The advent of the airplane – or “aeroplane” as it was called – appears to have inspired the composition of many aviation themed musical numbers. I discovered a plethora of them in my search for aeroplane waltzes. I have collected a few in the body of this post for safe keeping.
University of California at Santa Barbara’s (UCSB) Cylinder Audio Archive provides an original 1914 recording of the National Promenade Band playing the “Aeroplane Dip – Waltz Hesitation.”
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/OBJID/Cylinder6283
If you are interested in seeing one of these cylinder records in action, youtube user Phonograph Man is here for you. Here is his recording of the Aeroplane Dip Waltz Hesitation:
UCSB’s Cylinder Audio Archive also has a charming recording from its French Series, entitled “Dan Mons Aeroplane.” Google translator tells me this means “My Airplane.” The singer is M. Lucien Margel. The University estimates that the recording dates somewhere between 1900 and 1909.
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/OBJID/Cylinder9559
The sheet music for “Dans Mons Aeroplane” has been made available online by Johns Hopkins University, and includes multiple verses of French lyrics. Hopefully there’s nothing obscene there – I don’t speak French. The University dates the sheet music to 1909.
Johns Hopkins has almost 20 pieces of sheet music related to aeroplanes, including “That Aeroplane Glide” (1912), “The Song of the Aeroplane, or the Flying Machine,” (1897), and “Take Me Up With You Dearie” (1909). I encourage you to check them out, if you find yourself with a yen for aviation related musical numbers.
Ragtime Dorian Henry has recorded the “Aeroplane Rag” and posted it on youtube:
He has also provided “The Aeroplane Rag and Two-Step“:
The sheet music for “The Aeroplane Rag and Two-Step” (1913) has been made available by the Smithsonian. The cover of this piece, also provided by the Smithsonian, was used as the featured photo for this post.
And these are just a few.
Fascinating Rhythms 