[Yip1982]

I know that no two ALW musicals are musically alike. However, some things in one score just seem to offer premonitions and pre-echoes of what would be achieved in future scores. I won't talk about how Mary Magdalene's song I Don't Know How to Love Him just seems to suggest that ALW would eventually write Don't Cry For Me Argentina and Memory, or even how the Elvis parody in Joseph just seems to suggest Pumping Iron in Starlight Express. However, there are some small things I might mention.
1. Everything's Alright from JCS just seems to suggest ALW's knack with unconventional rhythms, except that Everything's Alright is set in 5/4 time. However, ALW's use of 7/8 time can be seen in some of his other scores. The use of 7/8 in the Temple Scene in JCS ties in with the Who's The Thief sequence in Joseph and the B-section of the revised Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer in CATS. 7/8 time also shows up in a section in POTO when the Phantom sings "Hounded out by everyone...", and drives the song "And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)" from Evita. Yet ALW has used other unexpected metres too, most notably the 15/16 metre in some parts of the Notes scene in POTO, and the 13/8 metre at the top of the Skimbleshanks song in CATS.
2. Many of ALW's scores contain some unsettling passages of music, mainly dissonant and chromatic. The "Remember Caesar" section in JCS makes me think of the agitated Jellicle fragments that run throughout CATS. Both JCS and Evita rely on tritones. At the same time, the chromatic vamp that permeates the beginning of Growltiger's Last Stand just seems to want to suggest the chromatic motif of the Phantom theme.
3. There are also some unexpected chords, not just in Unexpected Song from Song & Dance, but I think they're scattered across his scores. Apart from the unexpected harmonic changed I think, for instance, of Gus: the Theatre Cat, and also a chord in the chorus of Superstar. Both these latter examples have an unexpected major triad built on the subtonic before leading back to the tonic via the subdominant chord.
4. Some of the ALW scores have sincere parlour ballad moments, even if not all of them may be obvious. Most of them happen to be in D major, and are lilting, simple melodies that more often than not have sparse accompaniment. I this this could be the thread that binds the title song from Whistle Down The Wind, Think of Me from POTO (except that this modulates into E flat) and also Gus. I also see how this idiom influenced the songs Surrender from Sunset Boulevard and the Chandon d'enfance from Aspects of Love.
I know that some of these things may be difficult for you to understand, but those who know ALW well could probably understand the musical mechanics of these songs.

[Mungojerrie_rt]

Half of that meant nothing to me. I did grade 8 music, that was it.

But it does make sense. I've found that The Rum Tum Tugger and Pumping Iron are rather simmilar songs in the way they sound.

I think Growltiger and Phantom sound similar becasue he's gone for the same, overdone opera feel to the music. The POTO overture is meant to play to the Phantom's stereotype, and Growltiger is a parody opera.

[Hans]

I think this is terribly interesting. And I would be very interested in learning what dramaturgical significance you think these examples have for the particular musicals.

[Salome]

its not significant..its just that Webber's shows sound alike. a melody from cats can work in sunset or a tune from phantom would not be out of place in starlight express..etc..etc.. He doesnt write deeply. its all surface.

[Mungojerrie_rt]

"the 13/8 metre at the top of the Skimbleshanks song in CATS."

Which bit are you refering to as the "top" of the song? Is it the "In the watches of the night..." section?

[Yip1982]

[quote="Mungojerrie_rt"]"the 13/8 metre at the top of the Skimbleshanks song in CATS."

Which bit are you refering to as the "top" of the song? Is it the "[i]In the watches of the night...[/i]" section?[/quote]

Oh... the refrain bit that you hear before the first, second and fourth verses (i.e. the "Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat" bit).

[Mungojerrie_rt]

You mean the chorus?

[Yip1982]

[quote="Mungojerrie_rt"]You mean the chorus? [/quote]

Yes, indeed.

[Mungojerrie_rt]

I've seen people try and look clever by saying how ALW music shows changes in characters and setting by changing the musical style. Well duh! Every musical does that. I never realised that there was such a difference between the music for Tugger/Grizabella or Judas/Mary.

[Hans]