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George Macfarren

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89:, where his daughter was studying singing, and there wrote the libretto of an opera, "Caractacus." During some years of his life Macfarren was totally blind, but a year before his death he underwent an operation for cataract and recovered his sight. While blind he devoted himself largely to literature, and he first suggested the formation of the Handel Society. In 1841, he became editor and proprietor of the "Musical World." He died suddenly on 24 April 1843 in Castle Street, 224: 36:, then a boy of their own age. Macfarren was also something of a musician, and according to his son, Sir G. Macfarren, "he could sustain either of the parts in a violin quartet," and "had he not met with a fashionable teacher of dancing, named Bishop, who offered to make him a gentleman instead of a fiddler, he would have adopted music as his profession". 31:
He was born in London 5 September 1788. He was the son of George Macfarren. He was educated chiefly at Archbishop Tenison's school in Castle Street, Leicester Square, and while there he wrote a tragedy which was privately played by his school-fellows, with the support of
47:, where he had lessons in dancing from the best teachers. His natural bent was, however, towards the stage, and on 28 September 1818, his first publicly performed dramatic work, "Ah! what a Pity, or the Dark Knight and the Fair Lady," was given at the 62:, which he called the Queen's Theatre, in honour of Queen Adelaide, and here he remained until July of the following year, producing, among numerous other works, a dramatic version of Handel's "Acis and Galatea," for which 82:, stated that "no such perfect pictures as he saw at the Queen's Theatre had ever been put on the stage." Macfarren left the Queen's on being appointed stage-manager of the Surrey. He afterwards went to the Strand. 234: 101:
Macfarren married, in August 1808, Elizabeth (born 20 January 1792), daughter of John Jackson, a bookbinder, of Glasgow, who had settled in London. Their eldest son was Sir
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wrote additional accompaniments. Macfarren seems to have laid special stress upon accuracy of detail and naturalness in staging the plays which he produced.
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the violinist, and while still under twenty years of age he opened a dancing academy of his own. In 1816, he visited
243: 102: 20: 55:); from this date almost every year witnessed the production of some piece or other from his pen. 106: 48: 299: 294: 8: 52: 265: 90: 277: 75: 67: 63: 269: 79: 288: 228: 59: 33: 238: 71: 227: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 86: 44: 19:(1788–1843) was a playwright and the father of composer 119:
Ah! What a Pity, or, The Dark Knight and the Fair Lady
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In February 1831, he took over the management of the
203: 201: 199: 197: 195: 258:Mills, Rebecca. "Macfarren, George (1788–1843)". 286: 192: 247:. Vol. 35. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 264:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 310:British male dramatists and playwrights 261:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 287: 232: 207: 13: 305:British dramatists and playwrights 14: 321: 257: 244:Dictionary of National Biography 222: 233:Legge, Robin Humphrey (1893). " 1: 251: 235:Macfarren, George (1788-1843) 278:UK public library membership 39:He was the first teacher of 7: 60:theatre in Tottenham Street 10: 326: 103:George Alexander Macfarren 21:George Alexander Macfarren 96: 70:, successively lessee of 185: 155:The Horatii and Curiatii 112: 143:Tom and Jerry in France 137:Edward the Black Prince 26: 270:10.1093/ref:odnb/17497 107:Walter Cecil Macfarren 85:In 1834, he visited 51:(for the benefit of 105:and their youngest 49:English Opera House 167:March of Intellect 276:(Subscription or 125:Winning a Husband 53:John Pritt Harley 317: 281: 273: 248: 226: 225: 211: 205: 91:Leicester Square 17:George Macfarren 325: 324: 320: 319: 318: 316: 315: 314: 285: 284: 275: 254: 223: 215: 214: 206: 193: 188: 173:The Danish Wife 161:Auld Robin Gray 115: 99: 80:Surrey Theatres 68:Robert Elliston 64:Cipriani Potter 29: 12: 11: 5: 323: 313: 312: 307: 302: 297: 283: 282: 253: 250: 220: 219: 213: 212: 190: 189: 187: 184: 183: 182: 176: 170: 164: 158: 152: 146: 140: 134: 128: 122: 114: 111: 98: 95: 28: 25: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 322: 311: 308: 306: 303: 301: 298: 296: 293: 292: 290: 279: 271: 267: 263: 262: 256: 255: 249: 246: 245: 240: 236: 230: 229:public domain 217: 216: 209: 204: 202: 200: 198: 196: 191: 180: 179:Innocent Sins 177: 174: 171: 168: 165: 162: 159: 156: 153: 150: 147: 144: 141: 138: 135: 132: 129: 126: 123: 120: 117: 116: 110: 108: 104: 94: 92: 88: 83: 81: 77: 73: 69: 65: 61: 56: 54: 50: 46: 42: 37: 35: 24: 22: 18: 259: 242: 221: 178: 172: 166: 160: 154: 148: 142: 136: 130: 124: 118: 100: 84: 57: 38: 30: 16: 15: 300:1843 deaths 295:1788 births 239:Lee, Sidney 218:Attribution 34:Edmund Kean 289:Categories 280:required.) 252:References 208:Legge 1893 149:George III 131:Guy Fawkes 72:Drury Lane 41:James Oury 241:(ed.). 231::  76:Olympic 274: 237:". In 181:(1838) 175:(1831) 169:(1829) 163:(1828) 157:(1825) 151:(1824) 145:(1823) 139:(1823) 133:(1822) 127:(1819) 121:(1818) 97:Family 78:, and 74:, the 186:Notes 113:Works 87:Milan 45:Paris 27:Life 266:doi 109:. 291:: 194:^ 93:. 23:. 272:. 268:: 210:.

Index

George Alexander Macfarren
Edmund Kean
James Oury
Paris
English Opera House
John Pritt Harley
theatre in Tottenham Street
Cipriani Potter
Robert Elliston
Drury Lane
Olympic
Surrey Theatres
Milan
Leicester Square
George Alexander Macfarren
Walter Cecil Macfarren





Legge 1893
public domain
Macfarren, George (1788-1843)
Lee, Sidney
Dictionary of National Biography
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
doi
10.1093/ref:odnb/17497
UK public library membership

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