Classical Composer Datebook: November 24
Joplin paved the way for early jazz using syncopated, off-beat rhythm
Brief biography of Scott Joplin, known as 'King of Ragtime' in the later 19th-Century. Famous for 'The Entertainer' piano music - used in the blockbuster movie 'The Sting.'
Scott Joplin, American black composer and pianist, nicknamed 'King of Ragtime,' made his name after the publication of his "Maple Leaf Rag, for piano", which sold over a million copies. He was among the first black composers to have his works published. His music “Piano Rags” particularly The Entertainer, with film arrangement of Marvin Hamlisch, has been made popular as the main theme to the 1973 blockbuster film “Sting” starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
Joplin's Early Life
Joplin, was born in Texas on November 24, 1868. He was the son of a former slave, however, both parents were musically talented, and from them he got his first piano lessons. At 15, he left home to pay his way playing in bars and brothels. In 1893, he was becoming known, enough to play at the Chicago World’s Fair. He set up his first band. Two years later, he studied music at George Smith College for Negroes in Missouri.
Listening Pleasure
Scott Joplin: Complete Works (Rags, Marches, Waltzes& Songs). YouTube, uploaded by Majestic George. Accessed January 16, 2024.
Dario Ronchi plays the Maple Leaf Rag to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Scott Joplin's death. YouTube, accessed January 16, 2024.
Joplin's Career
In 1899, Scott Joplin's bestseller "Maple Leaf Rag" was published. He published many rags, including the acclaimed The Entertainer and the The Ragtime Dance and later produced more extended compositions. Some of those he published were collaborative. "The Entertainer" ragtime piece became extremely famous in 1973, for its arrangement by composer Marvin Hamlisch in the blockbuster film "The Sting" starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The story is about two con men who avenge the death of their friend on a gangster. The film won an Academy award-winning score in music.
In 1903 he formed the Scott Joplin Ragtime Opera company, initially to stage his opera A Guest of Honor. He settled in New York City in 1907, where he also started work on his opera Treemonisha. This was not successful in his lifetime.
Joplin's Death and Revival of Treemonisha
Joplin died severely depressed in 1972, aged 50, when another jazz great Duke Ellington was 18 years old. The same year after Joplin's death, Treemonisha was revived.
Joplin's Awards
- Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970
- Pulitzer Prize award for music in 1976, Posthumous.
Joplin's Legacy
Scott Joplin goes down in musical history as a jazz composer with his reputation resting on classic rags, paving the way for early jazz.
List of Scott Joplin's Major Work
- Maple Leaf Rag, for piano 1899
- The Entertainer and Elite Syncopations, for piano 1902
- A guest of Honor, opera 1903
- The Ragtime Dance, for piano 1906
- Pine Apple Rag, for piano 1908
- Wall Street Rag, for piano 1909
- Treemonisha, opera 1916
Photo Credit:
Scott Joplin. Public Domain
Resources:
- IMP BV (1996)
- The Grove Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan Publishers (1994)
(Note: This piece was originally written and published for Suite101.com, 19 October 2007. I've amended it for Inspired Pen Web. / Tel. 24 November 2021.)
(c) October 2010. Updated January 16, 2024. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved
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