Scott Joplin - The King of
Ragtime Writers
Featuring the Maple Leaf Rag (1899) by
Scott Joplin and other Joplin Rags
By
Ted Tjaden
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Recordings available on this page
(see below): |
Maple Leaf Rag, Peacherine
Rag, Solace (A Mexican Serenade).
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Sheet music available on this page: |
See below to
download or view the sheet music for ragtime compositions by
Scott Joplin.
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Recommended reading: |
Edward A. Berlin, King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and his Era
(New York, NY:
Oxford University Press, 1995).
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Scott Joplin is regarded by most as
the "King" of Ragtime Writers, in part due to his early success with
the best-selling Maple Leaf Rag (below) but more importantly
due to the enduring nature and quality of his ragtime compositions.
This page sets out information on Scott Joplin in the following
topics:
1) Introduction
2)
Life of Scott Joplin
3) Sheet Music of Scott Joplin Compositions
4)
.MP3 Recordings by me of Scott Joplin
Compositions
5) Bibliography
1) Introduction
[top]
Although classic ragtime piano is a relatively
narrow aspect of music, most people have heard of Scott Joplin, or
if not, they have heard some of his more well known compositions,
including The Entertainer (below)
or The Maple Leaf Rag (below).
 |
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Although the popularity of the
Maple Leaf Rag made
Joplin a relatively well-known composer, perhaps more so
after his death, it was the enduring quality of his
compositions that have cemented his reputation as the "King
of Ragtime Writers". John Stark, the main publisher for the
"Big 3" ragtime composers (Scott Joplin,
James Scott and Joseph Lamb), was
prone to fanciful puffery in his sales brochures for the
rags he published, but there is something to be said for Stark's
descriptions of these rags:
We have advertised these as classic
rags, and we mean just what we say. They are the
perfection of type. "The glass of fashion and the mold
of form". "Age cannot whither or custom stale their
infinite variety". They have lifted ragtime from its low
estate and lined it up with Beethoven and Bach" (Stark
ad, page 23, in Ragtime Review (Vol.
1, No. 2: January 1915).
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Jasen and Tichenor (1987:83)
describe Joplin's compositions in these terms:
He combined the traditions of Afro-American
music folk music with nineteenth-century European romanticism;
he collected the black Midwestern Folk rag ideas as raw material
for the creation of original strains. Thus, his rags are the
most heavily pentatonic, with liberal use of blue notes and
other outstanding features that characterize black folk music.
In this creative synthesis, . . . the traditional march became
the dominant form, and the result was a new art form, the
Classic rag
–
a unique conception which paradoxically both forged the way for
early serious ragtime composition, and, at the same time,
developed along insular lines, away from most other ragtime
playing and composing.
Fortunately, Joplin's rags have been widely recorded
(see below) and published and there is much
commentary on his music available. The launch of the movie
The
Sting in 1973 which featured a number of Scott Joplin
compositions as part of the soundtrack was responsible for extending
the ragtime revival of the 1950's to the present day (with Joplin's
The Entertainer, featured in the movie, making it in the "Top 10" of the "Songs
of the Century" as determined by the Recording Industry of
America and the National Endowment of the Arts). Ironically, the
movie was set during the Depression, about 10 to 20 years after ragtime's
heyday,
making the music of Joplin chosen for the movie slightly
anachronistic.
2) Life of Scott Joplin
(1868 ~ 1917)
[top]
Fortunately, much has already been written about
the life of Scott Joplin. I highly recommend Edward A. Berlin's King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and his Era
(New York, NY:
Oxford University Press, 1995) as being one of the more definitive
biographies on Scott Joplin (Berlin has his own webpage
here). Berlin has also prepared
a
brief online biography of Scott Joplin for the
Scott Joplin
International Ragtime Foundation). Another useful research resource on Scott Joplin is Nancy
R. Ping-Robbins'
Scott Joplin: A Guide to Research (New York, NY: Garland
Pub., 1998), which contains 1,268 separate bibliographic entries or
citations for information on Joplin and the ragtime era. Because so much has already been written about Scott
Joplin, I set out below only some of the more significant events in
his life:
The Early Years and Family Life
- Most references cite November 24, 1868, as
the date Scott Joplin was born, but research by Berlin (1995:4-5)
suggests that this date, based on what is likely the faulty
memory of Joplin's widow, may be in error. Census data
surrounding Joplin's age is also inconsistent and hence
inconclusive. Despite this, Joplin's date of birth is likely
sometime in 1868, give or take a small period of time. In his
online biography of Scott Joplin, Berlin suggests that
Joplin was most likely born sometime between June 1867 and
mid-January 1868.
- Joplin grew up in a musical family, likely
initially in northeastern Texas. He had an older brother
(Monroe) and a younger brother (Robert) and three younger
siblings. At some point, the family moved to
Texarkana,
possibly as early as 1875 when Scott Joplin would have been
around 7 years old (Berlin, 1995:7).
Brother Robert himself became a well known dancer and
vaudevillian (Berlin, 1995:7).
- Joplin showed some promise as a youth on the
piano and took lessons from various local piano teachers. Of
note, most biographers emphasize the influence that Julius
Weiss, a German piano teacher, had on shaping Joplin's early
musical influences (Berlin, 1995:7;
Jasen and Jones, 2000:26). For a good
overview of Joplin's early life, see Addison W. Reed's chapter
entitled "Scott Joplin: Pioneer" in J.E. Hasse, ed.,
Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York, NY:
Schirmer Books, 1985:117-36.
- Scott Joplin formed a vocal quartet that
performed in Texarkana; in addition, Joplin appears to have
played piano there in dance halls and taught guitar and mandolin
(Berlin, 1995:7)
- It appears that Joplin left Texarkana
sometime in his teens, likely pursuing the life on the saloon
and honky-tonk circuit throughout Texas, Louisiana, Missouri,
Illinois and Kentucky as a pianist (Berlin,
1995:8). Berlin raises the
possibility that Joplin lived in
Sedalia, Missouri, during this time and even went to Lincoln
High School, an all black school in that city (Berlin,
1995:8).
- In 1891, Joplin was part of the Texarkana
Ministrels that faced some controversy at a performance in
Texarkana that summer where it turned out that part of the
proceeds were being raised for
Jefferson Davis, the former President of the Confederate
States of America and supporter of slavery (Berlin,
1995:9-10).
- It is believed that Joplin would been in
Chicago for the
Chicago World's Fair in 1893 which
is
where ragtime as a musical form began to develop and be known to
a wider white audience (Berlin, 1995:11).
Berlin reports that Joplin met Otis Saunders, another
ragtime pianist, at the Fair and the two of them went to St.
Louis and then Sedalia when the Fair ended in October 1893.
(Berlin, 1995:9-12).
Time in Sedalia (circa 1894 to 1901)
- Joplin lived in Sedalia from approximately
1894 to 1901after which he moved to St. Louis. Berlin (1995:13-23)
describes Sedalia at that time as a thriving city with
opportunities for blacks despite it being a largely segregated
community. The city housed the George R. Smith College for black
students where it is believed that Joplin took music courses (Jasen
and Tichenor, 1987:82).
Sedalia also hosted the black Queen City Cornet Band and a
number of honky-tonks along Main Street.
- It is likely that Joplin toured a fair bit
during this time with his Texas Medley Quartette. Berlin
(1995:26) notes that two of
Joplin's early songs, Please Say You Will and
A
Picture of Her Face (both from 1895) were published in New
York state, likely as a result of a tour to that region by the Texas Medley
Quartette.
- Berlin also notes that since Joplin had three
pieces published in Texas (The Great Crush Collision March,
Harmony Club Waltzes, and Combination March, all
available below), so it is likely that
Joplin also spent time in Temple, Texas, likely on tour (1995:27).
It is not clear whether Joplin himself witnessed the "Great
Crush Collision" of trains staged on September 15, 1896 (which
resulted inadvertently in the death of three spectators), but
Joplin's composition named after this event was published one
month later (more information on the historical "collision"
event is available
here and
here).
- It appears that Joplin taught piano to
students and was also a mentor to a number of up and coming
ragtimers, including Arthur Marshall, Scott Hayden and Brun
Campbell (Berlin, 1995:31). Despite this, most
authors suggest that Joplin was likely not much of an
entertainer on the keyboard and was considered only a competent
pianist, especially when compared to the theatrics of many of
the contemporary "rag thumpers" of the time (Jasen
and Tichenor, 1987:85-86).
- Sedalia was also home to two black social
clubs, the Black 400 Club and the Maple Leaf Club, that hosted
dances and social activities, some of which included white
residents as guests. (Berlin, 1995:34-44)
provides a fascinating look at the history of these clubs, their
competition with each other, their role in promoting ragtime
music, and their ultimate demise in early 1900 when they were
shut down by the city.
- Berlin (1995:47)
documents that Joplin likely had written Original Rags (below)
as early as 1897 and had tried unsuccessfully to publish that
piece, along with Maple Leaf Rag (below)
and possibly Sunflower Slow Drag (below),
in 1898 with A.W. Perry & Son in Sedalia. Joplin was successful
in having Original Rags published by Carl Hoffman (Kansas
City) (Jasen and Jones, 2000:27), but Berlin (1995:48) doubts
that Charles Daniels actually arranged Original Rags (as
is indicated on the cover, here).
- Joplin's most famous composition, the
Maple Leaf Rag (below), was published by
John Stark, then of Sedalia. Many commentators have noted the
importance to Joplin of Stark granting a one-percent royalty for
the composition since the composition subsequently sold very
well, possibly as high as one half-million copies (Berlin,
1995:58). The original cover of
Maple Leaf Rag (below) was an
advertisement from the American Tobacco Company portraying the
famous vaudevillians,
Bert
Williams and George Walker (and their dance partners and
future wives).
- One of the many "myths" surrounding Joplin
and his work is the naming of The Maple Leaf Rag and
whether it was named after the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia. One
theory is that there is a Canadian connection to the composition
(since
the maple leaf was a recognized national symbol in Canada since
at least the mid 1850's with the Maple Leaf Forever,
available
here in PDF,
being composed in 1867, for example). One
possible theory, I think unlikely, is that Joplin named the
piece to commemorate the Underground Railway to Canada
(discussed here in
Ragtime Music in Canada)
(Berlin, 1995:61).
Another theory connected to the composition, or at least to the
Maple Leaf Club, is that the "Maple Leaf Club",
which was owned by Will and Walker Williams who were from London, Ontario, was
named for Canada's symbol: Timothy J. McGee, The Music of Canada.
New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1985. Berlin, on
the other hand, has a much more practical explanation: Sedalia
was a city whose streets were lined with maple trees and the was
a current vogue in town to name things after leaves and trees: Berlin,
1995:62. Joplin also used arboreal
and floral themes for naming a number of his subsequent rags.
- During the time Joplin was in Sedalia, he is
believed to have married Belle Hayden, the widow of Scott
Hayden's brother: Berlin, 1995:84.
However, the couple separated around 1903 shortly after the
death of their infant daughter.
- Berlin (1995:85)
notes that on his departure from Sedalia in 1901, Joplin "was
well known locally as both a pianist and composer, was quickly
gaining nationwide fame as the composer of the Maple Leaf Rag,
and was soon to be known as "the king of ragtime writers".
Time in St. Louis (circa 1901 to 1907)
- Compared to Sedalia, St. Louis in 1901 was a
much larger and more vibrant city. Berlin notes that Joplin
first moved to the city's red-light district which was "a major
center for the early development of black Midwestern ragtime" (1995:89).
- This was a prolific time for Joplin, with a
number of his compositions being published in St. Louis by John
Stark, who had also moved to St. Louis.
- In 1903, Joplin filed a copyright application
for an opera called Guest
of Honor, which was briefly performed on tour, but
unfortunately, Joplin was unable to cover the payroll after a
certain point, and his possessions, including the score to the
opera, were seized, and to this date, no known copy of
Guest of Honor has survived (Berlin, 1995:Chapter
7).
- In 1904, the
St. Louis World Fair (the Louisiana Purchase Exposition)
brought a number of ragtime pianists to the area. It would have
been an exciting time to hear ragtime piano (although the Fair
was not without controversy because of the continuing
discrimination that blacks faced). Berlin, for example,
describes a "cutting contest" between Tom Turpin and Louis
Chauvin (Chauvin won) (1995:134).
- It is likely that Joplin wrote The
Cascades (below) to commemorate the Cascades Gardens at the
World Fair, pictured on the cover of his sheet music (see
below).
- Also in 1904, Joplin met a 19-year old woman,
Freddie Alexander, to whom he dedicated The Chrysanthemum
(below). They were married shortly
thereafter on June 14, 1904. After the marriage, the couple went
to Sedalia where Joplin performed. However, his new wife took
sick and eventually died of pneumonia on September 10, 1904.
Berlin (1995:208) has an
interesting theory that Joplin may have memorialized Freddie in
the main character in his opera
Treemonisha.
- During the two and one half years following
the death of Freddie, Berlin (1995:161)
notes that Joplin's output was significantly diminished with the
publication of only three new rags (Leola, Eugenia,
and The Nonpareil, all below),
Bethena (below) and a
number of less successful compositions.
- In 1905, John Stark opened an office in New
York (Berlin, 1995:151). However,
it appears that Stark found the sheet music industry in New York
cutthroat and extremely competitive since he only lasted in New
York until 1910 (Berlin,
1995:195).
- Trivia: Joplin's Augustan Club
Waltzes (below) should have been
spelled "Augustain" after the Augustain
Club in Sedalia (Berlin, 1995:79-80).
In addition, Joplin's Bink's Waltz (below) should
have been named "Bing's" waltz, the nickname of the boy in whose
honor the piece was composed (Berlin,
1995:149).
Time in New York (1907 to 1917)
- Joplin moved to New York, likely in the summer
of 1907.
- Berlin (1995:223-25)
discusses detailed research regarding Lottie Joplin, who Joplin
"married" (likely in a common law marriage) sometime in the late
1910's. Lottie also ran a boarding house and appears to have
managed some of Joplin's late career, being a partner in Scott
Joplin Music Publishing Ltd., which published Magnetic Rag
in 1914 (below). Lottie
survived Scott Joplin's death and continued to be involved in
the affairs of his estate by renewing copyrights in his
compositions. Berlin discusses some of the litigation
surrounding Joplin's estate in Chapter 13 of his book.
- Joplin made contact with several new publishers
in New York, including:
- Joseph Stern, who published
Gladious Rag (1907) (below),
Searchlight Rag (1907) (below),
Stoptime Rag (1910) (below)
and Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912) (below);
- Joseph Daly, who published Rose Leaf
Rag (1907) (below); and,
- Seminary Music, who was the selling agent
for Joplin's piano exercises entitled School of
Ragtime (1908) (below) and who
also published Sugar
Cane (1908) (below), Pine
Apple Rag (1908) (below),
Wall Street Rag (1909) (below),
Solace: A Mexican Serenade (1909) (below),
Pleasant Moments: Ragtime Waltz (1909) (below),
Country Club (1909) (below),
Paragon Rag (1909) (below),
and Euphonic Sounds (1909) (below).
It is likely that Joplin explored publishers
other than John Stark due in part to a growing rift between the
two men regarding Stark's reluctance to pay royalties (Berlin,
1995:186).
- Late in 1907, it is believed that Joplin met with
Joseph F. Lamb in Stark's
New York store (Berlin,
1995:173). Later Lamb visited Joplin
and played several of his
rags. It is likely that Joplin played an influential role in having
Lamb's compositions published with Stark. Evidence of this is
Joplin being named as "arranger" of Sensation
(available here), although it
is likely that Lamb wrote and arranged the piece himself.
- Despite his increasingly declining health, life
in New York was relatively good for Joplin, where he was
enjoying some public success (Berlin,
1995: 192):
In New York, he displayed a
renewed vigor. In a span of two and a half years he had sixteen
publications: twelve independent rags, one collaborative rag, one
syncopated waltz, one habanera and one instruction manual. Many of
these publications were artistic successes, both developing ideas
introduced earlier and pointing to new directions in ragtime.
- It is believed that Joplin finished his
opera, Treemonisha (see
below), in 1910. He apparently approached a number
of publishers, including Stark, Seminary and Joseph Stern, each
of whom rejected his 230-page score. Joplin eventually published
the opera himself in 1911 (Berlin,
1995:198). More information on Treemonisha is
available
here and
here; the Library of Congress has an online essay on
Treemonisha
here.
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Left: Cover page of dance
"Frolic of the Bears" from Treemonisha.
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- Joplin was described as depressed and morose by
William Sullivan, a white Canadian who was taking piano lessons from
Joplin in New York from about 1910 to 1912: Berlin (1995:213).
Apparently he was depressed over
money, health and the difficulties he was facing in getting Treemonisha staged.
- Joplin's later rags became much more complex
and sophisticated, including Euphonic Sounds (below),
Paragon Rag (below) and
Stoptime Rag (below), and his final
rag, Magnetic Rag (below).
Berlin (1995:220) describes his
later works as "stretching the
boundaries". For a detailed analysis of Joplin's late rags, see
Guy Waterman's chapter entitled "Joplin's Late Rags: An
Analysis" in J.E. Hasse, ed.,
Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York, NY:
Schirmer Books, 1985:232-42.
- Berlin (1995:233)
effectively summarizes Joplin's last years in New York, a time
when his compositions were growing in complexity at the same
time his health was seriously declining:
Though the 46-year old Joplin was almost
at the end of his career, in seriously declining health, he was not
declining as a musician. He was still master of his craft, at the
height of his creative powers. He was continuing to respond to his
musical environment, thinking in new ways, creating a new type of
ragtime. This was a growing, dynamic composer betrayed by a failing
body.
- Joplin became quite sick in early 1917 and entered Bellevue Hospital.
On February 3, 1917, he was transferred to the mental ward of Manhattan State Hospital. He died there on April 1, 1917,
at the age of approximately 49 from "demential paralytica" likely caused by syphillis: Berlin
(1995:238).
- Stark published Reflection Rag
(below), which Joplin likely wrote in
around 1907, as a tribute to Joplin after Joplin died (Berlin, 1995:240).
- Joplin also achieved posthumous fame in a
number of other ways, including the staging of Treemonisha
on Broadway and other venues, having his music featured in the
1973 movie
The
Sting, being awarded a special Bicentennial Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for
his contribution to American music, having Billy Dee Williams
portray him in
a
1977 movie about his life, and having his portrait issued on
a U.S. stamp in 1983.
3) Sheet Music of Scott Joplin Compositions
[top]
The sheet music below of Scott Joplin
compositions is set out roughly chronologically into the following
three sections: (a) Joplin rags, marches and waltzes; (b)
compositions on which Joplin collaborated or arranged; and (c)
Joplin songs.
a) Joplin Rags, Marches and Waltzes
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Scott Joplin. The Great Crush Collision March.
Temple, TX: John R. Fuller, 1896.
[view
sheet music]
|
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Joplin, Scott. Harmony Club
Waltzes.
Temple, TX: Robert Smith, 1896.
[view sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. Combination March.
Temple, TX: Robert Smith, 1896.
[view
sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. Original Rags. Kansas City, MO:
Carl Hoffman Music, 1899.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Duke University, Historic American Sheet Music
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Maple Leaf Rag. Sedalia, MO: John
Stark & Son, 1899.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Peacherine Rag.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1901.
[view
sheet music]
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Joplin, Scott.
Augustan Club
Waltzes.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1901.
[view sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Easy Winners:
A Ragtime Two Step.
St. Louis, MO: Scott Joplin, 1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
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Scott Joplin. Cleopha.
St. Louis, MO: S. Simon, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
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Scott Joplin. The Strenuous Life.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Ragtime Dance
Two Step.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1906.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. A Breeze From Alabama.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Elite Syncopations.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. March Majestic.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Entertainer. St. Louis, MO:
John Stark & Co., 1902.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Johns Hopkins University Levy Collection
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Weeping Willow.
St. Louis, MO: Val A. Reis Music Co., 1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Palm Leaf Rag: A
Slow Drag. New York, NY:
Victor Kremer Co., 1903.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Favorite. Sedalia, MO: A.W.
Perry & Sons, 1903.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Johns Hopkins University Levy Collection
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Sycamore:
A Concert Rag.
Chicago, IL: Will Rossiter, 1904.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Cascades:
A Rag.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1904.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. The
Chrysanthemum.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1904.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Rosebud March. St. Louis, MO:
John Stark & Son, 1905.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Johns Hopkins University Levy Collection
[top]
|
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Joplin, Scott.
Bethena: A Concert Waltz.
St. Louis, MO: Bahnsen Music Co. Ltd., 1905.
[view sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. Leola.
St. Louis, MO: American Music Syndicate, 1905.
[view sheet
music]
|
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Joplin, Scott.
Binks' Waltz.
St. Louis, MO: Bahnsen Music Co. Ltd., 1905.
[view sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. Eugenia.
Chicago, IL: Will Rossiter, 1906.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin, Antoinette. March and Two-Step. St. Louis, MO: Stark
Music Co., 1906.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Johns Hopkins University Levy Collection
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Gladiolus Rag.
New York, NY: Joseph W. Stern, 1907.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Searchlight Rag. New York, NY:
Jos. W. Stern, 1907.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Duke University, Historic American Sheet Music
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. The Nonpareil. St.
Louis, MO: Stark Music Co., 1907.
[view
sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. Rose Leaf Rag.
Boston, MA: Jos. M. Daly Music Pub. Co., 1907.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. School of Ragtime.
New York, NY: Scott Joplin, 1908.
[view
sheet music]
|
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Scott Joplin. Fig Leaf Rag.
St. Louis, MO: Stark Music Co., 1908.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Sugar Cane.
New York, NY: Seminary Music Co., 1908.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Pine Apple Rag. New York, NY:
Seminary Music Co., 1908.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
University of Colorado Digital Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Scott Joplin. Wall Street Rag.
New York, NY: Seminary Music Co., 1909.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Solace:
A Mexican Serenade.
New York, NY: Seminary Music Co., 1909.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
 |
Joplin, Scott.
Pleasant
Moments: Ragtime Waltz.
New York, NY: Seminary Music Co., 1909.
[view sheet music]
[Listen
to Connorized Roll purportedly played by Scott
Joplin]
|
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Scott Joplin. Country Club. New York, NY:
Seminary Music Co., 1909.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
University of Colorado Digital Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Paragon Rag.
New York, NY: Seminary Music Co., 1909.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Euphonic Sounds. New York, NY:
Seminary Music Co., 1909.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
University of Colorado Digital Sheet Music Collection
[top]
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Scott Joplin. Stoptime Rag.
New York, NY: Joseph W. Stern, 1910.
[view
sheet music]
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Scott Joplin. Treemonisha.
New York, NY: Scott Joplin, 1911.
[view
preface and Table of Contents] (5 pages, PDF). The
Library of Congress has the complete score online,
available
here.
The vocal score to the
left can be purchased
here.
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Scott Joplin. Scott Joplin's New Rag. New
York, NY: Joseph W. Stern, 1912.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
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Scott Joplin. Magnetic Rag.
New York, NY: Scott Joplin Music Publishing Co., 1914.
[view
sheet music]
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Scott Joplin. Reflection Rag.
St. Louis, MO: Stark Music Co., 1917.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
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Scott Joplin. Silver Swan Rag.
Trust of Lottie Joplin Thomas, 1971.
Work still protected by
copyright. Available in
Vera Brodsky Lawrence, ed., Scott Joplin: Complete
Piano Works (New York, NY: New York Public
Library, 1971).
|
b) Joplin Collaborations and Arrangements
 |
Scott Joplin (and Scott Hayden).
Felicity Rag. St. Louis, MO:
Stark Music Co., 1911.
[view
sheet
music]
Source:
Johns Hopkins University Levy Collection
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin (and Louis Chauvin).
Heliotrope Bouquet:
A Slow Drag Two-Step.
St. Louis, MO: Stark Music Printing and Pub. Co., 1907.
[view
sheet music]
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Scott Joplin (and Scott Hayden).
Kismet Rag.
St. Louis, MO: Stark Music Company, 1913.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin (and Arthur
Marshall). Lily Queen. New York, NY: Willis
Woodward, 1907.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin (and Scott
Hayden). Something Doing.
St. Louis, MO: Val A. Reis Music Co., 1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Cover from
Library of Congress, Music Division [top]
|
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Scott Joplin (and Scott Hayden).
Sunflower Slow Drag.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark and Son, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin (and Arthur
Marshall). Swipesy Cake Walk.
St. Louis, MO: John Stark and Son, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Indiana University Sheet Music Collections
[top]
|
c) Joplin Songs
 |
Scott Joplin. Please Say You Will.
Syracuse, NY: M.L. Mantell, 1895.
[view sheet music]
Source: Photocopy from the
New
York State Library [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. A Picture Of Her Face.
Syracuse, NY: Scott Joplin, 1895.
[view sheet music]
Source: Photocopy from the
New
York State Library [top]
|
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Scott Joplin. I Am Thinking of My Pickaninny Days
(lyrics by Henry Jackson). St. Louis, MO: Thiebes
Sterlin Music Co., 1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Little Black Baby
(lyrics by Louis Armstrong Bristol). Chicago, IL. 1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Maple Leaf Rag (song) (words
by Sydney Brown).
St. Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, 1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Sarah Dear
(lyrics by Henry Jackson). St. Louis, MO: Bahnsen Music
Co., 1905.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. When Your Hair is Like the Snow
(words by Owen Spendthrift). St. Louis, MO: Owen
Spendthrift,
1907.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin, arranger.
Composed by Harry LaMertha. Snoring Sampson: A
Quarrel in Ragtime. St. Louis, MO:
University Music Publishing Co., 1907.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
|
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Scott Joplin. Pine Apple Rag (song) (J. Snyder). New York, 1910.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
University of Mississippi Libraries
[top]
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Scott Joplin. Lovin' Babe.
1911
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Scott Joplin. A
Real Slow Drag. 1913 (excerpt from
Treemonisha).
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Scott Joplin. Frolic of the Bears. New
York: Scott Joplin Music Publishing Co., 1915.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library of Congress, Music Division
[top]
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4) .MP3 Recordings by me of Scott
Joplin Compositions
[top]
Set out below is an experimental .MP3 of me playing
Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. I hope to add more recordings
shortly.
There are also a number of widely available commercial
recordings of Scott Joplin compositions:
Commercial Recordings of
Scott Joplin Compositions:
Set out below is only a select list of Joplin
recordings; there are many, many more available.
- Guido Nielsen, Scott Joplin: The
Complete, Rags, Marches, Waltzes & Songs. Basta Records,
2004. Purchase details
here.
- John Arpin, John Arpin Plays Scott
Joplin, Vol. 1 and 2. Purchase details
here.
- Joshua Rifkin, Scott Joplin Piano Rags.
Nonesuch Records, 1990. Purchase details
here.
- Richard Zimmerman, Scott Joplin: His
Complete Works. Bescol Records, 1994. Purchase details
here.
I hope to shortly order the
following CD from Deutsche Grammophon, a recording from 2005 of
Joplin's Treemonisha:
- Gunther Schuller, conductor.
Treemonisha (Deutsche Grammophon). Purchase details
here.
MIDI Recordings of Scott Joplin Compositions
A number of ragtime music enthusiasts have made
MIDI recordings of Scott Joplin compositions available for free on
the Internet:
5) Bibliography
[top]
- Berlin, Edward A.
King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and his Era. New York, NY:
Oxford University Press, 1995.
- Berlin, Edward A.
Ragtime: A Musical and Cultural History. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press, 1980.
- Blesh, Rudi and Harriet
Grossman Janis. They All Played Ragtime. 4th ed. New York,
N.Y.: Oak Publications, 1966.
- Curtis, Susan.
Dancing to a Black Man's Tune. Columbia, MO: University
of Missouri Press, 1994.
- Frew, Timothy. Scott Joplin and the Age of Ragtime. New York,
NY: Friedman Fairfax, 1996.
- Gammond, Peter. Scott Joplin and the Ragtime Era. London: Angus & Robertson,
1975.
- Hasse, J.E., ed.
Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York, NY:
Schirmer Books, 1985.
- Hubbard-Brown, Janet.
Scott Joplin. New York, NY: Chelsea House, 2006.
- Jasen, David A. and Gene
Jones. That American Rag: The Story of Ragtime from Coast to
Coast. New York: Schirmer Books, 2000.
- Jasen, David A. and
Trebor Jay Tichenor. Rags and Ragtime: A Musical History.
New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1978.
- Ping-Robbins, Nancy R.
Scott Joplin: A Guide to Research. New York, NY: Garland
Pub., 1998.
- Reed, Addison W. "Scott
Joplin: Pioneer" in J.E. Hasse, ed.,
Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York, NY:
Schirmer Books, 1985:117-36.
- Total Joplin: The
Complete Works of Scott Joplin (CD-ROM, Sunhawk, 1996).
Introduction by Trebor Tichenor. Introduces the user to the life
and music of America's ragtime composer Scott Joplin. Includes
the complete collection of scores and digitally restored sheet
music covers, rarely published Williams-Walker prints, a
multimedia review of Joplin's life, and more than five hours of
classic ragtime hits.
- Waldo, Terry. This is Ragtime. New York,
NY: De Capo Press, 1991.
-
Waterman, Guy. "Joplin's Late Rags: An Analysis" in J.E. Hasse,
ed.,
Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York, NY:
Schirmer Books, 1985:232-42.
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