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October 8, 2011 5:26 PM Subscribe
What type of music was considered optimal for dancing in the nineteenth century US? I need search terms here, people.
I'm writing a piece of fiction that takes place in the years immediately following the US Civil War (1865-1870-ish). There are several scenes of parties, dancing, and general merriment. I've been using the music commonly used nowadays to accompany Contra Dancing as my inspiration for the sort of music my characters would hear at these sorts of rather casual hoe-down esque events.
What is this type of music called? I've been listening to it by running the search term "contra dance" through youtube and letting videos run in the background while I write. But the sound quality sucks, and I really would rather not hear the "calling" and stomping/clapping parts of the soundtrack. I just want the music. How do I find it in a more legit manner? Maybe in such a way that I might learn a little?
I'm pretty sure I'm not looking for bluegrass, Appalachian, folk, or country-western. Or Klezmer. Or ragtime. Or sea chanteys. Probably not indigenous Irish jigs and reels, though this feels a lot like that. I want something a little like the soundtrack to Ken Burns' Civil War documentary but more dancey, less ponderous.
Furthermore, is this sort of music historically accurate for New England in the mid 19th century? What sort of music did Connecticut Yankees and Union Army vets like to party to?
I'm writing a piece of fiction that takes place in the years immediately following the US Civil War (1865-1870-ish). There are several scenes of parties, dancing, and general merriment. I've been using the music commonly used nowadays to accompany Contra Dancing as my inspiration for the sort of music my characters would hear at these sorts of rather casual hoe-down esque events.
What is this type of music called? I've been listening to it by running the search term "contra dance" through youtube and letting videos run in the background while I write. But the sound quality sucks, and I really would rather not hear the "calling" and stomping/clapping parts of the soundtrack. I just want the music. How do I find it in a more legit manner? Maybe in such a way that I might learn a little?
I'm pretty sure I'm not looking for bluegrass, Appalachian, folk, or country-western. Or Klezmer. Or ragtime. Or sea chanteys. Probably not indigenous Irish jigs and reels, though this feels a lot like that. I want something a little like the soundtrack to Ken Burns' Civil War documentary but more dancey, less ponderous.
Furthermore, is this sort of music historically accurate for New England in the mid 19th century? What sort of music did Connecticut Yankees and Union Army vets like to party to?
Perhaps you can try "Victorian Era dancing".
(I can't believe I just linked to a Tripod site.)
posted by jenny76 at 5:45 PM on October 8, 2011
(I can't believe I just linked to a Tripod site.)
posted by jenny76 at 5:45 PM on October 8, 2011
This website, while looking a little Geocities circa 1994, has a lot of information about 19th century social dance in both the US and Europe, including discussing how European dances made their way across the Atlantic. Contra was a term in use, and other dances included the polka, mazurka, quadrille, waltz and others. (On preview, many of the items included on the list provided by Adridne.) It also includes quotations from newspapers and society columns at the time about how the dances were viewed. (Oh, that scandalous waltz! Unmarried women beware.)
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 5:48 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 5:48 PM on October 8, 2011
Info on Nineteenth-century social dance from the Library of Congress.
posted by jenny76 at 5:51 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by jenny76 at 5:51 PM on October 8, 2011
Response by poster: For what it's worth, the characters in my story are not at all "society column" types. We're talking about people who dream of moving away to the Big City... and mean New Bedford, MA.
Did ordinary/uneducated people play waltzes, mazurkas, etc for fun? To my 21st century ear it sounds a little fancy for my characters.
But this is still helpful, as middle class "morals" of the Victorian era come into play a lot. And I was trying to come up with some good social rules my main character could break which would scandalize the provincials while keeping the audience firmly on our side (she also reads novels! oh horrors!).
posted by Sara C. at 6:18 PM on October 8, 2011
Did ordinary/uneducated people play waltzes, mazurkas, etc for fun? To my 21st century ear it sounds a little fancy for my characters.
But this is still helpful, as middle class "morals" of the Victorian era come into play a lot. And I was trying to come up with some good social rules my main character could break which would scandalize the provincials while keeping the audience firmly on our side (she also reads novels! oh horrors!).
posted by Sara C. at 6:18 PM on October 8, 2011
Last year I went to a dance by the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers which presented an 1860s era ball. A lot of it was pretty close to contra dance tunes today, but there were some "Spanish" and other dance tunes too. There were clearly a lot of mixed styles of both music and dancing in your basic round of dances in one evening at the time. Maybe get in touch with them; their scholarship seemed really solid.
posted by Miko at 6:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Miko at 6:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Maybe the Civil War Ballroom could be of interest. Also Tunes from the Peter Beemer Manuscript, though originating in the West, may still be of interest.
posted by gudrun at 6:52 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 6:52 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think the term you want is country dance. Not as in country music, but old-time country dance music. Contradancing is usually done to live music, but some searching should yield samples. Prairie Home Companion often features old time music.
posted by theora55 at 10:57 AM on October 9, 2011
posted by theora55 at 10:57 AM on October 9, 2011
Minstrel music was at its zenith in the mid-19th century. I don't know enough about minstrelsy to say whether audiences ever danced along to the performances, but the most popular tunes took on a life of their own off stage and are still around today.
You might find this interesting - lots more examples of minstrel music and instrumentation can be found on YouTube, and discussion here.
posted by usonian at 9:01 PM on October 11, 2011
You might find this interesting - lots more examples of minstrel music and instrumentation can be found on YouTube, and discussion here.
posted by usonian at 9:01 PM on October 11, 2011
I should also have included a link to this album. (Warning: historically accurate and staggeringly offensive and uncomfortable lyrics in nearly every tune.)
posted by usonian at 9:40 PM on October 11, 2011
posted by usonian at 9:40 PM on October 11, 2011
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Highlights:
Polka
Mazurka
Schotticsche
Waltz
Varsouvienne
posted by Adridne at 5:43 PM on October 8, 2011