Walter Macfarren (1826-1905)
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“A symphony missing for over a hundred years, finally turns up”
Born in London in 1826, Walter showed gifts for music early on; he was a choir-boy at Westminster Abbey, and sang at the coronation of Queen Victoria. When his voice broke, he had thoughts of becoming an artist, and took some lessons in painting, and then served as salesman in a piano shop in Brighton.
At the persuasion of his brother, he entered the Royal Academy of Music in October 1842, studying the piano under W. H. Holmes and composition under his brother and Cipriani Potter. As a composer, Walter was obviously very much in his brother's shadow but we must be aware that he made a substantial reputation of his own.
His elder brother, Sir George Alexander Macfarren (20 years his senior), held the more prominent public positions: Principal of the Royal Academy of Music and Professor of Music at Cambridge. That along with his large output of orchestral music including 9 symphonies, explains why George’s name dominated contemporary musical life.
Walter’s distinction lay particularly in piano teaching, performing and editing. He taught at the Academy from 1846 to 1903, and his pupils included Tobias Matthay and Henry Wood. He was a respected musician, rather than simply an overlooked younger brother.
Orchestral work list:
Only those in bold have surviving scores.| Work | Date |
|---|---|
| The Winter’s Tale — overture | 1844 |
| The Taming of the Shrew — overture | 1845 |
| Piano Concerto in B minor — now lost | Performed 1845 |
| Beppo — concert overture | 1847 |
| Pastoral Overture | 1878 |
| Hero and Leander — overture | Before 1880 |
| Symphony in Bb | 1879 |
| Concertstück for piano and orchestra | 1881 |
| Henry V — overture | Norwich Festival, 1881 |
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