Original Rags
Encyclopedia
"Original Rags" was an early ragtime
medley for piano
.
It was the first of Scott Joplin
's rags to appear in print, in early 1899, preceding his "Maple Leaf Rag
" by half a year.
was registered on March 15, 1899, and it was first published by Carl Hoffman of Kansas City, Missouri
. The original cover page showed an old man picking up rags in front of a ramshackle cabin, and has been interpreted as a double pun
, first on the activities of a rag (or junk) picker, and second on a slang term for ragtime, "picking the piano". The rag was given the following credits:
It is not known whether Charles N. Daniels actually arranged the piece, or merely transcribed it. Joplin biographer Rudi Blesh thought it more likely that the credit to Daniels was the publisher's way of acknowledging his help in recommending the piece for publication; Blesh wrote that the music was "unmistakably Joplin" in style.
Although Joplin was educated in composing, Daniels was the established expert in the publication industry and well-versed on how to present the music aesthetically to the public, adding value to Joplin's piece. What Hoffman did not want is for Joplin to take author credit for tunes already commonly known, that is, the music in Original Rags were not his own invention. Joplin was recognized in the area as an educated and accomplished composer, thus receiving credit for "picking" the music. Some feel that racist sentiment led to Daniels getting undue credit, but Daniels was the resident expert in the employ of Hoffman, therefore, one should not expect his contribution and name recognition would be ignored for what was essentially a substantial and speculative investment, publishing an eight page folio of bawdy music.
The rag is not in the sequence "AA BB A CC DD" more typical of Joplin. Like the posthumously published "Reflection Rag", it features five themes, but the "Original Rag" delays reentry of the first theme until after the modulation
. The piece is mostly in G major
except for the "C" section, which is in C major
, and the "D" section (marked "Brilliant" in the sheet music), which is in D major
. Ragtime historians have commented on the harmonic similarity between the "D" section of "Original Rags" and the "A" section of H. O. Wheeler's "A Virginny Frolic" published by Carl Hoffman the year before. Blesh appreciated it as "a charming and auspicious beginning to the life work of the master ragtime composer".
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
medley for piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
It was the first of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
's rags to appear in print, in early 1899, preceding his "Maple Leaf Rag
Maple Leaf Rag
The "Maple Leaf Rag" is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and is one of the most famous of all ragtime pieces, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. As a result Joplin was called the "King...
" by half a year.
Publication history
The tune's copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
was registered on March 15, 1899, and it was first published by Carl Hoffman of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The original cover page showed an old man picking up rags in front of a ramshackle cabin, and has been interpreted as a double pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
, first on the activities of a rag (or junk) picker, and second on a slang term for ragtime, "picking the piano". The rag was given the following credits:
-
-
- Picked By Scott Joplin
- Arranged By Chas. N. Daniels.
-
It is not known whether Charles N. Daniels actually arranged the piece, or merely transcribed it. Joplin biographer Rudi Blesh thought it more likely that the credit to Daniels was the publisher's way of acknowledging his help in recommending the piece for publication; Blesh wrote that the music was "unmistakably Joplin" in style.
Although Joplin was educated in composing, Daniels was the established expert in the publication industry and well-versed on how to present the music aesthetically to the public, adding value to Joplin's piece. What Hoffman did not want is for Joplin to take author credit for tunes already commonly known, that is, the music in Original Rags were not his own invention. Joplin was recognized in the area as an educated and accomplished composer, thus receiving credit for "picking" the music. Some feel that racist sentiment led to Daniels getting undue credit, but Daniels was the resident expert in the employ of Hoffman, therefore, one should not expect his contribution and name recognition would be ignored for what was essentially a substantial and speculative investment, publishing an eight page folio of bawdy music.
Structure
The composition has the following musical structure:-
-
- Introduction AA BB CC Modulation A DD EE.
-
The rag is not in the sequence "AA BB A CC DD" more typical of Joplin. Like the posthumously published "Reflection Rag", it features five themes, but the "Original Rag" delays reentry of the first theme until after the modulation
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
. The piece is mostly in G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
except for the "C" section, which is in C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
, and the "D" section (marked "Brilliant" in the sheet music), which is in D major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
. Ragtime historians have commented on the harmonic similarity between the "D" section of "Original Rags" and the "A" section of H. O. Wheeler's "A Virginny Frolic" published by Carl Hoffman the year before. Blesh appreciated it as "a charming and auspicious beginning to the life work of the master ragtime composer".
External links
- Musical score and MIDI file at the Mutopia ProjectMutopia projectThe Mutopia Project is a volunteer-run effort to create a library of free content sheet music, in a way similar to Project Gutenberg's library of public domain books.The music is reproduced from old scores that are out of copyright...
- Free typeset sheet music from Cantorion.org.
- Youtube video of "Original Rags" being played