Around 1914 there were even reports, which Joplin did not deny, that he was also working on an Afro-American symphony. This was time enough, however, for Joplin to perfect the piano rag form in more than thirty published examples, to establish the ragtime song form (with lyrics added to “The Maple Leaf Rag” and “Pineapple Rag”), and to spread out into other forms: the tango, a ragtime folk ballet, and two ragtime-or Afro-American-grand operas. Ragtime retained its hold right up to our entry into World War i, then to be replaced by the brassy unisons and more martial rhythms of Dixieland jazz. Halfway through that year an American newspaper headline declared “Paris Has Gone Rag Time Wild,” with reports of the French cakewalking in the streets to le temps du chiffon as played at the Paris Exposition by John Philip Sousa’s band. The fad began in 1897, and by 1900 it was a veritable mania. The sudden explosion of this one Joplin number sparked a public rage for ragtime. And it achieved this through fingers on the keyboard radio, television, and sound movies were still only science fiction and the record industry a mere promising infant. This is happening today his piano rags furnished the music for the hugely successful motion picture The Sting, and one, “The Entertainer,” a 1902 hit, has swept the nation again.īut it is doubtful that any Scott Joplin rags would have been thought of by movie producers today were it not for the phenomenon of “The Maple Leaf Rag.” The stupendous international hit that it became in 1899–1900 made it the first instrumental, so far as is known, to top the million mark in sales of sheet music. But there is another, darker legend: Joplin, his full genius unrecognized, his songs bearing the unjust stigma of mere popular success, dying prematurely in mad despair.įinally there is the legend of his belated discovery and recognition. Joplin exemplified the Horatio Alger legend of early success, although he reached beyond the financial rewards that mark the boundaries of Alger’s concept. The career of this black American genius seems almost to be an amalgam of legends. And “The Maple Leaf Rag” was all that he claimed it changed his life, and it changed American music. Recorded in the legendary 1857 Mechanics Hall, this is a genuine “must have” disc for both the casual listener and the seasoned ragtime enthusiast.Scott Joplin, riding high in the early flush of his success, wrote the jaunty words on the preceding page for a song that he fashioned in 1904 from his sensational piano rag hit of 1899. Beautifully played and handsomely recorded, this CD is a highlight of Paragon’s distinguished 38-year career as leading performers of Scott Joplin’s music. A trove of rare photos, period illustrations, and score excerpts, this booklet reveals fascinating new information on Scott Joplin based on recent, cutting-edge research. Complimenting the music is a whimsical 12-page, full color booklet created by the noted artist and ragtime scholar Chris Ware. Included are favorites like the “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer,” along with the world premiere recordings of seven original early 1900s orchestrations which were only recently discovered. With this 72 minute disc, the PRO pays rousing tribute to the “classic” rags of Scott Joplin and his disciples Joseph F. Moreover, these orchestral performances are more relaxed, lightly swingingĪnd possessed of greater period charm than most others of their kind.” “…to use the parlance of the era, this Rialto disc is ‘tops’: the PRO’s use of period percussion and its greater understanding of the underlying rhythmic punctuations of this musicĮven exceeds that of the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble of old. “The Strenuous Life” (1902), Scott Joplin. “Search-Light” (rag, 1907), Scott Joplin.“The Easy Winners” (1901), Scott Joplin.“The Rosebud March” (1905), Scott Joplin.“A Breeze from Alabama” (1902), Scott Joplin.The Sycamore: A Concert Rag (1904), Scott Joplin.“Dixie Dimples” (novelty foxtrot, 1918), James Scott.“Elite Syncopations” (1902), Scott Joplin.“Pleasant Moments” (ragtime waltz, 1909), Scott Joplin.“Magnetic Rag” (“Syncopations Classique,” 1914), Scott Joplin.“The Entertainer” (1902), Scott Joplin.Performed by the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Rick Benjamin conductor. THE PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA (finally) PLAYS ‘THE ENTERTAINER’ The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (finally) Plays ‘The Entertainer’
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