Life
George Alexander Macfarren was born in London on 2 March 1813 to George Macfarren, a dancing-master, dramatic author, and journalist, and Elizabeth Macfarren, née Jackson. At the age of seven, Macfarren was sent to Dr. Nicholas's school in Ealing, where his father was dancing-master; the school numbered among its alumni John Henry, Cardinal Newman and Thomas Henry Huxley. His health was poor, however, and his eyesight weak, so much so that Macfarren was given a large-type edition of the Bible and had to use a powerful magnifying-glass for all other reading. Macfarren was withdrawn from the school in 1823 to undergo a course of eye treatment. The treatment was unsuccessful, and Macfarren's eyesight progressively worsened until he became totally blind in 1860. However, his blindness had little effect on his productivity. He overcame the difficulties posed by his lack of sight by employing an amanuensis in composition. One amanuensis was composer Oliveria Prescott.
On 27 September 1844, Macfarren married Clarina Thalia Andrae, subsequently known as Natalia Macfarren (1827–1916), an operatic contralto and pianist who was born in Lübeck. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, she was successively a concert singer and singing teacher, as well as being a writer and a prolific translator of German poetry, songs (lieder) and operatic libretti into English. She also composed for piano. His brother Walter Macfarren (1826–1905) was a pianist, composer and professor of the Royal Academy. Emma Maria Macfarren, the wife of another brother, John, was also a pianist and composer.
Macfarren "suffered from chronic bronchitis and a weak heart" but refused to abate his working schedule. He is buried in Hampstead Cemetery.
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