The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-01-27
Home, Sweet Home.

To the Editor Of the Times Democrat.
The well-written and very inter.
esting sketch of John Howard
Payne that appeared in your col.
umns lately, copied from the ST.
Louis Republican, contains this
paragraph: "The song that has
given John Howard Payne an i'm
mortality of which he never dream
ed, wss first introduced to the
world in the operatic melodrama.
Ciari, the Maid of Milan There
is nothing remarkable in the air or
the words, yet this little song prom
ises to outlast not few of the
productions of the great masters
of music.n
The writer of the article in the
Republican takes it for granted,
as | presume do ninety thousand
out of ninety thousand and one
persons who hear the beautiful
song, that the "airn was compo-
sed by Payne. My impression is
that this is mistake; and that the
air originally appeared in Doni,
zettPs opera of "Anna Bolena,n
where it is presented as the Prayer
of the unhappy Queen just before
she is led to execution. The ha-
bitues of the old Theatre d'Orleans
of this city, under the management
of the late Mr.. Davis and the late
Mr.. Boudousquie, will remember
this opera as performed several
times at that theatre, with, if I
mistake not, that admirable singer
and actress, Nine. Fleury-Joly, in
the. part of Anne Bolene.
| had heard the song of "Home,
Sweet Home," of course hundreds
of times, including its singing in
"Clari, the Maid of Milan,n and
was surprised by its appearance
in the opera. | inquired of the
leader of the orchestra, the late
Monsieur Prevost-himself a Pa.
risian operate composer and well
versed in operatic history-and he
informed nae that the Prayer was
part of Donizetti's original score.
The biographical sketch of Payne
in the Republican states that he
went to England in 1912, and re-
mained in that country for over IA
years, acting, writing a number of
minor plays, and at one time, in
1926, editing a dramatic paper en-
titled the "Opera Glass;" endu,
ring, meanwhile, chronic poverty,
and often wandering about the
streets Of London at night hungry.
In this he had no worse experience
than the greatest performers Of
the English stage-Kemble, Kean
and others-who, until they were
secure in fine positions on the me-
tropolitan stage. often had to go
on foot from one town or city to
another-and often went to bed in
wretched wayside places, without
food.
Donizetti brought out "Anna
Bolenan at Naples in 1927 or 1928
and as the opera soon became
popular, the principal airs soon
found their way over Europe.
Denizetti, at the time, had never
been out Of Italy, and indeed he
did not visit Paris until 1S35-so
the musical records sh0w-when
his "Marino Falieron was produ-
ced at the Italian opera at the
French capital. Payne, therefore,
must have written only the words
of Home, Sweet Home," for the
simple, tender and pathetic air of
the young Italian composer. The
poet, after a life Of hardship, pow
erty and suffering, died in exile.
The composer, after a feyerish
existence of many years prelimi-
nary hard work with brain, heart
and pen, relieved by few later
years of success and fame, died in
an insane asylum in Italy. Brain
and heart were overworked. His
only words to friendly visiters
were touching inquiries as to the
fate and whereabouts of "Poor
Donizetti."
| have rare volume-a relic of
ante bellum days-in which appear
among other interesting docu-
ments, o fac simile of John How
ard Payne's manuscript of the i'm
mortal song. can't repeat for
you the imitation of the neat and
flowing handwriting; but l give
you the verses as they came from
his pen, in a copy of them written
at Washington in 1871. Here it is,
as punctuated by him:
HOME, SWEET HOME.
Mid uleasiires a nd palace. though we may roam,