The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-11
pRAHAM'S NEW SONGS.
CATCHY AIRS IN NED HARRI-
u CAMS LATEST PLAY.

s-aham's WorE-
- York. Jan. l0.-The production of
rusrrigan play has come to be musl-
p'-,-t of national Importance, for sooaer
. ,'.s- Dave Braham's tunes make their way
. q avsrv state and territory, and wherever
o- 1--we for music Of the lighter order
keen anticipation and longing for
'ss,,,noser's most recent work. Here In
u " vork the admiration for Harrigan
]" Praham is especially strong, aud 1t
-, sxtravagant expression in tae
u .s,.;ssm of crowded houses, and in
comment of the press. Com
..,ation. perhaps, would be the
I I,. word, for tbs newspapers ceased long
=. - criticise either Of the entertainment
+.,srs and they rather vie with each other
:, the publication Of the longest de-
-.,+ive articles about the first per-
Coo Of one of their joint works. Har-
- - naturally gets the lions share Oh at
fs. .i.- for not only does the music fill in
~ s1.' If space a minor part in tho play, but
easily easier to describe al actors
,s,n = and quote from his best lines"
at'n II Is TO describe a piece or music or
. -.o,a time. What the dramatic critics have
-O. for Harrigan l will endeavor to do for
~ 1~.Sam and those who are waiting lmpa-
s.ntly for the general publication OF the
I 49, music may ind here the notes OF sew
vi nf the most striking airs. ny careful
',.arrion ona may learn from this to sing
=" songs. and those who are somewhat
'Sllsd in accompanying, or familiar with
,Ss ssments Of musical theory, will be able
~ invent sccompaniments, as the underly-
w. bsrmonies are in no case unusual, or the
-Sdulations intricate.
IS a matter of Importance to the success
| .tEe~rigan's plays the Breham songs cannot
| h ov.resumatei. They are an essential fac
.cr 70 tie entertainment, and it is morally
csrtaiu that Harrigan with all his popularity
conld not get on without tnem.. The inter-
act taken in them by the New York public
|i,comDsrsbe only TO the sensation aroused
hy nav Sullivan opera. The crowds at q
Sullivan frst-night, and at Harrlgan-
Braham first night, are equal; IhaI Is,
tbs thaater ia either instance is
crowded to its utmost capacity. Brahsm
must be credited, however, with having
Me better Of it, for he gives his hearsers
4 but seven songs to Sulllyan's thirty or more,
. and every one Of Braham's pieces are re-
D5aLhlly 6HGJ4SQs |GAbShAAAGS AOe$ANI NWRASNAA%~
Non instantly. while some of Sullivan's best
Numbers have to be heard several times he
fore the devoted auditor begins to see the
beauty In them. IL is generally admitted that
Brshan has never hit the popular taste
harder than in the incidental music to
"Rei!ly'S Four Hundred" The seven num-
bers include song of the sea, for baritone
and caorus; two songs for MIR. Harrigan,
one tenor waltz song, a chorus without solo
|psrt, a negro sailors chorus, and, of course,
The Inevitable dreamy waltz in which a poor
girl with a weak voice sings OF dear old
mother
Mr.. Braham makes no attempt to appeal
10 cultivated taste. If he is prolific COM
poser the world does not know 1t. 1t is
true that the number Of his successes is very
great compared with the successes to other
composers, but that is because nearly every
thing he has ever presented for public ap-
prov al has made bit. anu not familiar
with his methods of work. 1t may be that
for every song the public knows there are a
|score that did not meet with Brahaln's own
approval Ii may be that he had to
swork patiently and long over the tunes
Eia Reilly" before he became satisfied that
ths audience would like them. Such evil
|denee. however, as is presented by the
|lnusic itself suggests that Mr.. Braham, hay-
Pig from long experience learned that a
certain manner of melody will be catchy"
'deVotes himself strictly to turning out that
kind Of work. Maggie Murphy's Home"
for instance, appeals to the listener at once
'bs familiar. For that reason he
likes it. Analysis shows that it
Pas the benefit of all the trickery
fnd several of the stock phrases OF waltz
nnslc. AS scored by MIR. Braham there is
clever accompaniment that relieves the
commonplace melody to critical listener,
put the real joy Of the piece can be extracted
Plly by hearing the young woman with d
Elin voice whisper her tuneful way through
pc solo part, TO be followed instantly by q
|ul chorus, fortissimo, male and female
foces In unison on the line.
''Op Sunday night, --
It's my delight
And pleasure, don't you see."
Braham does not venture to harmonfze
is ehoruses. Everybody sings the air. and
would make pessimist blush for happi-
ess 10 hear the BASES hitting it up on the
Ugh notes.
The tricks of the waltz are even more
pPaTent in the song, "I've Come Home to
3y'1 1t Is bound 10 be very popular,
lyughH ls not safe to prophesy that it will
as' as long es other numbers in the play,
" Us Snperlatlvely sensuous phrases must
1euVuaiiy seem mawkish and irritating to
W ~ most uncultivared listener.
.ne songs assigned to Mr.. Harrigan him
are the weakest in the play, but that
S not prevent the audiences from ap-
auolng Wildly. Uncle Reilly" if sung
any other than Harrigan play, OF by
!! otter actor than Harrigan, would not
a. al likely to secure recognition. "Mr..
sDulnnness from Troy" is much better.
" "oIully suggestive of something else, or
-.uer OF great many other light pieces.
lug splritedly, with many voices in the
.ot Us IL mas power of its own to cling to a
"a memory until mot Forgetting Teddy
lilsae threatens to become lifelong
g s Ior going to his show.
.ue last music in the play is chorus,
leaders OF the -Four Hundred" 1t Is Just
ssgestlve as the rest, as If Braham had
e1 composition that had proven to be
pu.ar, and worked it over. Disgusting 1T
,sS Snu there, simplifying always when
IN 'io, ana making a thing at last that
ssr seneFally be accepted as new. 1t
,.s matter, MIR. Braham writes for a
Epose; that purpose is exacting; it is
'9it The public, that great number
ny love music and cannot tell one note
~ another; simplicity, "catchiness, y
ma ~ atmosphere of novelty must be at
I'm IN every number. Mr.. Braham has
sS an faculty of filing exactly the place
uiiea upon to occupy. He fulfllls his
III tsI and who would refuse him credit
oD Sossi Very few, indeed, achieve such
ds"lc success In their chosen lines as
,v, and despite all the showing of
{ss ana criticism there is good reason
D1 .t ~ his work in that it is what it pre-
4S 70 be and no less.
FREDERICK r. BURTON.
Weights of the Human Rodv