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Thread: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

  1. #1

    Default What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    I recently bought a restored Washburn Model 2422 mandolin, which is dated to be about 1909-1915.

    Of course I started practicing some of the usual tunes from Fiddler's Fake Book, but I can't help wondering, what folks played on mandolins around 1909 to 1915.

    Can anyone name some tunes, or point me to some sheet music or recordings of tunes, that might have been played around that time?

    (I don't necessarily mean recordings made at that time)

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Check out thearchive.org and do a search for mandolin/pdf/repertoire/diary on the internet.
    I remember seeing five or so pdfs of diaries/repertoire books that people had written at that time.
    They’re in my collection but I’m sorry I cant remember their titles.

    It’s a good question, it’ll be a very subjective but maybe interesting result, good luck.

  3. #3
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Check out the Ballo Liscio thread. Lots of music that Italian and Italian-American players performed.

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ghlight=liscio

    Also:

    http://www.mandoisland.com/?p=3716

    cakewalk South Car’lina Tickle by Adam Geibel. copyright 1904

    http://www.mandoisland.de/noten2014/...l#.Xp2MGVNKhm8

    method book with tunes from circa 1891

    http://www.paperclipdesign.com/19ctunes/

    tunes from right before 1900 including

    http://www.paperclipdesign.com/19ctunes/chili.gif

    http://www.paperclipdesign.com/19ctunes/pepper.gif

    from 1911

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  5. #4
    Michael Reichenbach
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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    You can find a lot of informations, reviews, concert programs and also sheet music in the magazines like The Crescendo or the B.M.G. magazine
    Homepage: www.mandoisland.de / Blog: www.mandoisland.com / Freiburg / Germany

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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Great topic, I look forward to the wealth of knowledge that folks here continue to post!
    "Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man."

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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    The cadenza is another magazine from the early 20th century containing mandolin sheet music.

    The Cadenza
    https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/...tab=navigation

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  9. #7
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Library of Congress. Here's some from 1910-1915, just browse around in there for other dates between 1800-1922.

    https://www.loc.gov/collections/hist...ates=1910-1919

    At one point, when mandolin mania was prominent, the publishing houses began selling instruments (example: MarkStern label), because it helped the sheet music business to print mandolin methods (as well as for other instruments), sell mail order instruments, and books of sheet music as well as single sheets. There is a wealth of tin pan alley music out there.
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  11. #8
    Pataphysician Joe Bartl's Avatar
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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Thanks, Mark, for point to the underutilized Library of Congress. I go to the Library every Friday (past few weeks excepted) to volunteer cataloging mandolin sheet music from the 1890-1920 heyday. It's slow going but so far I've added almost 2,300 scores to the online catalog.loc.gov. I have kept a spreadsheet of my additions viewable in Dropbox here. The listing is in composer order though with the right software you can sort this however you like. Unfortunately this is purely a bibliographic listing for information purposes -- the actual music has not been scanned.

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  13. #9

    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Here is a quick and dirty search of OCLC's WorldCat database (a library of library catalogs) for musical scores, keyword "mandolin," published between 1900-1920. There are over 5000 results, with some amount of duplication. But lots of mandolin music to consider.

    Cheers,

    Barry

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  15. #10

    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    On this page from DavidKos's post:
    http://www.paperclipdesign.com/19ctunes/ there are some links to some pages of Waltzes from a Book by Elias Howe (related to the Sewing Machine guy, but not the same person). I have a copy of "Howe's 1000..." published by Mel Bay, along with a "Ryan's collection".

    It had not occurred to me but I guess it makes sense, that if people today play tunes from these 19th century collections, then people in the early 20th century played from them too.

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  17. #11
    Unfamous String Buster Beanzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    If you look about 1/2 way down that list you'll see a tune called Nola by Felix Arndt.
    Aaron Weinstein plays that on his album 3x3 if you want to listen https://aaronweinstein.bandcamp.com/album/3x3
    Eoin



    "Forget that anyone is listening to you and always listen to yourself" - Fryderyk Chopin

  18. #12

    Default Re: What did we play on Mandolins 100 years ago in the USA?

    Check out “All the Rage” for mandolin orchestra songs popular from 1897-1924 by Butch Baldassari and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble.

    https://www.amazon.com/All-Rage-Mand...643527&sr=8-15

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