Ragtime: 6 Rags for Violin and Piano (arr. Itzhak Perlman); Scott Joplin

Ragtime: 6 Rags for Violin and Piano by Scott Joplin

Arranged by Itzhak Perlman. Great Performers Edition. Published by Schirmer

Scott Joplin (c.1868-1917) was the most famous and renowned composer of ragtime in history. His stellar debut at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair kickstarted the ragtime craze in America. He was classically trained and sought in his numerous compositions to elevate the highly rhythmic and colorful form with counterpoint, classical structures, and artful expression. Historian Bill Ryerson wrote, ''Joplin did for the rag what Chopin did for the mazurka.''

Itzhak Perlman further realizes the classical potential of Joplin's work in these six arrangements for violin and piano, based on the 1975 recordings he made with Andre Previn. He writes: ''The violin, which naturally displays music's most soulful qualities, surely would be an apt voice for realizing this composer's very individual spirit... I chose works which represent Joplin in a variety of moods, joyful, sad or meditative. The exuberant qualities of "The Rag-Time Dance," for example, contrast with the more introspective solemn character of "Solace" or "Bethena," achieved through his innovative use of harmonic progressions and modulations combined with rhythmic pulse and melodic lines.'' Advanced level, Grade 5.

CONTENTS:

Bethena (Ragtime Waltz)

• The Easy Winners
• Elite Syncopations
• The Entertainer
• The Ragtime Dance
• The Strenuous Life