![]() Joplin was one of the pioneers of this style of music and is credited with creating many of its most iconic compositions. Ragtime music was a popular form of music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known mostly for its syncopated rhythms, which featured accents on the offbeat. At the age of 21, Joplin moved to Sedalia, Missouri, where he continued to play the piano and develop his unique style of ragtime music. From then on, He quickly developed his musical talents and began performing in local saloons and bars. His parents were former slaves who worked as laborers on a farm, and his mother was a skilled musician who played the banjo and the piano.Īt an early age, Joplin showed an interest in music so his mother taught him how to play the piano. Scott Joplin was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1976, almost 60 years after his death.Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist who is widely considered the "King of Ragtime Music." Born in Texas, Joplin was the second of six children, Opera Wire reports. ![]() ![]() Even his failed opera Treemonisha was finally given a staged, world premiere. This was thanks, in large part, to the popularity of the film The Sting and its soundtrack which featured a rag by Joplin called, “The Entertainer.” Suddenly, the world couldn’t get enough of Joplin’s music. The early 1970s saw a revival of ragtime and the music of Scott Joplin. The style evolved into jazz, swing and eventually even, rock and roll. After his death, ragtime fell out of favor. He died there in January of the next year. Though there were a few readings and performances, this work was never fully staged in Joplin’s lifetime.īy 1916, Scott Joplin was suffering from the mental effects of syphilis and was admitted to the Manhattan State Hospital. He traveled to New York City, hoping to find a producer for his next big project, another opera entitled Treemonisha. Bad business deals and backstabbing managers left him in debt and even the score to the opera was confiscated to pay back what Joplin owed. He had written an ambitious opera in 1903 called Guest of Honor. Even with that success, Joplin had many money issues. His 1899 “Maple Leaf Rag” was a huge hit and was quite possibly the first million-copy seller of American music. Louis and began teaching and publishing music. It was a breath of fresh air to American audiences at the close of the 19 th century. Notes happen off-the-beat creating what was called a “ragged rhythm.” Many define the genre as a hybrid of the March form, made popular by John Philip Sousa, with polyrhythms from African music. Ragtime, or the term “rag,” refers to the syncopation that is a prominent feature of the music. Ragtime was a breath of fresh air for American audiences at the close of the 19th century. This is where the world was introduced to “ragtime” and this style quickly became a nationwide craze. In 1893, he traveled with his band to Chicago to be a part of the entertainment around the World’s Fair. He spent his twenties traveling around the American south, performing on any piano, in any venue he could find. Scott Joplin didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps working on the railroad. He sent many gifts and money back to Weiss later on in his career. ![]() Weiss taught Joplin free-of-charge he understood what hardship, poverty and racial inequality was like. He caught the attention of music professor Julius Weiss, a German-Jewish immigrant. The family was quite musical but, it became evident from an early age that Scott was particularly talented. His father was a former slave and his mother was freeborn. Scott Joplin was born in Texarkana, Arkansas in 1868. Composer Scott Joplin was called “The King of Ragtime.” Though his works were popular during his lifetime, Joplin did not have an easy life or kingly riches. Much like mazurkas evoke Poland and waltzes remind us of Vienna, the “rag” will forever be tied to the United States. ![]()
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