Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts University Bands David Braham Music Finding Aid Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts University Bands David Braham Music Finding Aid By Adriana Cuervo
Title: David Braham Music, 1881-1887
ID: 12/9/97
Primary Creator: Braham, David (1881-1887)
Extent: 0.5 cubic feet
Arrangement: Alphabetical by title.
Subjects: Composers, Compositions-Music, Music - United States, Music Composition, Music theater, Opera, Theater orchestra music
Formats/Genres: Papers, Sheet music
Languages: English
Consists of published scores for the medleys and overtures to six Eduard Harrigan plays, which were performed at New York City's Theater Comique in the late 19th Century.
David Braham (1834-1905), English composer, arranger and conductor born in London is best known for partnering with playwright Edward Harrigan and setting a number of his plays to music. Braham studied at the British Union School, playing harp and violin. After finishing his studies at the British Union School, Braham worked as a brass turner, making brass instruments and supplementing his salary by performing in theater orchestras. He emigrated to New York in 1856 and began performing with Matt Peel's Campbell Minstrels. By 1859, he had become the orchestra director at Fox and Curran's Canterbury Music Hall. He later became the director for the Canterbury Theater and in 1872 he became the orchestra director at New York's Theare Comique. When the Theatre Comique was purchased by the impresario Josh Hart, Hart brought the playwrights Edward Harigan and Tony Hart (no relation to Josh Hart) to the Theater. Braham began composing overtures and arrangements for "dumb acts," or non-singing performances, dancers, and jugglers, as well as re-orchestrations for the vocal soloists. In total, Braham composed about 200 songs for voice and piano. Within this output, Braham's music for the duo's Mulligan Guard series laid the foundation for American musical theater of the 1870s and 80s. Braham and Edward Harigan formed a close working relationship and in 1876 Harrigan married Braham's daughter Annie. Braham died on April 11, 1905.
Composers
Compositions-Music
Music - United States
Music Composition
Music theater
Opera
Theater orchestra music
Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Access Restrictions: None.
Acquisition Method: The papers were donated to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ca.1950s.
Other Note: Pages
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