The British Musical Biography

[E] Macfarren, Sir George Alexander,
composer, author, and professor, born in
London, March 2, 1813. He studied under
his father, George Macfarren (1788-1843), the
dramatist, and under Charles Lucas in 1827,
and Cipriani Potter at the R.A.M., 1829. In
1834 he became a professor at the R.A.M.,
and on March 16, 1875, was appointed Pro-
fessor of Music at Cambridge University.
He was Mus. Bac. and Doc. Mus., Cantab.,
in April, 1876. He became Principal of
R.A.M. in 1876, and was knighted in 1883.
He died in London, October 31, 1887. For
many years he was blind.

[W] Works. — Operas : Devil's opera (libretto by
Geo. Macfarren), English Opera House, Lon-
don, August 13, 1838 ; Don Quixote (G. Mac-
farren), Drury Lane, 1846 ; King Charles the
Second (D. Ryan), Princess' Theatre, October
27, 1849; The" sleeper awakened (J. Oxenford),
H.M. Theatre, 1850; Robin Hood (J. Oxen-
ford i, H.M. Theatre, 1860; Jessy Lea (J. Oxen-
ford), Gallery of Illustration, 1863 ; She stoops
to conquer (E. Fitzball), Covent Garden, 1864 ;
Soldier's Legacy (J. Oxenford), Gallery of
Illustration, 1864 ; Helvellyn (J. Oxenford),
Covent Garden, 1864 ; Prince of Modena (MS.);
Caractacus (MS.) ; El Malhechor (MS.) ; Allan
of Aberfeldy (MS.). Maftribute, on Her Majesty's marriage (G. Mac-
f,arren), Drury Lane, 1840; Freya's Gift
(J. Oxenford), on marriage of the Prince of
Wales, Covent Garden, 1863. Farces avd
Melodramas : Mrs. G., Queen's Theatre, 1831 ;
Maid of Switzerland, Queen's Theatre, 1832 ;
Genevieve, 1834 ; I and my Double, 1835 ;
Old oak tree, 1835 (English Opera House) ;
If the cap fit ye, wear it, 1836 ; Innocent sins,
1836 ; Love among the roses, 1839 ; Agnes
Bernduer, 1839. Oratorios : St. John the
Baptist, Bristol Festival, October 23, 1873;.
Resurrection, Birmingham Festival, 1876;.
Joseph, Leeds Festival, 1877 ; King David,
Leeds Festival, 1883. Cantatas : Lenora
(Biirger-Oxenford), Harmonic L^nion, 1853 ;
May Day (Oxenford), Bradford Festival, 1856;
Christmas (Oxenford), London, 1860; Songs-
in a cornfield (Christina Rossetti), 3 868 ;
Outward Bound (Oxenford), Norwich Festival,
1872; Lady of the Lake (Scott adapted),
Glasgow Festival, November 15, 1877; St.
George's Te Deum, Crystal Palace, 1884..
Church Music : Choral Service in E flat ;
Unison Service in G ; Fifty-two Introits or
short anthems for holy days and seasons of
the church ; Two-part anthems for female
and male voices, and for female voices alone ;
Numerous single anthems ; Hymns in Angli-
can Hymn Book, etc. ; Chants, etc. Secular
Vocal Music : Six convivial glees for 3 voices ;
Fifteen Shakspere Songs for 4 voices (1860-64);
Three four-part songs for male voices; Six
four-part songs (by Chas. Kingsley) ; Six four-
part songs (by Herrick) ; Three madrigals ;
Numerous detached four-part songs, trios,
duets, etc. Sojigs and ballads : Four songs,
from Lane's "Arabian Nights"; Two son gs-
with clarionet accomp. ; Three songs with
flute accomp. ; Four songs from Tennyson's
"Idylls"; Three songs from Heine; Six
songs from Lewis Morris' ' Gwen" ; Numer-
ous detached songs. Sy^iiphonu s : No. 1 in C
(1828) ; No. 2 in D minor ; No. 3 in F minor;
No. 4 in A minor (1834); No 5 in B flat ;
No. 6 in C sharp minor ; No. 7 in D ; No. 8
in E minor. Concert Overtures : E flat ;
Merchant of Venice ; Romeo and Juliet ;
Chevy Chase (1836) ; Don Carlos ; Hamlet ;
Festival ; Idyll in memory of Sir Sterndale
Bennett ; Concerto for pf. and orchestra, in
C minor ; Concerto for flute and orchestra,
in G ; Concerto for violin and orchestra, in G
minor. Co^tcerted Music, Instrumental :
Quintet for pf. and strings in G minor; Quin-
tet for concertina and strings in A ; Six
Quartets for strings in G minor, C, A, F, G
minor and G ; Trio for pf., violin, and 'cello,
in E ; Trio for pf., flute, and 'cello, in A ;
Sonatas for violin and pf. in A and C ; Sonata
for flate and pf. in B flat. Organ : Sonata
in C. Pianoforte : Sonatas in E flat. A,
G minor, D, F minor, B flat, E, and C minor,
etc. Violin : Five romances for violin and
pf., etc. Literary and Theoretical Works:
Little Clarina's Lesson Book, 1853-55 ; Rudi-
ments of Harmony . .London, 1860 (14 eds.) ;
Six Lectures on Harmony. .London, 1867,
3rd ed., 1880; On the Structure of a Sonata,
London, 1871 ; Eighty musical sentences to
illustrate chromatic chords, London, 1875 ;
Counterpoint, a j)ractical course of study,
London, 1879 ; Musical history briefly narrated
and technically discussed, London, 1885 (from
the " Encyclopaedia Britannica," 9th ed.) ;
Analyses of oratorios, etc., for concert pro-
grams; Addresses and lectures at R.A.iM. ;
Musical biographies in " Imperial Dictionary
of Biography " ; Grove's " Dictionary of
Music," etc. Collections, or Edited Works :
Old English Ditties, 2 vols. ; Songs of England
(Chappell) ; Old Scottish Ditties ; Moore's
Irish Melodies ; British Vocal Album ;
Editions of Purcell's "Dido and Eneas,"
Handel's "Belshazzar," "Judas Maccabeus,"
" Jephtha," and " Messiah." See " George
A. Macfarren, his life, works, and influence,"
by H. C. Banister, London, 1891.

entry id: 260-L-25