Songs in PIANO-Ragtime ==================== @001 Sweet Adeline by Armstrong. An old favorite from the Ragtime Era performed here in the key of G. Great for singalongs. @002 After The Ball by Harris, C. Performed in the key of F in a "singalong" style. @003 Alabama Jigger by Edward B. Claypoole. January 28, 1913. Jos. W. Stern & Co., New York. Key of C. A "jigger" is a person who "jigs" or dances . It's also a small measure for liquor usually holding 1 1/2 ounces. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC CODA @004 Alexander's Rag Time Band by Irving Berlin (1910). Eubie Blake made the piece popular in 1910 in Atlantic City. Berlin would come into with Sophie Tucker to hear Eubie play and would always ask Eubie to play it. This piece revived Ragtime in 1910, and many people mistakenly believed that ragtime began with Alexander's Ragtime Band. Irving Berlin outlived his copyright of this song (75 years !) @005 American Beauty Rag by Joseph Lamb. (c) December 27, 1913. Stark Music Co. St. Louis. One of the greatest rags of all and a splendid example of the best of the Classic rags, it simply must be heard to be appreciated. It reveals the depth of Lamb's conceptions, his bold originality, and his use of unusual harmonies. The melodic lines alternate between long, sweeping phrases and short, shipping melodies. While section B compliments the A section, the tour de force comes with the short introduction into the C section and throughout C leading to section D with its powerful development into the finale. These sections are more rhythmic than melodic. Austere yet elegant in its sweeping beauty, it is an astonishing yet fitting rag in the development following Excelsior Rag. Structure: AA BB A TRIO-INTRO CC DD @006 Take Me Out To The Ball Game. This well known baseball "anthem" is played here in a spirited singalong style. Melody is played an octave lower in 2nd chorus. Key of C, modulating to Db. @007 Bedelia by Shwartz. A happy , lively stride piece in key of Eb. Celtic flavored interludes throughout. @008 Bethena - a concert waltz by Scott Joplin (1905). The interest here is not only in music that has melodic character and charm but in what was perhaps the first true waltz written in the ragtime idiom. The syncopations of ragtime used in 3/4 time gave a fascinating hesitant effect to the music. The first strain is repeated twice and used in brief for the finale, thus giving the work a rondo-like unity. The forth strain in F has the most marked ragtime qualities. The weak part of the work is in the long and labored modulation which at times actually seem to wander away from the key they are trying to get to, to make a desperate plunge at the end. It would have been better to make the change in one or two bars, in the Schubert style. The length and indecision of the third transitional passage in particular holds up the natural flow of the piece without adding anything of real interest or pleasure. In spite of this, Bethena is an enchanting and haunting work and one of the most unusual waltzes to have been written. Bethena: A Concert Waltz. Scott Joplin. Saint Louis: T. Bahnsen Piano Mfg. Co., 1905. @009 Bill Bailey , Won't You Please Come Home? by Hughie Cannon. (Pub. New York: Howley, Haviland & Dresser, 1902). Hughie Cannon was a top composer of the late 1800's who teamed up with John Queen to write many hit dance songs. This initiated a series of Bill Bailey songs by various composers, and Bill Bailey is still played by jazz bands today. @010 Binks' Waltz by Scott Joplin (1905). This has none of the ragtime flavor of Bethena and attempts to be little more than a waltz in polite Victorian vein, its cover suggesting that it was either intended for or to be about children. Its melodies have a nice Joplinesque flavor with one or two interesting twists. @011 Bird In A Guilded Cage (? 1905) by Vontilzer H. This was a favorite of the Ragtime serenaders in New Orleans. These little "orchestras" were composed of mandolin, bass, and one or two Spanish guitars . They would stand on the banquette outside any home at night and sing, and before long they would be invited in, and an impromptu party would begin. Other Creole numbers they would sing included Les Ognons, Eh! Le Bas, and Hot Time in the Old Town. @012 Bohemia by Joseph Lamb (February 17, 1919. Pub. by Stark Music Co., St. Louis). Most advanced use of tonality in Lamb, with the key in section A not sure until the twelfth measure. A most unusual beginning, starting in the minor mode and ending up in the major. The grace and charm of the B section is achieved by the subtle use of passing tones and syncopation crossing the bar lines which enhances the delicate quality. This section also has an alternate "ad lib" bass in octaves at its start. The high spirits of the C section gives way to an interesting but unusual device for a Classic rag, the 12-measure interlude leading to a repeat of the C section - a throwback to an old cakewalk pattern, much as Joplin did in Eugenia. The repeat marks indicate that the interlude is to be included in the last repeat. A thoroughly delightful rag. Structure: INTRO AA BB A C INTERLUDE-C INTERLUDE-C @013 Bowery . This is a medley of popular singalong tunes from the Ragtime Era. Includes Bowery, Daisy, Daisy and more. @014 A Breeze from Alabama: A Ragtime Two Step by Scott Joplin. Published : Saint Louis: John Stark & Son, 1902. Joplin had just arrived in St. Louis, and had been humiliated in cutting contests with other pianists playing his own pieces like Maple Leaf Rag in a more virtuostic and varied style. Joplin's answer was an "I'll show you!" - so he accelerated his composing, with 4 pieces released in one year (A Breeze from Alabama, Elite Syncopations, Strenuos Life, and The Entertainer ) @015 Give My Regards To Broadway by Cohan. George Cohan was an actor, singer, dancer, playwright, composer, director, and producer. He dominated the American theater at the beginning of the 20th century. As a child he appeared in his family's vaudeville act. The Four Cohans. At age 17 he was managing the act and writing vaudeville sketches and songs. His first full-length play, The Governor's Son, opened in New York in 1901. This fast-paced mixture of popular song, comedy, and melodrama set the standard for subsequent Cohan productions. Little Johnny Jones (1904) introduced two of Cohan's most enduring songs, "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Give My Regards to Broadway." Cohan was a patriot; his tunes "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There" were World War I favorites. In 1923, Cohan took on a serious role as a second-rate variety performer in The Song and Dance Man. Ten years later he gave what many critics considered the finest performance of his career as Nat Miller in Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! Cohan also appeared as Franklin Roosevelt in I'd Rather Be Right (1937). His autobiography, Twenty Years on Broadway and the Years It Took to Get There, appeared in 1925. A film (Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942) and a Broadway musical (George M! 1968) were based on his life. @016 The Cascades - a rag by Scott Joplin (August 22, 1904. John Stark & son, St. Louis). With supreme confidence this rag is described on the cover as 'The Masterpiece of Scott Joplin'. Its publication was back in the hands of John Stark who had great acumen in these matters. Certainly it has the right to be considered one of his greatest masterpieces - if not the. It stands halfway in Joplin's really active career and while having some of the characteristics of Maple Leaf, e.g. the ascending arpeggio phrase near the beginning and a forth theme that has some harmonic affinities, it breaks new ground in the third strain which has a demanding bass part in octaves that calls for some good brassy orchestration. The fourth section has a very happy theme but it is the second that is the real peak and which inevitably sets this piece swinging along. Its 'cascades' of notes on the G7 chord and the inner movement of the following C chords are not particularly complex but certainly one of Joplin's happiest inspirations. The rag has a programmatic connection with the Cascade Gardens that were a notable feature of the St. Louis Fair in 1904, a scenic layout of waterfalls, fountains and lakes. It is altogether a scintillating piece that engenders a considerable swing that we have not connected with ragtime so far. It can be played, and often is, as a very fast piece, but the third strain then often proves a stumbling block, especially when orchestrated. It is most effective in a romping quick march tempo of around (168) (as played in the 'Prodigal Son'' recording) and with considerable bounce. Blesh suggests that the piece asks for a gradual acceleration and, though this is contrary to classic ragtime practice, it does tend to happen without damaging effect. This work is one of the peaks of classic ragtime, a point from which its later developers could take off and it has remained a firm favorite. INTRO AA BB TRIO-INTRO CC DD @017 Castle House Rag by James Reese Europe. Jim Europe was one of the pioneers to invade society's "upper four hundred." These were society's "upper crust" the Astors, Vanderbilts and Goulds. Reese would perform at private parties for 1,000 dollars a night ! ( a big improvement from the players at bars making 6 dollars a night ) @018 Champagne Rag by Joseph Lamb ( September 15, 1910. Stark Music Co. St. Louis. ) An eloquent rag in a light vein which reveals ragtime's link with the march and cakewalk forms. The A section has a lovely melody with a march-like quality. In the B section that quality is more insistent, with a descending chromatic flow of the melody. C section has the stately but sprightly quality of the cakewalk. When repeated, it has an added burst of optimism which is more richly scored, with the melody in octaves. A march interlude with dramatic stop-time effects follows. With old world charm, it glides into the repeat of the A section, but this time in the subdominant, as in the structure of the cakewalk. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC INTERLUDE A INTERLUDE A @019 The Chevy Chase by Eubie Blake. ( October 28, 1914. Jos. W. Stern & Co., New York. ) The B section breaks away from A with great syncopation. The high point in this rag is the trio. Structure: INTRO AA B A TRIO-INTRO CC @020 The Chrysanthemum - an Afro-intermezzo by Scott Joplin(Saint Louis: John Stark & Son, 1905). 'Afro' simply meant Negro in these terms; in fact, there is something of the Gottschalk-exploited Creole element in this charming work. Taken at easy (120) the flowing opening section is light and gay. The intermezzo connotation becomes justified in the third section marked dolce which is yet another of Joplin's happy and completely individuals inventions. A C minor interlude which seems to be leading somewhere, leads, unusually, to a repeat of the dolce third section after which the piece is firmly marked END with a firm final chord. One is not expected or allowed to return to the earlier strains. This firm rounding off of the piece is, oddly enough, something we have hardly met before in Joplin, at least in the rags, and shows his increasing awareness of form and sequential rightness. @021 Cleopha - a march and two-step by Scott Joplin(1902). A fairly ordinary march with just enough spirit in it to allow it to survive. It might seem that Joplin was suppressing his natural instincts to write in white vein or was using up unwanted ragtime material in straight style. It almost seems that, in spite of himself, the last strain very nearly became a bit of ragtime. It became a part of the Sousa band repertoire so it at least had the merit of carrying Joplin's name around the country and into white America. @022 Contentment Rag by Joseph Lamb ( January 10, 1915. Stark Music Co., St. Louis. ) Written as a present for the Starks' wedding anniversary in 1909, it wasn't published then because of Mrs. Stark's illness which lead to her death in the following year. Illustrating a more subdued side of Lamb, it makes a perfect counterpart to Ethiopia Rag. The B section quotes two measures of Maple Leaf's B section but quickly returns to the body of the development. In an unusual design, the C section is used as an introduction to the D section (as Maple Leaf Rag's A section introduces the B). This is a most delightful section which is striking in its strength and grandeur. Structure: AA BB A C DD @023 Cotton Time by Charles Daniels. Daniels had written the fabulously successful Hiawatha - A Summer Idyl in 1901 under the pseudonym of Neil Moret, and it had made him independently wealthy. @024 Country Club - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin (October 30, 1909. Seminary Music Co., New York).The cover portrays a gentleman in full hunting gear on his horse accompanied by one exhausted looking hound. Perhaps the two crochet chords in C with their F# crushed note are intended to portray the call to the hunt but in themselves they are not distinguished; nor does the entire piece manage to find real inspiration. It accepts the average rag speed of (152) and mixes strains that suggest both dance and song. Seemingly like earlier works, this is an advanced working out of syncopated marches contrasted with long-flowing ballad-like melodies. Much of the treble voicing is in thirds (especially the B section). Section D contains an early example of a written "break." The "break" is a musical interruption which separates musical ideas within a phrase and which jazz bands featured as a performance trick rather than as a compositional device. The major ragtime composer to utilize the break as an integral part of the composition was, of course, Jelly Roll Morton. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD @025 Creole Belles by J. Bodewalt Lampe. This 1897 cakewalk received a big and lasting response. Lampe, the bearded , bespectacled bandmaster - was responsible, through his sensationally successful tours, for the spread of cakewalk syncopation to Europe, building upon the popularity of Sousa. A "cakewalk" is a walk that the person who performs the most unusual steps wins a cake as a prize. The "cakewalk" style is a militaristic strutting dance based on this promenade. This is played as a piano duet here. @026 Dill Pickles by Scott Joplin (and Charles Daniels) @027 The Easy Winners - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin(Publisher: Scott Joplin 1901). For reasons unknown, Stark did not publish this piece and Joplin had to be his own publisher. Perhaps his puritanical nature could not support a piece that was written in vindication of sport, including horse-racing. This is all in the cover; the music is simply an easy on the ear, melodious rag in Joplin's mot flowing vein. It introduces a favorite and most effective flattening of the Bb and the Eb in the second and third bars of the first strain and a forward-looking (for its time) bit of 'naturalization' at the end of the second. It floats along ideally at an easy-paced tempo of about (144). @028 Elite Syncopations by Scott Joplin. ( Saint Louis: John Stark & Co., 1902). After several half-hearted works Elite Syncopations comes as a sturdy, honest-to-goodness kind of rag that holds a promise of good things to come. After a no-nonsense introduction it has a new kind of first strain that is faintly related to Maple Leaf but also looks forward to a good many ragtime songs that were to populate Tin Pan Alley. The second strain is one of Joplin's delightful simple piccolo tunes that lends itself nicely to baroque-style ornamentation and an infinite variety of approaches. It is only modestly syncopated by entirely memorable. The two final strains are pleasant and competent without being inspired, the last also having a hint of maple Leaf's second strain about it. This particular rag might be pointed out as an ideal starting point for aspiring pianists in the ragtime idiom; much less finger stretching than The Entertainer; a sort of ragtime primer and probably the easiest to play. Like most, it is marked 'not fast' and falls easily into the (144) tempo that many mid-period Joplin rags hover around, but it can be much faster. @029 The Entertainer - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin (The Entertainer. December 29, 1902. John Stark & Son, St. Louis).This was the number one song on the "top ten" popular song charts during 1974 - a phenomenal occurrence seventy-two years after it was published. Section A features an advanced use of a pianistic call-and-response pattern with dynamic markings indicated by the composer. In section B, the third and fourth measures act as a fill-in between the first two and the fifth and sixth, similar to arrangements of pieces for string orchestra. In the rare two-mandolin-and-guitar arrangement issued by Stark, the string concept is clearly realized especially in the trio. It was even dedicated to "James Brown and His Mandolin Club." Just six months after it appeared on sheet music counters, Monroe H. Rosenfeld, a prominent Tin Pan Alley lyricist-composer, wrote about Joplin in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat of June 7, 1903: "Probably the best and most euphonious of his latter day compositions is The Entertainer. It is a jingling work of a very original character, embracing various strains of a retentive character which set the foot in spontaneous action and leave an indelible imprint on the tympanum." This alluring composition has been one of the reasons for the upsurge of interest in Joplin and this came about partly because we heard it played at a slow and balanced tempo by Joshua Rifkin, and partly because it has responded so well to period orchestral treatment. It is in a completely happy vein, restful, honest, folky but also beautifully constructed and entirely melodious. The simple variant of the typical ragtime opening augers well and leaves us on tiptoe. The first strain is leisurely and the octave chords with an added interior third, although not easy to play, probably have the intended effect of imitating mandolin chording - the piece was dedicated to James Brown and his Mandolin Club. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC INTRO-2 DD @030 Ethiopia Rag by Joseph Lamb. (Not copyrighted but published 1909. Stark Music Co., New York). A startling change of style from Sensation Rag. The trio is one of the most imaginative found in ragtime featuring varied bass patterns with single notes as well as octaves. The riff pattern here (measures 5, 6 and 7) is unique. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD @031 Eugenia by Scott Joplin (February 26, 1906. Will Rossiter, Chicago). An incredibly lovely work showing a growing maturity in dealing with beautiful melodic lines in each section. For the first time, Joplin extends a musical bridge between sections to the entire length of a section. However, this interlude-C interlude-C is among the oldest cakewalk patterns. The fast bass octaves in sixteenths midway in the A and C sections, as well as in the first ending of A, are similar to the embellishments in the hand-played rolls Joplin made. This stylistic feature occurs in some of the earliest of Joplin's rags, including the trios for Swipesey and Sunflower Slow Drag (see also Marshall's remarks). In an unprecedented blurb, Rossiter advertised this rag as "rather difficult." The title was undoubtedly suggested by Eugenia Street, behind the Rosebud in the St. Louis district. We will find a tendency from now on for Joplin to stiffen up a little, moving closer to academic music, with less of the early joyful freedom about them and a more self-conscious use of 'clever' harmonies. Some critics hail this as a growing-up, but there are always two sides to this question of naturalness versus artifice. Most of the really popular Joplin rags have now been published, which is not to say that there are not still many masterpieces to come and several that manage to recapture the old carefree gaiety. Early in 1906 Joplin and his wife parted and this may well have had some effect on his creative outlook. Eugenia bears the legend 'published for band and orchestra' and the new requirement, as ragtime became more readily available in these forms, may also have laid a hand of responsibility on the composer. Eugenia is an involved piece of writing that seems to be going through the motions of ragtime without ever discovering real inspiration - it could have been written under considerable strain. Play at slow march tempo (120) INTRO AA BB A C INTERLUDE C INTERLUDE C @032 Euphonic Sounds by Scott Joplin- a syncopated novelty (Euphonic Sounds. October 30, 1909. Seminary Music Co., New York). More of a musical exercise, it is one of Joplin's most ambitious creation. The entire conception illustrates his heaviest leanings toward European romanticism. The A and B sections have eliminated the standard left hand of ragtime (Octave-Chord, Octave-Chord). Interestingly, the ending of section A is similar to the comparable ending of A in Pine Apple Rag. B section is one of his most high-reaching ragtime selections. The use of the minor tonality combined with diminished chords and the usual major tonality, gives this rag a wide variety of expression, creating several moods. As its sub-title immediately suggests, Joplin may have been consciously trying to escape from the bounds of strict ragtime in this ambitious and interesting piece of writing. It looks different on the printed page. The customary ragtime stride bass is practically absent, replaced by quaver and broken runs and syncopated block chords alternated. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC A CODA @033 The Favorite - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin(June 23, 1904. A. W. Perry & Sons' Music Co., Sedalia, Mo).Although published in 1904, it was written in 1900. In fact, the B section with its minor tonality (G minor) going to its relative major (B flat) is similar to the writing of the Ragtime Dance, probably written at the same time. D section harks back to the A section, very march-like. A growing refinement in Joplin's rags is absent from this item which dates back to earlier Sedalia days, having been bought by the publisher in 1900 but not published for four years. The same publisher turned down Maple Leaf Rag. It is not particularly distinguished and with its triplets in the first measure (which don't really suit ragtime) has more of a march character. It is marked 'slow march tempo' and seems right about (126). Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD @034 Felicity Rag - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin (with Scott Hayden) (1911. Saint Louis and New York: Stark Music Printing and Publishing Co).The first two themes are probably by Hayden and Joplin adding a third strain, the only one that clearly shows his characteristics. The whole work seems unambitious and not particularly distinguished as though some remnants of earlier years had been reworked. @035 Fig Leaf Rag - a high-class rag by Scott Joplin (February 24, 1908. Stark Music Co., St. Louis). A masterpiece, Joplin's genius is evident everywhere, from the expansive conception, through the exploring C section, to the jubilant D section. Its subtitle, "A High Class Rag" is certainly apt. The unexpected harmonies in the majestic D section may be described as chromatic writing, but it sounds more as if the whole idea was dictated by the extraordinary harmonic concept. In general, Joplin was more of a pentatonic writer and used less chromaticism than his disciple Joe Lamb. Following two themes in early dance vein, the trio is an ambitious heavily chorded passage and the final section has a choral quality that foreshadows Treemonisha. This and the ensuing rags all indicate constant experimentation on Joplin's part, sometimes successful but mostly moving him somewhat uneasily from home base. c. (144). Curious obsession with being high-class already noted in the above primer, continues in the sub-title of this work. Fig Leaf Rag. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD @036 Gladiolus Rag by Scott Joplin .(September 24, 1907. Jos. W. Stern & Co., New York). This closely follows the sound of the Maple Leaf Rag, especially in the A and B sections. A comparison of the two reveals the change in Joplin's writing style. It has a grand air about it. Section C produces most unusual harmonies which enlarge the scope of this fine work. As in Search Light Rag, this D section harks back to the ebullient ending. A welcome return to ragtime inspiration, Gladiolus has some of the Maple Leaf characteristics, the ascending arpeggios and the second strain notably, but now translated into poetical 'slow march tempo' terms, with a delicate and unforgettable first strain and subtle harmonies throughout. Like Maple Leaf it also employs the more \difficult keys of Ab and Db with good effect. This represents Joplin's successful maturity, the whole piece having a logical sequence of themes, genuine development and a sense of wholeness. (120). Structure: AA BB A CC DD @037 Grace and Beauty: A Classic Rag by James Scott (November 12, 1909. Stark Music Co., St. Louis). Structure: INTRO AA BB A TRIO-INTRO CC DD Undoubtedly Scott's most brilliant ragtime work. In the finest Classic rag tradition, this scintillating composition flows smoothly from one section to the next, progressively developing fresh ideas. Section C starts with the echo device which is imaginatively used again in the D section. @038 You Made Me Love You. Words by Joe McCarthy, music by James V. Monaco. Al Jolson introduced "You Made Me Love You" in "The Honeymoon Express" in 1913. The show marked the first time he appeared in blackface, and the song established another trademark: while singing it he got down one knee and stretched out his arms. He did this simply to relieve the pressure on a very painful ingrown toenail. A quarter of a century later, fifteen year old Judy Garland sang the song to a photograph of Clark Gable in "Broadway Melody" of 1938, which launched your film career. In 1941 ., harry James had his first big hit as a bandleader with "You Made Me Love You", copying Judy's vocal inflections on his trumpet because he liked the way she sang the song . @039 Heliotrope Bouquet - a slow drag two-step by Scott Joplin(w. Louis Chauvin) (1907 Saint Louis and New York: Stark Music Co). This has been described as one of the masterpieces of ragtime and was a meaningful and memorable collaboration. Louis Chauvin was a dissipated young composer and pianist, a Creole, who was to die at twenty-four through the combined effects of syphilis and opium. Joplin visited him and found him toying with two fine potential ragtime themes. These, harmonized by Joplin with his usual skill, are the first two in the work; to which Joplin with his usual skill, are the first two in the work; to which Joplin added two ideally matching third and fourth strains, described by William Bolcom as 'an affectionate postscript'. The sensuous qualities that Chauvin contributed make this an unique work in the Joplin catalogue. A tempo of around (138) suits it very well. But Bolcom demonstrates its effectiveness at the much slower pace of about (112) adding considerable rubato. @040 This is a medley of Indiana, For Me and My Gal, and Strutter's @041 Kentucky Babe by A. Geibel. A gentle, whimsical piece in 6/8. @042 Kismet Rag by Scott Joplin (with Scott Hayden) (1913 -Saint Louis: Stark Music Co). Both this and Felicity carry only the name of Joplin on the cover although Scott Hayden is credited within. Again we find a three-theme rag with a varied form of A rounding things off to make four sections. As with the Felicity Rag it gives the impression of using up old material but with considerably more success. Its tunes have a vaudeville air about them, minstrel-type tunes with one strain reminiscent of The Preacher And The Bear. Tempo - About (152). Kismet Rag. Scott Joplin and Scott Hayden. @043 Leola - a two-step by Scott Joplin (Not copyrighted but published 1905. American Music Syndicate, St. Louis) . This has the distinction of being the first Joplin piece to bear the full health warning: 'Notice! Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play "ragtime" fast. Author'; and it has no introductory bars but plunges straight into its first 'slow march tempo' theme. It also had the distinction of being 'entered at Stationer's Hall, London, England', the old way of establishing British copyright, but no British publication has been recorded. It is a strange piece with the unsatisfactory quality of suggesting that Joplin, in his quest for ragtime progress, was stifling some of his natural vivacity in favor of the more conventional strains of the parlor and concert hall. It is dedicated to Miss Minnie Wade. It was not a piece that found much popularity and was not rediscovered and restored until the 1950s. It takes an easy tempo of around (120) which allows its sweet Spanish flavor to come to the fore. Structure: AA BB A CC DD @044 Lily Queen - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin (w. Arthur Marshall) (1907 - New York: W. W. Stuart ).As if to confirm a new found faith and touch in ragtime, Joplin moves into several successful collaborations again - notably Heliotrope Bouquet below. With, the cover suggests, a Gibson girl inspiration behind it, Lily Queen moves gracefully and charmingly throughout its comparatively simple strains; the first (perhaps the responsibility of Marshall but certainly inspired by Joplin) ingratiatingly melodic; the second flowing; the third with some interesting harmonic contrivances and anticipating Heliotrope Bouquet. It is intended to end with its final strain. (tempo 136). @045 Magnetic Rag by Scott Joplin. (July 21, 1914. Scott Joplin Music Publishing Co., New York. ) The final rag in the most distinguished series of rags by a single composer. Experimenting to the end, he begins with a section that combines the joyous Folk rag style with a bittersweet quality and follows with a B section in the relative minor which changes the rag to a melancholy mood. The 24-measure C section is one of Joplin's most moving, incorporating down-home blues elements with much syncopation. The D section in the parallel minor of A (B flat minor), is the most somber in all of Joplin's rags. Joplin sensed that the rag couldn't end that way, so he repeated the A section twice. As if loath to say farewell to ragtime, he added a joyful coda with which to be remembered. In all, this is Joplin's most autobiographical rag and certainly one of the most moving in all of ragtime. With classical styled cover and marked allegretto ma non troppo, Magnetic Rag is a beautiful, gentle and entirely memorable rag that has something of the tranquil air of The Entertainer about it. It has a distinction of form that equals any of his earlier works, working from the simple opening section, through a strange G minor based interlude, to a heightened and complicated stomp, then through a curious transitory passage marked tempo l'istesso in Bb minor, returning most effectively to the original theme with an attractive coda added. Its range of moods, its natural momentum, its searching character suggest, too late alas, a break-through to a Chopinesque form of ragtime about to be made. Rifkin's performance of this on his memorable first disc is the only one where one feels that he has perhaps not grasped the work's full potential, perhaps taking it at too romping a gait. A tempo of about (116) is suggested. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC VAMP DD A CODE @046 This is a medley of singalongs : Sweetheart and Man In The Moon by Henry Lodge. He worked as pianist for Irene and Vernon Castle at Castle House, where they gave private dance instructions for very high fees. Lodge hung around the publishers' offices where he was hailed as a fine composer of Popular rags. His Temptation Rag of 1909 was an outstanding success, and was played most often in vaudevillle. He led bands in vaudeville and in dance halls. He moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where his orchestra played on the Million Dollar Pier. In 1918 his wife died. In the early twenties he wintered in West Palm Beach, Florida, where his orchestra played for the wealthy. It was there he met and eventually married his second wife, Irene. They had three children - Sally, Arthur and Theodore. He started writing background music for films and, in 1930, lived in Los Angeles while working for Universal and MGM. At the end of the year his family moved back to the New York area, but continued to winter in West Palm Beach where he unexpectedly died in 1933. @047 Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. (1899- Sedalia, Missouri: John Stark & Son )From the musical point of view it is a remarkable composition. We must assume that Joplin had written many unpublished rags and experimented with the form in the blank period between his early marches and waltzes and the appearance of Original Rags and this superb work in `1899. In general it exhibits a firm grasp of form, boasts an imperishable main melody, but paradoxically it is by no means a typical Joplin rag. In fact there is no other work of his really like it in character apart from the device of the ascending arpeggios which we find in the Cascades and one or two other rags and the fact that the second strain is in the 'dance' style that we have already encountered in Original Rags. Without questioning the fact that it has deservedly become Joplin's best-known and most performed work, it is still worth remarking that it is not necessarily among the best in his truly personal lyrical vein. While unquestionably ragtime it nevertheless retains the true nature of a march and thus has characteristics that make it eminently suitable for jazz-styled performance (which is indeed how we have most often heard it e.g. New Orleans Rhythm Kings(AL 3536]) and for straight performance by military band or orchestra. Unlike most of Joplin's pieces it is unharmed by a brisk, even fast performance which has the effect of giving the very mobile and melodic left-hand figure a cohesive life of its own which greatly enhances the contrapuntal nature of the piece. Joplin's own piano-roll performance is very fast and most performers come near to (208) rate of knots which still leaves it open-textured and clean-limbed. Taken slower it tends to fall to pieces and most tardy performances seem cumbersome. The first strain is a miracle of perfection, an inspirational phenomenon, harmonically sophisticated yet completely uncontrived. Structure: AA BB A CC DD @048 Meet Me In St. Louis by Kerry Mills. Kerry Mills was a noted composer of The Ragtime Era, and is considered to be the "father of the cakewalk" with hits like "Rastus on Parade (1895)" and "At a Georgia Camp Meeting (1897)". @049 Mississippi Rag by William H. Krell. (1897-Chicago and New York: S Brainard's Sons ). This is the first completely instrumental rag to appear in print. William Krell was a white orchestra leader from Chicago. The rag, which is in the form of an orchestral fantasia, is made up of a number of folk themes that most likely did come from the river roustabouts. The integration of the separate themes into a cohesive whole was the work of a skillful arranger- composer. @050 Moonlight Bay by Percy Wenrich. Percy Wenrich (born 1880 in Joplin Missouri) was known as "The Joplin Kid" in the 1890's. Joplin was a Western gambling and mining town on those days. Percy performed in bars starting at the age of 12. He then moved to Chicago, and worked for companies that would provide custom songs to customers' lyrics for 10 dollars a tune. Percy would write 15 songs a day for about a dollar per song. He admits he wrote most of his music "just to sell", and said that his biggest hits were "the ones I had to fight the publishers to take." @051 Scott Joplin's New Rag (May 1, 1912. Jos. W. Stern & Co., New York).A magnificent rag combining the sparkling effervescence of his youth with the understanding and maturity gained from his experiments. An extended interlude of minor and diminished chords leading to a repeat of the A section is quite out of character for this rag, but would be appropriate, for example, in Euphonic Sounds. In the midst of his pre-occupation with Treemonisha Joplin turned out this last good rag in the old vein. It is joyful, melodic and with a good stomping bass that takes us back to Original Rags and Swipesey Cakewalk days. The rondo form is again used and the original theme is used three times with two other themes interspersed. It bears an unexpected instruction allegro moderato as if to mark the work of one who was now a composer of opera, but should clearly be taken at (152) or even faster. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC INTRO-2 INTERLUDE A CODA @052 The Nonpareil (None to Equal) a rag and two-step by Scott Joplin. (1907- Saint Louis and New York: Stark Music Co). The A section is surprisingly gentle and flows into the B section which contains a very busy left hand, interspersing rapid 16th notes between the conventional Octave-Chord-Octave-Chord approach. In an effort to unify this rag, Joplin used the same endings in both the B and D sections. Section D has a marvelously pretty melody and an infectious rhythm. A gentle piece in an earlier simple vein that may well have been written previously and rested in the Stark pigeon-holes. It has no special melodic distinction but a use of a running quaver bass in parts of the second strain is distinctive and effective. A slow march tempo of around (120) seems to be indicated. Nonpareil. Not copyrighted but published 1907.INTRO AA BB CC DD @053 In The Good Old Summertime by Evans, G. This favorite singalong is done here in the key of Bb . @054 Original Rags (Picked by Scott Joplin; arranged by Chas. N. Daniels) (March 15, 1899. Carl Hoffman, Kansas City, Mo). A bewitching, irresistible rag that illustrates his genius with folk materials. Until this time, most "rag" medleys consisted of popular songs arranged for piano. He transformed this format in his debut publication from a simple piano song medley to a real piano ragtime medley, clearly establishing his higher musical ideals of syncopated composition. The A section has a decided cakewalk feeling mingled with the minstrel banjo pickings. The D section is remarkable for its harmonic similarity to H. O. Wheeler's A Virginny Frolic (A section), by a strange coincidence published in 1898 by Hoffman. Could Daniels have taken it and syncopated it or did Joplin? The first Joplin rag to appear in print, accepted by the Kansas City publisher who turned down Maple Leaf, it is the first of several of what we might call Joplin's 'happy' or 'dance' rags, obviously written with cakewalking possibilities in mind. It has much of American hoe-down fiddle music in its makeup. As in all the Joplin rags the original 2/4 time tempo should be maintained throughout. We can either say that it is unusual in having five themes or that Joplin evolved to a four theme form inmost of his later rags, probably finding it more to his liken. Its first theme is similar to later pieces like The Ragtime Dance, Sunflower Slow Drag and others that must be considered samples of Joplin exploiting the typical march tempo ragtime pieces that were probably most commonly used for dancing and general public entertainment. The initial section has a distinctive enough melody but is foremost an essay in ragtime syncopation with the fourth and fifth quavers of the bar characteristically tied. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC 1/2INTRO A DD EE @055 Palm Leaf Rag - a slow drag by Scott Joplin (November 14, 1903. Victor Kremer Co., Chicago. A fitting companion to Weeping Willow, this one shares a grace and elegance along with a sophisticated use of anticipatory syncopation (most noticeable in the C section). Asymmetrical phrasing (not only found in the A section here but also in the D section of Weeping Willow) contributes to the darker emotions expressed here and contrasts nicely with the lighter content in the B and C sections. With its melancholy first subject alternating tantalizingly between Bb and G minor, its categorization as a 'slow drag' and Joplin's instructions to 'play a little slow', this one would seem to call for about (124), allowing for subtle emphasis in the melodic line. An element of poetry is gradually creeping into the Joplin rags at this stage and we might even hazard a guess that this could have had vocal origins possibly intended for or taken from A Guest Of Honor. It has a splendidly contrasted and individual melody in Eb for its third strain and it is good to find the high point coming at this juncture. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC INTRO-2 AA @056 Paragon Rag by Scott Joplin.(October 30, 1909. Seminary Music Co., New York). As if Joplin was consciously ringing all the possible changes at this time, Paragon steps back to harmonic simplicity and minstrel-influenced plantation melody. Lovers of early Joplin will rejoice at its flamboyant dance rhythms and catchy melodies. It has a strong first theme and a second which leans on the traditional melody Bucket' Got A Hole In It which, no doubt, Joplin heard many times in his career. The same strain has the right-hand breaks or lead-ins that were to become current in ragtime songs of the ensuing period, one of the hallmarks of much ragtime pastiche that was to follow, e.g. compositions by Zez Confrey and the like. The third song-like strain is clearly marked 'trio' and apes the typical band trio of the time. It seems to require a speed of around (138) to (144).The A section harks back to the A section of Weeping Willow Rag, reminiscent of the plantation era. Section B carries us on to the Sedalia ragtime days, adding a break in measures 3 and 4 which foreshadows a device used by the Novelty rag composers (see Confry's Kitten on the Keys). C section is interesting not only for its block-chorded left hand (similar to measures 9-16 of the A section of Maple Leaf Rag), but for using melodies called for in Treemonisha. Section D combines the flag-waving of the older days with a sophistication found from 1907 onward - a restrained but grandly triumphal ending. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD @057 Pastime Rag No. 1: A Slow Drag. by Artie Matthews. (1913- Saint Louis: Stark Music Co). An exposition of breaks, featured in all three section. The unusual and delightful A section was boldly stolen by Muriel Pollock for her A section of Rooster Rag. Section B is basically a Folk rag-style circle-of-fifths, but here arranged with the finesse characteristic of the composer. C is the climax, with a slurred effect in the right hand which is traded for a walking broken-octave bass pattern in the variation. Those broken octaves hint of the boogie-woogie bass which would be prominently featured throughout the twenties. Structure: INTRO A BB A TRIO-INTRO C C1 @058 Peacherine Rag by Scott Joplin (1901) That Maple Leaf had the effect of truly establishing Joplin was held without reservation by his friend and publisher John Stark who hailed him on the cover of Peacherine Rag as 'The King of Ragtime Writers'. Peacherine, apart from its very pleasant and memorable first strain, is not a particularly notable rag. Its opening (those four bars that seemed to be a particular challenge to the ragtime composers' ingenuity) is not inspired and the second strain indicates one of Joplin's repeated failings in trying to make something memorable of three or four on-the-beat block cords - although he did pull it off once or twice elsewhere. The third strain is an unsuccessful echo of Maple Leaf. Marked 'not too fast' it seems to settle nicely at a tempo of about (144). @059 Pearl of the Harem by Harry Guy. Harry Guy was a popular musician in Detroit. He helped unionize the Detroit musicians in the early 1900's. RP060 Pegasus by James (September 15, 1920. Stark Music Co., St. Louis). The trio uses the same harmonic progression found in such later popular songs as Birth of the Blues and Tip Toe Through the Tulips. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC INTRO BB RP061 Pine Apple Rag by Scott Joplin. ( October 12 1908- New York: Seminary Music Co). This is among the very finest rags ever written. An advanced way of handling folk material, the A section is one of his happiest and brightest. The B section is extremely pianistic with a solid use of rhythm as the major focal point of this section. The C section changes the emotional level to one of introspection. In keeping with this, note the use of the minor seventh in the trio which is the only time Joplin used such an intense blues coloration. Changing moods once again for the last section, Joplin cleverly integrated the former mood while offering a more optimistic outlook. In the last two sections (C and D) the harmonies and use of bass lines are extremely adventurous. In a detailed analysis of ragtime composition, on characteristic becomes evident: the intermingling of pentatonicism, chromaticism, formal European traditions and black folk-materials produces moments of the richest beauty which sometimes defy a one-way analysis of what we hear. This ambiguity arises from the strength of incorporated traditions, a synthesis of both black and white sources, and is at the same time one of the joys of ragtime's art. For example, the most moving idea in Joplin's trio of Pine Apple Rag comes with the melodic and harmonic coloration in the third measure which can be heard three different ways. A jazz-oriented listener would hear this idea as a blue seventh on the subdominant. If the melody line alone is heard, one hears it as a flattened third. It can also appear as an enharmonically-spelled German six-chord (see also the commentary on Marshall's The Peach).The third theme of this rag has the vocal quality that probably suggested its future use as a song (see below); otherwise a strange choice. It is not particularly distinctive except for a joyful and very ragged second theme but is well enough constructed and substantial. INTRO AA BB A CC DD RP062 Pleasant Moments - a ragtime waltz by Scott Joplin (1909 -New York: Seminary Music Co.,). A further attempt, in the manner of Bethena, to write a ragtime waltz. It is by no means as ambitious or as intricate as its predecessor, sticking to four simple sections without linking passages, nor has it the same melodic distinction. It has a gentle nature and considerable delicacy, but one wonders whether the Seminary Music Co. found much sale for this kind of thing. RP063 This is a medley: Poor Butterfly , Only Girl, and Pretty Baby RP064 The Ragtime Dance - a song (w. Scott Joplin) (December 21, 1906. John Stark & Son, St. Louis). Originally written as a folk ballet with lyrics, it was performed at Wood's Opera House in Sedalia before the turn of this century. Published in this form by Stark in 1902, it was a commercial failure. In an effort to recoup his losses, he issued this instrumental version which eliminated a 32-measure verse. This is a joyous work and, in keeping with his other rags written in Sedalia, a most beautiful ragtime number. We can be glad that John Stark renewed his faith in Joplin and in this contentious song to re-publish it in pure ragtime form (even if only to recoup his losses) for it, not unnaturally, harks back to the old Sedalia ragtime dance vein, using the second dance section of the song now as its first strain and tidying up the final stop- time section into something that makes a riotous piano showpiece in any circumstances. As the instructions say: 'To get the desired effect of "Stop Time" the pianist will please Stamp the heel of one foot heavily upon the floor at the word "Stamp". Do not raise the toe from the floor while stamping.' Explicit instructions. The effect as the stop chords and figures move back into a genuine driving stomp at the end is exhilarating. 'Not to fast' but it will hold the road safely at anything up to (160). With experience in not only ragtime, but marches, waltzes and a fair amount of vocal music, oplin was beginning to have ambitions to write something on a larger scale, certainly an opera was hovering very insistently in his mind. His ambition for ragtime was boundless. In this he and John Stark did not see eye to eye. Much as Stark admired Joplin and ragtime he wanted it to stay an unpretentious popular music of solid worth, particularly if it sold in the manner of Maple Leaf Rag. Joplin's first venture into an extended song and dance form was The Ragtime Dance. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC D E F RP065 Ragtime Nightingale by Joseph Lamb ( June 10, 1915. Stark Music Co., St. Louis ) One of the all too rare descriptions of how a great rag was inspired and set about is Joe's story of how he was inspired by Scott's Ragtime Oriole and the concept of a bird-call rag. He didn't know what a nightingale sounded like, but it took a bit from Chopin's Revolutionary Etude and another bit from Ethelbert Nevin's Nightingale Song. Highlight comes in section A which sets a majestic mood, largely in C minor. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC INTRO-2 B RP066 Reflection Rag - syncopated musings by Scott Joplin (December 4, 1917. Stark Music Co., St. Louis). This piece, obviously in the publisher's files, was published by Stark eight months after Joplin's death on 1 April of that year. It is so untypical of Joplin that its authenticity might be doubted. At best it suggests an experimental piece which he may have discarded. In a blurb when this was issued, Stark mentioned two more unpublished Joplin manuscripts owned by him. These were destroyed during the 1930s when the family moved their plant. Reflection is a pleasant rag with a characteristic final section which winds up Joplin's ragtime with a strong, optimistic feeling. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC DD EE RP067 Rooster Rag by Muriel Pollock. (1917 New York: Jos. W. Stern & Co). RP068 Rose Leaf' Rag by Scott Joplin (November 15, 1907. Jos. M. Daly Music Publishing Co., Boston). A further development of Joplin's classic rag style, delicate and assured without actually achieving his utmost m emorability. The second strain has a touch of originality about it. Section A is a study in contrary motion in ragtime. Section B shows a highly developed syncopation pattern for the piano. C section works in the folk idiom with sophisticated harmonies. D section follows the other 1907 rags with a strong and happy finish. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD RP069 Searchlight Rag: A Syncopated March and Two Step by Scott Joplin. (1907- New York: Jos. W. Stern & Co). Yet again Joplin pays tribute to his old friend Tom Turpin with a reflected memory of the gold mining days of Turpin and his brother Charlie in the town of Searchlight, Nevada, way back in 1881. It is a good striding piece with Turpinesque rolling bass that anticipates the developing barrel-house style. The fourth theme brings in a bit of dissonant humor. (144). Optimistic and strutting, the A section looks forward to the brilliant Pine Apple Rag. The C section is unusual for Joplin as he switches the syncopation from right to left and back to the right hand. The D section is in the old socko finish tradition with which he ended his earliest works and which becomes a feature of all the 1907-8 rags. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD RP070 Sensation Rag by Joseph F. Lamb. ( October 8, 1908. Stark Music Co., New York). The most interesting feature of the rag is the way popular harmonic devices were used to construct a Classic rag. Structure: AA BB A CC D RP071 By the Light of The Silvery Moon by Edwards. This favorite singalong is done here in the key of Bb. Note the use of many different stylistic techniques in playing the melody - in 3rds, 6ths, down or up an octave. RP072 Slippery Elm Rag by Clarence Woods. ( December 2, 1912. Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Dallas).Section A combines three features: the "three-over-four," an even flow of sixteenth notes and the syncopation A and B are chromatic melodically, and C has a fine and unusual break which, with the indicated slurs, achieves a blues quality. The whole composition balances chromaticism and blues writing to become one of the most original rags ever written. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC B RP073 The Smiler Rag by Percy Wenrich. (January 2, 1907. Arnett-Delonais, Co., Chicago).His best rag with four strong sections of varying character. A has a fine folk flavor, B features a break, C has a Joplin lyricism since it is stolen from his Peacherine Rag trio, and D is highlighted by treble runs. Structure: INTRO AA BB TRIO-INTRO CC DD RP074 Solace - a Mexican serenade by Scott Joplin (1909- New York: Seminary Music Co).Employing a slow habanera rhythm in three of its four strains and also marked 'very slow march time', this is a difficult piece to give a correct speed to. Evidence tends to show that Joplin's ideas of slow may never have been as slow as many of the metronome markings we have given anyway. His slow probably meant slow in contrast to the breakneck speeds favored by so many flashy pianists. this is not to deny that there is a right sort of tempo for many pieces, dictated by their nature, and which might even go against what the composer originally indicated. Solace can be, and has been, played at tempos in the andante range around (112) and its languorous melodies are extremely effective handled like this. If this takes it outside the strictly ragtime field, no matter; it is a tang- or Mexican serenade, full of ardor and warmth. Was it perhaps in tribute to the solace that his new marriage had brought? Whatever its motivation Solace is a wonderfully effective piece of writing, his only one in tango rhythm. The adjective 'Mexican' may not accurately reflect its true origins which were more probably Cuban, the sort of music that Gottschalk had heard on his travels and which came into America via its trading ports. It can be compared with Gottschalk's Souvenir de la Havane. Known in early American musical parlance as the tangana, the first known Negro publication in this form was Jess Pickett's The Dream which was played at Chicago World Fair in 1893. Joplin might also have come across Will H. Tyer's Maori, published in 1908. If this motivated him into trying his own hand at tango rhythms, the result was predictably a piece in unmistakable Joplin style that bore no clear relationship to anything that had gone before. RP075 Something Doing - a cakewalk march by Scott Joplin (1903). A pleasant but quite restrained rag that might be said to contain nothing that Joplin had not attempted before. A flowing melodic line with a memor able first strain, matched by an equally flowing and attractive second, after that fairly conventional. But it has an undemanding charm about it and tickled the ears of Peter Clayton in '14 Miles on a Clear Night' leading him to a highly fanciful account of ragtime's origins. Texturally suited to a steady (144). RP076 St. Louis Blues by W.C. Handy (1912) . Blues was first introduced to the public in 1912, in the midst of the ragtime scene. The terms "ragtime" and "blues" were interchangeable at that time. W.C. Handy was regarded as the "father of the blues", and labeled several of his published blues as rags. Many other blues from W.C. Handy contributed to the blues "fad" around 1912. RP077 St. Louis Rag by Turpin (November 2, 1903. Sol Bloom, New York,) This was written to celebrate the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, better known as the St. Louis World's Fair, scheduled originally for 1903, but realized a year later. This is the most orthodox of the Turpins, with the usual Classic rag key change to the subdominant at section C, which is a typical melodic trio. However, A does not return after B in the most frequent Classic rag pattern. It features typical Turpin fireworks, beginning with a beautifully syncopated and very pianistic A section. There are breaks in both B and C sections (another pioneering feature in ragtime by the composer). D is the final display, sparked with a blaze of ascending chromatic runs, a fitting overture to "that splendid summer" in St. Louis. This is the first Turpin rage without D. S. DeLisle indicated as arranger. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC DD RP078 Stoptime Rag by Scott Joplin .( June 4, 1910. Jos. W. Stern & Co., New York ). This appears in one sense to be a throwback to the earlier Ragtime Dance in which musical breaks are provided so the dancers' stomping feet could be heard. The stop effects are indicated in the scores of both numbers. Another unusual feature is that there are seven different melodies of 8 measures each, rather than the usual three or four sections containing 16 measures each. Truly an experiment - one which worked. The C section is used as a contrast with long lyrical melody lines in the traditional 16-measure section. Once again Joplin combines the major and minor tonalities in one piece. And, for once, the performer is permitted to play "fast or slow." The cover artist took this literally and put a drawing of a clock on the front in a style unlively enough to suggest that it had been stopped for many years. Joplin had in mind the foot-stamping emphasis that we first encountered in The Ragtime Dance - ' to get the desired effect of "stoptime" the pianist should stamp the heel of one foot upon the floor, wherever the word "Stamp" appears in the music'. It appears, to be exact, 173 times in the printed score so, with repeats, Joplin probably got a rake-off from the shoe repairers. With the stamps taking a prominent part and plenty of silent bars, the rag remains very much an exercise in folk dance, entirely gay and rhythmical, probably using some existing melodies which do not have the Joplinesque distinction about them. With unusual laxity the playing instruction is 'fast or slow'. It is an entirely free and zestful work and, again, in it one sees some of the ideas that were then whirling in his head as Treemonisha occupied so much of his writing time. Structure: AA BB A CC DD EE DD FF GG RP079 The Strenuous Life: A Ragtime Two Step by Scott Joplin.(1902). An unpretentious and not particularly significant or effective rag. Joplin's inspiration seems to have flagged a little in this one. There are nice touches in the third strain but it never manages to really get off the ground. RP080 Sugar Cane - a ragtime classic two-step by Scott Joplin (April 21, 1908. Seminary Music Co., New York). Joplin's liking for vegetable and fruity titles continues with this likewise experimental rag which has a first flowing quaver theme evolving into dance syncopation. You can find echoes of half-a-dozen earlier rags in this piece - Maple Leaf and Original Rags immediately come to mind - but it has sufficient melodic originality to stand on its own as a sturdy and likable composition. It orchestrates well. Also a middle-course tempo piece of around (144). Actually the first J oplin piece to have tempo marking = (100) being suggested. John Stark objected to Joplin's re-use of the Maple Leaf Rag format, as expressed in his personal ledger. These remarks were probably intended for advertising blurbs or for use in his Intermezzo magazine: "No one will perhaps ever surpass Joplin's Maple Leaf, Sunflower or Cascades but alas like all composer do sooner or later, Joplin is verging to the sear and yellow leaf. His muse seems to have been pumped into innocuous (sic) desuetude, and his labored efforts are but a rehash of Maple Leaf or some of his first numbers that no self respecting publisher would print. Joplin's case is pitiful. When he hawks a manuscript around and finally sells it for a few dollars - the next publisher he strikes tells him, 'Why I would have give you $500 for that' - this keeps Joplin miserable and thinking that his last publisher is cheating him. We have several Joplin manuscripts that were written before the spring of inspiration had run dry which we will bring out from time to time." A most interesting variation of Maple Leaf Rag which contrasts nicely with Gladiolus but even more illustrates just how fine an improviser Joplin was. To tie the sections together, as in Nonpareil, he uses the same ending for B and D. Structure: AA BB A CC DD RP081 Sunburst Rag by James Scott ( Not copyrighted but published 1909. Stark Music Co., St. Louis). One of the great joys of Classic ragtime. The intensely pianistic C section has an ascending break of triads that foretells Novelty ragtime. Scott uncanningly predicted specific tunes in much later popular music. This trio, for instance, is identical with a Herb Albert tune called Spanish Flea. Structure: INTRO AA BB A TRIO-INTRO CC B RP082 Sunflower Slow Drag - a ragtime tow-step by Scott Joplin (with Scott Hayden) (1901-John Stark & Son, ). If there is some excuse for confusing Sunflower Slow Drag with Swipesey as both exploit the same initial kind of melody, a slow version of the cakewalk style of ragtime, Sunflower turns out to be the more inspired collaboration. Stark has told us that Joplin worked on it 'during the high temperature of courtship ... while he was touching the ground only in the highest places, his geese were all swans, and the Mississippi water tasted like honey-dew ... a song without words' - a highly poetical and evocative appraisal. But well justified. As Blesh has said: It is 'among the early gems of ragtime'. It builds from a memorable introductory four bars, through a conventional but memorable ragtime dance measure to a delightful second section which manages, as Stark suggests, to call for words, to introduce the exciting stomp element of Maple Leaf's third strain and to handle a block chord successfully by simply repeating the same three inversions of F7. After a four bar modulation, the third strain turns out to be one of the most ingenious and delightful that Joplin ever wrote, with quietly controlled octave crochet left hand and the inspired use of a natural A in the Bb7 harmonies. Even the fourth strain, often the weak one in a Joplin composition, has a nice floating, cheerful air about it. We don't know how much credit Scott Hayden should be given but it is an unusually distinctive case of collaborative rapport. Speed about (144). RP083 Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Leo Friedman. Words by Mrs. Beth Whitson. Illinois born Friedman (1869-1927) was the composer of popular instrumental "reveries," Indian novelties, and cakewalks in the turn-of-the-century mold. Mrs. Whitson was a poetess from Tennessee whose verses appeared in magazines. In 1909 they collaborated on "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland" which they sold outright for a small fee to a publisher, only to watch it sell 2 million copies of sheet music. The following year they wrote "Sweetheart" which sold 5 million copies, but this time they'd been shrewd enough to make a contract for royalties on every copy sold. RP084 Swipesy a cakewalk by Scott Joplin.(with Arthur Marshall) (July 21, 1900. John Stark & Son, St. Louis). If the Swipesey collaboration with Arthur Marshall seems pale after the glories of Maple Leaf it still has an endearing character with four strains of simple, folky tunefulness; an unambitious work as one might expect of a collaboration, but eminently danceable and jazzable. The third section is particularly attractive with a Sousa-like quality about it, a classical descending, imitative melody of mathematical structure. This is the first true slow rag; specifically named as a 'cakewalk' it confirms the variations of speed in this dance, obviously being intended for some kind of slow strut in contrast to the flashier than (132) and is still effective as slowly as (120).The title was suggested by a local Sedalia newsboy (whose photo is on the original cover) who, Stark said, "looked like he just swiped something." This has a simple folk spirit suggested by the "cakewalk" title, but is a polished Classic rag in form and ideas, having little to do with the cakewalk tradition. An important highlight is the lyrical Joplin trio, brought in with abrupt 16th-note bass octaves, much like the embellishments on the hand-played Joplin rolls. The final section is a quintessential Folk rag style stomper - Marshall at his best. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD RP085 The Sycamore - a concert rag by Scott Joplin (July 18, 1904. Will Rossiter, Chicago). The sub-title 'a concert rag' suggests Joplin's i ncreasingly ambitious view of ragtime and its potential acceptance in polite circles. The Sycamore is notable for its interesting harmonies in the second section and apt choice of bass notes. It is a short piece that has something of the air of a ragtime etude about it., A brisk march tempo \of about (160). The most notable development is the treatment Joplin gives his A section, which is a breakthrough in Maple Leaf's A section. The C section is a foretaste of a song in Treemonisha. The D section is unusual for its time with its changing harmonies and use of a diminished chord within such a happy framework. Joplin experiments with textures of sound here and will develop it in later rags. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC DD RP086 Temptation Rag by Henry Lodge. (September 9, 1909. M. Witmark & Sons, New York). An unique rag. The overall tonal plan rejects the classic splitting-in-half in favor of one major key and its relative minor. This, combined with Lodge's flair for long lyrical lines, results in an unusually cohesive and forward-moving rag. But the internal element that makes it a success is a masterful use of varied syncopated patterns for each section. The B section introduces a different idea from A. Section C begins with still another, yet also recalls that of B. D functions as an interlude of largely unsyncopated staccato sixteenths; however, its one syncopation is derived from the opening C pattern. This all lends a developmental air to the rag and contributes to its unity. His greatest success and one of the biggest rag hits of its day, it was appropriately most always performed by a band. Although he composed at the piano, he was, from all accounts, a good performer, but his rags did not become pianistic until 1917. Structure: INTRO AA BB A C D 1/2C B RP087 Tickled to Death by Charles H. Hunter. ( May 11, 1901 Nashville: Frank G. Fite )A joyous, stomping debut. I is a typical Nashville rage in that it combines very ambitious syncopation with simpler cakewalk figures. This became a popular and standard rag, and remained available on piano roll into the twenties. The C section is scored as 32 measures in the tradition of a march. The 32-bar strain, whether derived from the pop song or the march, persisted in ragtime through the Novelty rags of the twenties. Usually the section could be scored as 16 measures with two different endings of four measures each. In early rags, the 32-bar strain is almost never repeated until after an interlude is played. In later ragtime it was repeated immediately. Some of these double-16-measure sections have different ideas in each of their last 8 measures. In two of the Hunter rags, in fact, they are even more asymmetrical in phrasing, as well as in the total concepts. In these, the basic concept overall is indeed 32 measures. Structure: INTRO AA B C INTERLUDE C RP088 Weeping Willow - a ragtime two-step by Scott Joplin (June 6, 1903. Val A. Reis Music Co., St. Louis). This has the same restrained folky atmosphere \about it as The Entertainer and its first strain is amongst Joplin's most endearing efforts. Like The Entertainer it benefits from a slow, delicate approach and need not be played faster than (132).The first two sections seem like a happy, carefree romp during a lazy, sunny afternoon down South. Beautifully melodic and with clever use of syncopation it evokes different images - just what Joplin intended. A wonderfully constructed rag whose various sections bring out differing emotions. Section C begins with a favorite black folk strain, best remembered in 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do. Structure: INTRO AA BB A CC DD RP089 On Banks of the Wabash by Dresser . RP090 Wall Street Rag by Scott Joplin (February 23, 1909.) (Seminary Music Co. New York).This begins Joplin's experimental period and an attempt to continue his programmatic music which he began with The Cascades. He labeled each section, intimating a musical description: A section is entitled, "Panic in Wall Street, Brokers Feeling Melancholy." B section is called, "Good Times Coming." C section ( the most happily syncopated in the entire rag) is titled, "Good Times Have Come." D section is in the fine tradition of having a splendid and victorious ending, utilizing tone clusters and deliberately creating a Folk rag atmosphere for its "Listening to the Strains of Genuine Negro Ragtime, Brokers Forget Their Cares." There is a gentle, lullaby quality to the A section, and the whole rag is of such sensitivity and character that we may infer a new contentment by the composer in the year of his successful second marriage, and the time of his settling permanently in New York City. What his programmatic pre-occupations do produce are some strains of quite remarkable individuality that start to wander beyond the bounds of strictly classical ragtime. The initial 'melancholy' strain has a really emotional quality about it and, with its first four bars utilizing a habanera bass and delicate harmonies, it sets Joplin on a rich strain that he was to exploit more fully in his next work. The third section 'Good times have come' has a distinctly vaudeville air about it and suggests the theatrical potential of Joplin's future work; while the final section with its block chords on the second and sixth quavers of the bar, right in between the beats, is a new trick. Marked to be played in 'very slow march time', William Bolcom's fine performance of it on his 'Heliotrope Bouquet' disc at around (120) seems just about right. Structure: INTRO AA BB CC DD