on the music staff of the Times of London (1948–60); was its chief music critic (1960–82). He made many serviceable Eng. trs. of opera librettos and lieder texts. He publ. Introduction to the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach (London, 1950), Richard Strauss: A Critical Study of the Operas (London, 1964), and The Operas of Mozart (London, 1977).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire