Maple Leaf Rag

In contrast to these “American” creations by foreign-born musicians, ragtime is a quintessentially native tradition that peaked in popularity during the late 19th-century in the central U.S. Foremost among ragtime composers, Scott Joplin (1868–1917) typifies how the genre emerged from African-American communities. Its principal features, as evidenced in the ubiquitous Maple Leaf Rag, include syncopated or “ragged” rhythm, repetitive harmonic formulas as in blues and jazz, and adaptations of popular American march melodies. Published in 1899, the Maple Leaf Rag brought Joplin national fame and temporary financial security. However, his subsequent life was marked by personal loss and struggle. At his death in 1917 he was largely unknown as a composer of serious music. Thanks to several prominent ragtime-era revivals, including films like The Sting (1973) that used Joplin’s The Entertainer, his music survives to the modern era.

(c) Jason Stell