Vintage Dance Society & Polite Society -- Vintage Music

Vintage Music

Victorian & Ragtime Era Music

Welcome to the Vintage Dance Society of Hartford's "Vintage Dance Discography" page, a necessarily incomplete listing of CDs of vintage dance music compiled by Bob Chapman, Peter Lee, Richard Powers, Marc Casslar, and Mike Bergman. Since vintage dance music recordings are aimed at a specialist market, they are not widely available (don't expect to find them at Strawberry's!). Some will be available at stores in major metropolitan areas or college towns that sell classical music. Most likely you'll have to order them, either from a dealer or directly. Some are available on own private labels and are available only from the performers. A few are out of print but might be found in cut-out or used-CD bins.

While we have concentrated on social dance music from the period 1860 to 1920, some CDs will also contain music from slightly earlier or later periods. We have intentionally not listed the hundreds of recordings of waltz music by the Strauss family or Emile Waldteufel, although they and some of their contemporaries are represented in collections. The term "salon music" refers to light chamber music by small ensembles (e.g., trios, quartets). While this often includes waltzes, polkas, schottisches, etc.,
their tempos are sometimes more geared to concert audiences. If possible, preview salon music recordings to see if their tempos are suitable for dancing.

Marc's Favorite Vintage Dance CD's

ARTIST/COMPOSER	TITLE	LABEL & NUMBER	COMMENTS
Spare Parts	Now Tango		One-steps, foxtrots, tango and blues
Spare Parts	Civil War Ballroom		Waltzes, polkas, set dances of the 1860's
Spare Parts	Tango Viejo		Ragtime tangos
Mary Lea & Friends	Cascade of Tears		Waltzes, polkas, tangos, etc
Mary Lea & Friends	Gypsy Wine		Waltzes, polkas, one-step, tangos, etc.
Ian Whitcomb	Spread a Little Happiness		One-steps, foxtrots, etc
Elite Syncopation	Sidewalk Blues		One-steps, foxtrots, tangos, etc
The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra	Old King Tut		One-steps, foxtrots, etc
The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra	Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man		One-step, foxtrots, etc.
The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra	I Didn't Mean Goodbye		One-step, foxtrots, etc.
Paragon Ragtime Orchestra	On the Boardwalk	NCD 60039	One-step, foxtrots, etc.
Paragon Ragtime Orchestra	The Whistler & His Dog	NCD 60069	One-step, foxtrots, etc.
Paragon Ragtime Orchestra	Knockout Drops	NCD	One-step, foxtrots, etc.
Brassworks Band	The Victorian Dance	CD-331	Waltzes, polkas, set dances of the 1860's
Yankee Brass Band	Music from Mid 19th Century America	NW 312-2	Waltzes, polkas, set dances of the 1860's
Federal Music Society	Come & Trip It	NW 293	Waltzes, polkas, one-steps, & more

Other Vintage Music CD's

ARTIST/COMPOSER	TITLE	LABEL & NUMBER	COMMENTS
American Brass Quintet	Yankee Brass Band	New World 312	Waltz, polka, schottische, march,etc.
Beau Hunks	Beau Hunks Play the "Little Rascals" Music	Koch Screen 8702	Faithful recreations of soundtrack music that recalls the one-steps, waltzes, etc. of the Teens
Beau Hunks	On to the Show	Koch Screen 8705	More Little Rascals' music
Boskovsky Ensemble	Creampuffs from Vienna	Vanguard 8017	Rare old Viennese dances led by the legendary Willy Boskovsky
Budapest Strauss Ensemble	Wedding Celebrations: Marches, Polkas, Waltzes	Naxos 8.550900	Central European orchestra plays mixture of standards & rarities.
Caf� Society Orchestra	Hits from the Ritz	Fox Phonics 775	Ragtime & 20s dance tunes
Capriccio Salon Ensemble	Portrait	Canal Grande 9212	Dutch label, salon music
Catherine Wilson Trio	Palm Court Pleasures	Pro Arte 369	Canadian ensemble plays salon music.
Chestnut Brass Company	Listen to the Mocking Bird	Newport Classics 85516	46 tracks of brass band music, including waltz, polka, schottische.
Chrysanthemum Ragtime Band	Preserves, v.1	Stomp Off Records	Australian band plays ragtime
Classical Brass	Honor to Our Soldiers: Music of the Civil War	MusicMasters 67075	Waltzes, polkas, galops, etc.
D. C. Hall's New Concert & Quadrille Band	Grand Concert!	Dorian Discovery 80108	"Vocal and instrumental music heard in 19th-century America."
D'Anna Fortunato & the Triskelion All-Stars	Hurrah for Our National Game	Newport Classics 85576	Ragtime, baseball songs by operatic soprano and salon ensemble.
David Duesing Singers	Rags and Riches	Newport Classics 60059	Choral ragtime
Die Berliner	Die Berliner spielen Salonmusik	Koch Schwann 1814	German label, salon music.
Die Berliner	Die Berliner spielen Salonmusik, v.2	Koch Schwann 1815	German label, salon music.
Doc Houlind & his Copenhagen Ragtime Band	What a Wonderful World	Timeless 591	Dutch label, ragtime music
Eastern Brass Quintet	American Collection	Musical Heritage Society 512491K	Marches, rags, blues, etc.
Elite Syncopation	Sidewalk Blues	Elite Syncopation 9601	Ragtime music by Connecticut's favorite vintage dance band.
Federal Music Society	Come and Trip It	New World 80293	Dance music, 1780s-1920s
Frederick Fennell, et al	Our Musical Past, v.1	Library of Congress 101/102	Mid 19th-century music played on period instruments (waltzes, polkas, quicksteps, etc.).
Great American Main Street Band	Silks and Rags	Angel/EMI 54131	Beyond rags, including waltz, polka, half & half.
Great American Main Street Band	Under the Big Top: 100 years of circus music	Musical Heritage Society 513962W	Waltzes, polkas, marches, etc.
Gulbenkian Orchestra	Skaters' Waltz: [music of] Emile Waldteufel	Nimbus 5264	Waltzes, polkas, galops at concert tempos.
I Salonisti	And the Band Played On: Music Played on the Titanic	Decca/London 458382	Salon music played on the RMS Titanic
I Salonisti	Intermezzo	RCA 69298	Salon music from operas and operettas.
I Salonisti	Last Dance: Music for a Vanishing Era	Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77377	Salon music
I Salonisti	Orient Express	Decca/London 425200	Salon music
I Salonisti	Trans Atlantic	Decca/London 425210	Salon music
Ian Whitcomb & the White Star Line Orchestra	Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage	Rhino 72821	Dance band plays music heard on the RMS Titanic
Jacqueline Schwab	Mark Twain's America	DOR 90299	Victorian & Ragtime music
Jan Boland & John Dowdall	Home Sweet Home: Parlor music from the Civil War Era	Koch International 7312	Salon music for flute & guitar
John Arpin Palm Court Trio	Jalousie	Pro Arte 586	Salon music
London Salon Ensemble	Palm Court: Music from the Age of Romance & Elegance	Meridian 84264	Salon music
Mary Lea and Friends	Cascade of Tears: 15 Romantic Dances	Caballo Rojo 01	Waltzes, tangos, zwiefachers, etc. by New England ensemble.
Mary Lea and Friends	Gypsy Wine: 15 Romantic Dances	Caballo Rojo 02	Waltzes, one-steps, etc.
Mont Alto Ragtime & Tango Orchestra	Notoriety	Time & Again MA02D	Complete variety of Ragtime-era dance music.
New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra	From New Orleans to Constantinope on the S.S. Leviathan	Private Label (no number)	Foxtrots, one-steps, blues, etc.
New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra	Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man	Hump Records 19329	Foxtrots, one-steps, blues, etc.
New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra	I Didn't Mean Goodbye	Callback Records 19328	Foxtrots, one-steps, blues, etc.
New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra	The Nina, the Pinta, and the S.S. Leviathan	Santa Maria Records 19330	Foxtrots, one-steps, blues, etc., with a spoken-word skit before each piece.
New London Orchestra	American Light Music Classics	Hyperion 67067	Light orchestral music, 1880s-1950s, including radio & TV themes.
New London Orchestra	British Light Music Classics	Hyperion 66868	Light orchestral music, 1880s-1950s, including radio & TV themes.
New London Orchestra	British Light Music Classics, v.2	Hyperion 66968	Light orchestral music, 1880s-1950s, including radio & TV themes.
New London Orchestra	European Light Music Classics	Hyperion66998	Light orchestral music, 1880s-1950s, including radio & TV themes.
Nordwestdeutsches Salon Ensemble	Perlenreigen: Swing, Walzer, Csardas, Tango, etc.	RBM 6.3114	German label, salon music.
Nordwestdeutsches Salon Ensemble	Rendezvous: Slow-Fox, Csardas, Walzer, Polka, etc.	RBM 6.3126	German label, salon music.
Original Prague Synchopated Orchestra	Jazz & Hot Dance Music	Panton 81 0331	This one is great! Mostly 1920s dance music.
Palast Orchester	Die Grossten Erfolge	Monopol 5193	1920s dance tunes, with many tangos, mostly sung in German.
Palm Court Theatre Orchestra	Picnic Party	Chandos 8437	Ragtime, English sequence dances

Whether you are the director of a film or stage production; curator of a museum or historic home; planning a historic celebration for your town or organization; a period dance enthusiast, civil war era re-enactor or charleston lover; or just a ballroom dancer who would like to try some new "old" dance steps - the Vintage Music & Dance Society and Polite Society are your source for all these things and more - contact us today.