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Scott Joplin

The 20th Century Ragtime King

AMU

Nurse

S & L

April

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Life

Born 1868

Musical parents

Performed locally

1893 => Chicago Columbian Exposition

1895 => Sedalia, Missouri

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1899 => “Maple Leaf Rag”

1901 => Married Belle Jones

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Died in 1917

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Musical Era & Background

  • Syncopation
  • Jig-piano
  • Cakewalk
  • Minstrel shows
  • Classical Music

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  • Ragtime
  • Predecessor of Jazz
  • Swing - Late Notes and Early Notes
  • Early 20th Century
  • Blacks to all

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Music - Reception and Contribution

  • “Maple Leaf Rag” - immediately popular
  • Others - decreasing

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  • “Treemonisha” - not well received.

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  • 50 years lapse
  • Changed ragtime - “Classic rag”

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  • Appreciation of African- American music

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Musical Excerpt #1: Maple Leaf Rag

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Analysis of Excerpt #1

  • Syncopated eighths
  • Steady left hand - pulse
  • No introduction
  • Alternating conjunct and disjunct melody
  • Cut time 2/4
  • Homophonic
  • Sequences
  • Consonant
  • Light

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  • AABBACCDD structure

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  • Perfect Ragtime Piece

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Musical Excerpt #2: The Entertainer

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Analysis of Excerpt #2

  • Introduction - 4 bars
  • Mostly conjunct
  • Homophonic
  • Pulse on left hand - on beat
  • Consonant
  • Forte and Piano

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  • Decisive
  • C Major
  • Cut time 2/4
  • March tempo

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Extras: Opera

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Conclusion

  • King of Ragtime
  • Key factor in the evolution of Jazz
  • 20th Century Era
  • The Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag
  • Revolutionized Ragtime

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Bibliography

“Ragtime.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Last modified July 20, 1998.

https://www.britannica.com/art/ragtime

“Scott Joplin.” Enclyclopædia Britannica. Last modified May 16, 2014.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Scott-Joplin

“Joplin, Scott.” The Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed March 24, 2017.

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fjo70

“Sedalia’s Ragtime Heritage.” Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation. Accessed March 24, 2017.

http://www.scottjoplin.org/sedalias-ragtime-heritage.html

E.U., “JOPLIN SCOTT (1867 ou 1868-1917).” In Universalis education [online]. Encyclopædia

Universalis. Accessed April 2, 2017. Available on http://www.universalis-edu.com/encyclopedie/scott-joplin/

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