Scott Joplin (1868-1917)
While there is uncertainty regarding Scott Joplin’s date of birth,
considered to be in November 1868, there is less doubt as to his
American birth-place: the developing border town Texarkana. This was
situated in the north-eastern corner of Texas close to the state line
that separated Texas from Arkansas. Born just six years after the
abolition of slavery, Joplin’s father had been a slave while his mother
was free born. His parents had amateur musical interests enabling him
to grow up within a musically sympathetic home and by the age of seven
he began piano lessons with a neighbouring white teacher. This local
musician nurtured Joplin’s innate musical gifts and, as well as
providing a rudimentary musical education, encouraged his life-long
interest in music for the stage. By the time he left school in Sedalia,
Missouri, Joplin was sufficiently advanced to earn his living as a
jobbing musician, playing the piano in bars and clubs, writing songs
and performing in a dance band, playing piano, banjo and cornet. It was
these early experiences that led him and other black musicians to
ragtime, a style that had developed from his cultural environment and
in particular the dance music of the black communities. In essence
Ragtime was a fusion of African rhythms, derived from the black slave
community, marching tunes and western European harmony emerging from
native American composers such as Louis Gottschalk and Stephen Foster.
His more than 50 published works include The Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag and The Cascades, inspired by the waterfalls of the 1904 Worlds Fair. In 1976 a special Pulitzer Prize was awarded for his opera Treemonisha.- ClassicsOnline
COMPOSITIONS Joplin Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Please Say You Will, song, voice and piano (Syracuse, NY, 1895) [words: Scott Joplin]
A Picture of Her Face, song, voice and piano (Syracuse, NY, 1895) [words: Scott Joplin]
Great Crush Collision – (The Crush Collision March), piano (Temple, TX, 1896)
Combination March, piano (Temple, TX, 1896)
Harmony Club Waltz, piano (Temple, TX, 1896)
Original Rags, piano (Kansas City, 1899) [arr. C. Daniels]
Maple Leaf Rag, piano (Sedalia, 1899)
- Maple Leaf Rag - Song, voice and piano (1904) [song version of 1899 rag; words: Sydney Brown]
The Ragtime Dance, folk ballet, piano, singing narrator & dancers (1899; fp. Wood’s Opera House, Sedalia, 1899)
- The Ragtime Dance, song, voice and piano (1902) [words: Scott Joplin]
- The Ragtime Dance – A Stop-Time Two Step, pf (New York, 1906)
Swipesy Cake Walk, piano (1900) [in collaboration with A. Marshall]
Peacherine Rag, piano (1901)
Sunflower Slow Drag – A Rag Time Two Step, piano (1901) [in collaboration with S. Hayden]
Augustan Club Waltz, piano (1901)
The Easy Winners, piano (1901)
Cleopha – March and Two Step, piano (1902)
A Breeze from Alabama – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1902)
Elite Syncopations, piano (1902)
The Entertainer – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1902)
I Am Thinking of My Pickanniny Days, song, voice and piano (1902) [1901?] [words: Henry Jackson]
March Majestic, piano (1902)
The Strenuous Life – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1902)
The Ragtime Dance, song, voice & pf (1902) [words: S. Joplin] [based on "The Ragtime Dance", folk ballet, 1899] [also rag, 1906]
Something Doing – Cake Walk March, piano (1903) [in collaboration with Scott Hayden]
Weeping Willow – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1903)
Little Black Baby, song, voice and piano (Chicago, 1903) [words: Louis Armstrong Bristol]
Palm Leaf Rag – A Slow Drag, piano (Chicago, 1903)
A Guest of Honor, opera (East St. Louis, IL, 1903, score lost)
The Sycamore – A Concert Rag, piano (New York, 1904)
The Favourite – Ragtime Two Step, piano (Sedalia, 1904)
The Cascades – A Rag, piano (1904)
The Chrysanthemum – An Afro-Intermezzo, piano (1904)
Bethena – A Concert Waltz, piano (1905) [Ragtime Waltz?]
Binks' Waltz, piano (1905)
Sarah Dear, song, voice and piano (1905) [words: Henry Jackson]
Rosebud – Two Step, piano (1905)
Leola – Two Step, piano (1905)
Eugenia, piano (Chicago, 1906)
The Ragtime Dance – A Stop-Time Two Step, pf (NY, 1906) [based on "The Ragtime Dance", folk ballet, 1899] [also song, 1902]
Antoinette – March and Two Step, piano (New York, 1906)
Good-bye Old Gal Good-bye, song, voice and piano (1906) [music by Mac Darden; arr. by Scott Joplin; words: H. Carroll Taylor]
Nonpareil (None to Equal), piano (New York, 1907)
Snoring Sampson - A Quarrel in Ragtime, song, voice and piano (1907) [words & music by Harry La Mertha; arr. by Scott Joplin]
When Your Hair Is Like the Snow, song, voice and piano (1907) [words: Owen Spendthrift]
Gladiolus Rag, piano (New York, 1907)
Searchlight Rag – A Syncopated March and Two Step, piano (New York, 1907)
Lily Queen – Ragtime Two-Step, piano (New York, 1907) [in collaboration with Arthur Marshall]
Rose Leaf Rag – Ragtime Two-Step, piano (Boston, 1907)
Heliotrope Bouquet – A Slow Drag Two-Step, piano (New York, 1907) [in collaboration with Louis Chauvin]
School of Ragtime, 6 exercises for piano (New York, 1908)
Fig Leaf Rag, piano (New York, 1908)
Sugar Cane – Ragtime Classic Two Step, piano (New York, 1908)
Sensation – A Rag, piano (1908) [music by Joseph F. Lamb; arr. by Scott Joplin]
Pine Apple Rag, piano (New York, 1908)
- Pine Apple Rag, song, voice and piano (New York, 1910) [words: J. Snyder]
Wall Street Rag, piano (New York, 1909)
Solace – A Mexican Serenade, piano (New York, 1909)
Pleasant Moments – Ragtime Waltz, piano (New York, 1909)
Country Club – Rag Time Two Step, piano (New York, 1909)
Euphonic Sounds – A Syncopated Novelty, piano (New York, 1909)
Paragon Rag – A Syncopated Novelty, piano (New York, 1909)
Stoptime Rag, piano (New York, 1910)
Treemonisha, opera in 3 acts (New York, 1911) (fp. Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA, 1972)
- A Real Slow Drag, piano [1913, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
- Prelude to Act 3 [1913, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
- Frolic of the Bears [1915, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
Felicity Rag, piano (New York, 1911) [in collaboration with Scott Hayden]
Lovin' Babe, song, voice and piano (1911) [words & music by Al. R. Turner; arr. by Scott Joplin]
Scott Joplin’s New Rag, piano (New York, 1912)
Kismet Rag, piano (1913) [in collaboration with Scott Hayden]
Magnetic Rag, piano (New York, 1914)
Silver Swan Rag, piano (1914?; published, New York, 1971)
Morning Glories, song, voice and piano (1915, lost) [words: Scott Joplin]
Syncopated Jamboree, vaudeville (1915, lost)
Pretty Pansy, piano (1915?, lost)
Recitative Rag, piano (1915?, lost)
For the Sake of All, song, voice and piano (1915, lost) [words: Scott Joplin]
If, musical comedy (1916, lost)
Symphony No. 1, [orchestra?] (1916?, lost)
Reflection Rag – Syncopated Musings, piano (published 1917; probably composed c. 1907-08)
WORKS BY GENRE Joplin Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Ragtime Dance, folk ballet, piano, singing narrator & dancers (1899; fp. Wood’s Opera House, Sedalia, 1899)(fp. 1902?)(1906?)
- The Ragtime Dance, voice and piano (1902) [words: Scott Joplin] [based on "The Ragtime Dance", folk ballet, 1899]
A Guest of Honor, opera (East St. Louis, IL, 1903, score lost)
Treemonisha, opera in 3 acts (New York, 1911) (fp. Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA, 1972)
- A Real Slow Drag, piano [1913, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
- Prelude to Act 3 [1913, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
- Frolic of the Bears [1915, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
Syncopated Jamboree, vaudeville (1915, lost)
If, musical comedy (1916, lost)
Orchestra
Symphony No. 1, [orchestra?] (1916?, lost)
Piano
Great Crush Collision – (The Crush Collision March), piano (Temple, TX, 1896)
Combination March, piano (Temple, TX, 1896)
Harmony Club Waltz, piano (Temple, TX, 1896)
Original Rags, piano (Kansas City, 1899) [arr. C. Daniels]
Maple Leaf Rag, piano (Sedalia, 1899)
Swipesy Cake Walk, piano (1900) [in collaboration with A. Marshall]
Peacherine Rag, piano (1901)
Sunflower Slow Drag – A Rag Time Two Step, piano (1901) [in collaboration with S. Hayden]
Augustan Club Waltz, piano (1901)
The Easy Winners, piano (1901)
Cleopha – March and Two Step, piano (1902)
A Breeze from Alabama – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1902)
Elite Syncopations, piano (1902)
The Entertainer – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1902)
March Majestic, piano (1902)
The Strenuous Life – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1902)
Something Doing – Cake Walk March, piano (1903) [in collaboration with Scott Hayden]
Weeping Willow – Ragtime Two Step, piano (1903)
Palm Leaf Rag – A Slow Drag, piano (Chicago, 1903)
The Sycamore – A Concert Rag, piano (New York, 1904)
The Favourite – Ragtime Two Step, piano (Sedalia, 1904)
The Cascades – A Rag, piano (1904)
The Chrysanthemum – An Afro-Intermezzo, piano (1904)
Bethena – A Concert Waltz, piano (1905) [Ragtime Waltz?]
Binks' Waltz, piano (1905)
Rosebud – Two Step, piano (1905)
Leola – Two Step, piano (1905)
Eugenia, piano (Chicago, 1906)
The Ragtime Dance – A Stop-Time Two Step, pf (NY, 1906) [based on "The Ragtime Dance", folk ballet, 1899] [also song, 1902]
Antoinette – March and Two Step, piano (New York, 1906)
Nonpareil (None to Equal), piano (New York, 1907)
Gladiolus Rag, piano (New York, 1907)
Searchlight Rag – A Syncopated March and Two Step, piano (New York, 1907)
Lily Queen – Ragtime Two-Step, piano (New York, 1907) [in collaboration with Arthur Marshall]
Rose Leaf Rag – Ragtime Two-Step, piano (Boston, 1907)
Heliotrope Bouquet – A Slow Drag Two-Step, piano (New York, 1907) [in collaboration with Louis Chauvin]
School of Ragtime, 6 exercises for piano (New York, 1908)
Fig Leaf Rag, piano (New York, 1908)
Sugar Cane – Ragtime Classic Two Step, piano (New York, 1908)
Sensation – A Rag, piano (1908) [music by Joseph F. Lamb; arr. by Scott Joplin]
Pine Apple Rag, piano (New York, 1908)
Wall Street Rag, piano (New York, 1909)
Solace – A Mexican Serenade, piano (New York, 1909)
Pleasant Moments – Ragtime Waltz, piano (New York, 1909)
Country Club – Rag Time Two Step, piano (New York, 1909)
Euphonic Sounds – A Syncopated Novelty, piano (New York, 1909)
Paragon Rag – A Syncopated Novelty, piano (New York, 1909)
Stoptime Rag, piano (New York, 1910)
A Real Slow Drag, piano [1913, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
Prelude to Act 3 [1913, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
Frolic of the Bears [1915, revised excerpt from Treemonisha, 1911]
Felicity Rag, piano (New York, 1911) [in collaboration with Scott Hayden]
Scott Joplin’s New Rag, piano (New York, 1912)
Kismet Rag, piano (1913) [in collaboration with Scott Hayden]
Magnetic Rag, piano (New York, 1914)
Silver Swan Rag, piano (1914?; published, New York, 1971)
Pretty Pansy, piano (1915?, lost)
Recitative Rag, piano (1915?, lost)
Reflection Rag – Syncopated Musings, piano (published 1917; probably composed c. 1907-08)
Vocal/Songs
Please Say You Will, song, voice and piano (Syracuse, NY, 1895) [words: Scott Joplin]
A Picture of Her Face, song, voice and piano (Syracuse, NY, 1895) [words: Scott Joplin]
Maple Leaf Rag - Song, voice and piano [1899; song version, 1904, of piano rag; words: Sydney Brown]
I Am Thinking of My Pickanniny Days, song, voice and piano (1902) [1901?] [words: Henry Jackson]
The Ragtime Dance, song, voice & pf (1902) [words: S. Joplin] [based on "The Ragtime Dance", folk ballet, 1899] [also rag, 1906]
Little Black Baby, song, voice and piano (Chicago, 1903) [words: Louis Armstrong Bristol]
Sarah Dear, song, voice and piano (1905) [words: Henry Jackson]
Good-bye Old Gal Good-bye, song, voice and piano (1906) [music by Mac Darden; arr. by Scott Joplin; words: H. Carroll Taylor]
Snoring Sampson - A Quarrel in Ragtime, song, voice and piano (1907) [words & music by Harry La Mertha; arr. by Scott Joplin]
When Your Hair Is Like the Snow, song, voice and piano (1907) [words: Owen Spendthrift]
Pine Apple Rag, song, voice and piano (New York, 1910) [words: J. Snyder]
Lovin' Babe, song, voice and piano (1911) [words & music by Al. R. Turner; arr. by Scott Joplin]
Morning Glories, song, voice and piano (1915, lost) [words: Scott Joplin]
For the Sake of All, song, voice and piano (1915, lost) [words: Scott Joplin]
JOPLIN LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
About Treemonisha (T.J. Anderson, Washington Savoyards)
Black History Month Tribute: Exploring the Roots of Scott Joplin's Swipesy Cakewalk (Carol Gilbert, Associated Content)
The Complete Works of Scott Joplin (New York Public Library)
Happy Birthday, Scott Joplin, Ragtime Composer . . . (Caleb March, finding Dulcinea)
How Scott Joplin Had Wall Street Down (David Yearsley, CounterPunch)
Interpreting Scott Joplin (Kevin Whitehead, eMusic.com)
King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin (zzounds.com)
King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era (Edward A. Berlin, The Free Online Library)
King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era - book review (Jeffrey Chappell)
100 Years of the Maple Leaf Rag (Rex Levang, Minnesota Public Radio)
The Ragtime Music Of Scott Joplin - The Creation of Unique American Opera and Piano Music (Nick Arteaga, Suite101.com)
The Ragtime Story (Jerome J. Wolbert, WNUR.org)
Scott Joplin (Susan Curtis, St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, BNET)
Scott Joplin and St. Louis Ragtime (SoulOfAmerica.com)
Scott Joplin: The King of Ragtime Music (Voice of America)
Scott Joplin Opera Leaps Back to Life (Joshua Kosman, SFGate)
A Scott Joplin Primer (Blogcritics Music)
Scott Joplin’s Opera "Treemonisha" (New World Classics) or here
The Sting Sweeps the Oscars and Ragtime Composer Scott Joplin Gets His Due (History.com)
Books
King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era (Edward A. Berlin, Oxford, books.google.com)
Scott Joplin - Composer (Katherine Preston, Halloway House Pub, books.google.com)
Scott Joplin: A Guide to Research (Nancy R. Ping-Robbins, Routledge, books.google.com)
The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation
Friends of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin House, St. Louis, MO also at St. Louis' Historic House Museums
Joplin @ Wikipedia
Joplin @ About.com
Joplin @ AfriClassical.com
Joplin @ All About Jazz
Joplin @ Answers.com
Joplin @ Edward A. Berlin's Website of Ragtime and Scholarship
Joplin @ Big Bands Database Plus
Joplin @ Classic Cat
Joplin @ Classical Archives
Joplin @ Classical Composers Database
Joplin @ Classical Net
Joplin @ Classic Ragtime Piano
Joplin @ Classics for Kids
Joplin @ ClassicsToday
Joplin @ Dilettante Music
Joplin @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Joplin @ DSO Kids (Dallas Symphony Orchestra)
Joplin @ 8notes.com
Joplin @ Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Joplin @ Essentials of Music
Joplin @ Everything2
Joplin @ Facebook/Scott Joplin Foundation
Joplin @ Famous Texans
Joplin @ Find a Grave
Joplin @ Gibbs Magazine
Joplin @ Geoff Grainger's Webpages
Joplin @ The Handbook of Texas Online
Joplin @ The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music
Joplin @ HyperMusic
Joplin @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Joplin @ IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
Joplin @ Infoplease
Joplin @ InstantEncore
Joplin @ Karadar Classical Music
Joplin @ Knight's Canadian Info Collection/Scott Joplin's Ragtime Page
Joplin @ Nathan Kramer
Joplin @ Al Levy's Music
Joplin @ Library of Congress
Joplin @ Lone Star Junction
Joplin @ Making Music Fun
Joplin @ Meet the Musicians
Joplin @ mfiles
Joplin @ MusicWeb International
Joplin @ musicianguide.com
Joplin @ Mutopia Project
Joplin @ MySpaceMusic (1)
Joplin @ MySpaceMusic (2) -Scott Joplin Foundation
Joplin @ Naxos
Joplin @ The New York Times
Joplin @ NNDB
Joplin @ W.W. Norton
Joplin @ Pascal Naidon's Web Pages
Joplin @ Piano Paradise
Joplin @ Piano Society
Joplin @ Jeff Powell
Joplin @ Ragtime Webring
Joplin @ SameDayMusic.com
Joplin @ St. Louis Walk of Fame
Joplin @ Shades of Black
Joplin @ Songwriters Hall of Fame
Joplin @ Spectrum Biographies
Joplin @ The State Historical Society of Missouri/Famous Missourians
Joplin @ Suite101.com
Joplin @ Texas Music History Online
Joplin @ ThinkQuest
Joplin @ The Unconservatory
Joplin @ US Opera
Joplin @ Vance's Fantastic Classic Black Music Hall of Fame
Joplin @ Victoria's Past
Streaming Audio
Joplin @ The Classical MIDI Connection
Joplin @ Classical Archives
Joplin @ Ryan Delorme
Joplin @ 8notes.com
Joplin @ Free Sheet Music
Joplin @ HyperMusic
Joplin @ Internet Archive
Joplin @ John Roache's Ragtime MIDI Library
Joplin @ Knight's Canadian Info Collection/Scott Joplin's Ragtime Page
Joplin @ Kunst der Fuge
Joplin @ last.fm
Joplin @ Laura's Midi Heaven
Joplin @ Al Levy's Music
Joplin @ MidiWorld
Joplin @ Minnesota Public Radio/100 Years of the Maple Leaf Rag
Joplin @ MySpaceMusic (1)
Joplin @ MySpaceMusic (2) -Scott Joplin Foundation
Joplin @ NPRmusic 1 and 2
Joplin @ "Perfessor" Bill Edwards
Joplin @ Jeff Powell
Joplin @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Joplin @ Rhapsody
Joplin @ Victoria's Past
Joplin @ Warren Trachtman's Ragtime Piano MIDI Files
Joplin @ Werner Icking Music Archive
Recordings
Joplin @ ArkivMusic
Joplin @ ClassicsOnline
Joplin @ Discogs
Joplin @ YouTube
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