William Wallace

Though the Scottsman Wallace had studied medicine in the capitals of Europe, he turned completely to music at the age of twenty nine. His compositions were influenced profoundly by Liszt thinking that the symphonic poem was most expressive and the music of Mozart and Haydn was anything but. The tone poems which Wallace composed did justice to his inspiration and included "The Passing of Beatrice," as well as a cantata, "The Massacre of the MacPhersons," and an overture entitled "In Praise of Scottish Poesie." Having studied at the Royal Academy and taking an interest in musica...