Joplin: Rags and Waltzes

On this CD:

1. Maple Leaf Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

2. The Easy Winners, for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

3. The Entertainer, for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

4. Strenuous Life, The, for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

5. The Cascades, for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

6. Bethena, a concert waltz for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

7. Bink's Waltz for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

8. Heliotrope Bouquet, for piano
Composed by Scott and Chauvin, Louis Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

9. Gladiolus Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

10. Pine Apple Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

11. Wall Street Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

12. Solace, a Mexican serenade for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

13. Euphonic Sounds for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

14. Paragon Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

15. Felicity Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

16. Scott Joplin's New Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

17. Magnetic Rag for piano
Composed by Scott Joplin
Performed by Daniel Blumenthal

Tracks:

The Crush Collision March
Combination March
Harmony Club Waltz
Original Rags
Maple Leaf Rag
Swipesy Cakewalk
Reacherine Rag
Sunflower Slow Drag
The Augustan Club Waltz
The Easy Winners
Cleopha
A Breeze From Alabama
Elite Syncopations

Tracks:

The Entertainer
The Strenouous Life
March Majestic
Something Doing
Weaping Willow
Patr Leaf Rag
The Favorite
The Sycamore
The Cascades
The Chysanthemum
Bethena
Bink's Waltz
The Rosebud March

Tracks:

Leola
Eugenia
Antoinette
The Ragtime Dance
Searchlight Rag
Gladiolus Rag
Lily Queen
Rose Leaf Rag
Heliotrope Bouquet
The Nonpareil
Fig Leaf Rag
Sugarcane
Pineapple Rag

Tracks:

Wall Street Rag (1909)
Solace (1909)
Pleasant Moments (1909)
Country Club (1909)
Euphonic Moments (1909)
Paragon Rag (1909)
Stop-Time Rag (1910)
Felicity Rag (1911)
Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912)
Kismet Rag (1913)
Magnetic Rag (1914)
Reflection Rag (1917)
Silver Swan Rag (1917)

Customer Reviews:

The Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin.......2007-06-08

John Arpin does a great job with these pieces. The songs carry a consistent sound and are played very close to as-written, which comes and goes with old ragtime pieces. The stamping on Stop-Time Rag doesn't have a consistent sound to it, can be a little distracting. Everything else is great, overall I think that it's a great buy, I'm very happy with it.

Another Performer Rewrites Joplin's Masterpieces.......2007-05-31

Once again, another performer feels the need to rewrite the music of the King of Ragtime. Scott Joplin spins in his grave each and every time this recording is played.

Again, to those who believe that concert music is meant to be rewritten by each and every performer I ask, is the same treatment also acceptable for Chopin's and Rachmaninoff's music? Would "Moonlight Sonata" sound better if played at twice the tempo and with a reprise of the first Adagio movement thrown in at the end? Obviously, the answer to these questions is a resounding NO!, so why does one of America's greatest composers get such disrespect?

Interpretation is an integral part of every performance. Adding one's own notes, phrases and chords where none should be is not. Randomly changing the structure of the piece is not. Playing a piece at twice the indicated tempo is not.

One the plus side, the depth of this collection is outstanding. Joplin's lesser known pieces like "Harmony Club Waltz" really shine. The recording is decent in quality, although a bit bassy in places.

While its been stated before, I feel its worth repeating: Buy Joshua Rifkin's performances of Joplin in order to hear how the Master intended his pieces to sound.

complete piano music of Scott Joplin on 4 CD's.......2007-02-14

Although all of the music is terrific it is rather a lot of a similar sound. I think I would have preferred 2 CD's of selected piano works of Scott Joplin. But I did get the music at a good price.

Ragtime Marvel.......2005-10-09

This collection of Scott Joplin's piano music is outstanding. As a lover of ragtime which was a prelude to jazz, I am thoroughly enjoying this collection. If you are not a lover of jazz, you may be a lover of ragtime. Jazz can sometimes be grating on the nerves, whereas ragtime lifts the spirit.

Complete, but poor quality.......2005-09-25

I have been learning some ragtime and wanted to hear more to find other selections to learn. Listened to Maple Leaf Rag, my favorite, first and was disappointed. Listened to others and was more disappointed. Maple flies - much faster than anyone would play it, you can't make out some of the phrases. And talk about ad libs - Tempo, dynamics, embelishments, nuances - I really think he plays some wrong notes too because he's going so fast. It's really a poor recording - and that's just on Maple Leaf. Others with "intros" start quick and then there's a grand pause, not a rest, but nearly a five second break. It's hard to argue how Joplin would have played it, but this is hardly anything I want to try to imitate. The only qualitating factor is the number of songs for the price. A lot of variety of a poor interpretation is only worth 3 stars. if that. Look for Rifkin or a copy that is as written to listen to first, then go for the ad libs and "artistic interpretations"

Average customer rating:

Available at retailers for about $18
A classic compilation
A dis-service to Joplin
Unique
Great set

Scott Joplin: His Complete Works

Manufacturer: Bescol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Ragtime | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin
Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls
Joplin: Treemonisha
King of the Ragtime Writers
Scott Joplin: Piano Rags

ASIN: B000001RR2
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Please Say You Will - Richard Zimmerman
A Picture Of Her Face - Richard Zimmerman
The Great Crush Collision March - Richard Zimmerman
Harmony Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
Combination March - Richard Zimmerman
Original Rags - Richard Zimmerman
Maple Leaf Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Swipesy - Cake Walk - Richard Zimmerman
Sunflower Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
Peacherine Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Augustan Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
The Easy Winners - Richard Zimmerman
Cleopha - Richard Zimmerman
The Strenuous Life - Richard Zimmerman
I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days - Richard Zimmerman
The Ragtime Dance - Richard Zimmerman
A Breeze From Alabama - Richard Zimmerman
Elite Syncopations - Richard Zimmerman

Tracks:

March Majestic - S. Joplin
The Entertainer - S. Joplin
Something Doing - S. Joplin
Weeping Willow - S. Joplin
Little Black Baby - S. Joplin
Palm Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
The Favorite - S. Joplin
The Sycamore - S. Joplin
The Cascades - S. Joplin
The Chrysanthemum - S. Joplin
Rosebud March - S. Joplin
Bethena - S. Joplin
Leola - S. Joplin
Sarah Dear - S. Joplin
Binks Waltz - S. Joplin
Eugenia - S. Joplin
Antoinette - S. Joplin
Snoring Sampson - S. Joplin

Tracks:

Gladiolus Rag - S. Joplin
Searchlight Rag - S. Joplin
The Nonpareil (None to Equal) - S. Joplin
When Your Hair Is Like The Snow - S. Joplin
Rose Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
Heliotrope Bouquet - S. Joplin
School Of Ragtime - S. Joplin
Fig Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
Sugar Cane - S. Joplin
Pine Apple Rag - S. Joplin
Wall Street Rag - S. Joplin
Solace - S. Joplin
Pleasant Moments - S. Joplin
Country Club - S. Joplin
Paragon Rag - S. Joplin
Euphonic Sounds - S. Joplin
Stoptime Rag - S. Joplin
Felicity Rag - S. Joplin

Tracks:

Highlights From Treemonisha - Richard Zimmerman
A Real Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
Prelude To Act 3 - Richard Zimmerman
Frolic Of The Bears - Richard Zimmerman
Lovin' Babe - Richard Zimmerman
Scott Joplin's New Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Kismet Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Magnetic Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Reflection Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Silver Swan Rag - Richard Zimmerman
Lily Queen - Richard Zimmerman
Sensation - Richard Zimmerman

Customer Reviews:

Available at retailers for about $18.......2006-12-21

Excellent collection - but there are re-sellers listed here that are selling this for as much $50 or $60. Yikes, most major retailers are selling this complete set for $18 - so beware.

A classic compilation.......2006-10-07

This collection is one of my most treasured possessions. (My father gave me the original 5-album set in the 70's when it was originally released on vinyl.)

This is the definitive collection of Scott Joplin's work. Richard Zimmerman provides wonderful performances that accurately reflect Joplin's intentions. (As evidence beyond my personal opinion, I submit the recent releases of digital recordings made from Joplin's piano rolls.)

A few points to consider regarding negative comments you may encounter in other reviews:
* This is a digital recording from an analog master. Lack of quality in the recording does not imply a lackluster performance.
* This is a complete collection. Some similarity is due to Joplin re-exploring melodic themes. But some is due to the fact that these are "rags". One might as well complain that all 50's doo-wop (or all 70's disco) sounds the same.
* Many pieces of the period exhibit formal musical structures, such as the marches of John Phillips Sousa. (Both Sousa and Joplin performed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.) Actually, Joplin is responsible for extending the formal boundaries of ragtime to concert waltzes (Bethena) and opera (A Guest of Honor, Treemonisha)
* This is probably one of the few collections which will include selections from "Treemonisha". It is my understanding that after the initial release, one of Joplin's descendants made a copyright claim that was upheld in court. (I presume the issue was that Joplin had to finance "Treemonisha" himself, and therefore the customary performance clearances did not cover those selections.)

For ragtime students and enthusiasts, this is a "must-have" collection at a very affordable price.

A dis-service to Joplin.......2006-02-01

Sadly, the only virtue this set possesses is completeness.

The pianist does not play Joplin's pieces "as written", the piano is of poor quality, and not properly in tune.

This is emphatically NOT the set to buy. A far better set, beautifully annotated and well played on a good concert grand piano, is the complete works played by Guido Nielsen on the Basta Label.

This set is a dis-service to Joplin and his music. He deserves better, and gets it elsewhere.

Unique .......2004-10-19

I have several cd sets of Joplin's music: Rifkin, Arpo, Nielsen, and Zimmerman. All have their excellent qualities. What sets Zimmerman's set apart is the inclusion of excerpts from Joplin's opera, Treemonisha---especially "A Real Slow Drag." Why the other sets do not include excerpts from Treemonisha, I don't know---because they are some of his most beautiful and joyful pieces of music. Of course, you can hear the orchestrated version of Treemonisha in the Houston Grand Opera recording, and it is spectacular. But Zimmerman's piano version, especially of "A Real Slow Drag," is not to be missed.

Great set.......2001-10-16

I guess this will be a rather one sided review. I have been a fan of Scott Joplin since I first learned to play a piano.

I was shocked to see that one reviewer thought it all sounded the same. How silly. All of Frank Sinatra's music sounds like Frank Sinatra. All of Led Zeppelin sounds like Led Zeppelin. So, if the songs were drastically different, I would question if the same author composed them. As it is, though, each song on this set is fantastic!!

I don't know that I have heard of Richard Zimmerman, and I was a little leary as to what I would be getting, I certainly was impressed. Without a doubt the best renditions of "Weeping Willow" and "Bethena" I have heard, and at least a dozen songs I didn't know Joplin wrote.

Tracks:

Original Rags
Great Crush Collision March
Harmony Club Waltz
Combination March
Maple Leaf Rag
Swipesy Cake Walk
Sunflower Slow Drag
Augustan Club Waltz(es)
Peacherine Rag
Easy Winners
Cleopha
Strenuous Life
Breeze from Alabama
Elite Syncopations
Entertainer
March Majestic
Something Doing
Weeping Willow

Tracks:

Cascades
Palm Leaf Rag
Favorite
Sycamore
Chrysanthemum
Bethena
Rose-Bud March
Leola
Bink's Waltz
Eugenia
Antoinette
Rag-Time Dance
Nonpareil
Search-Light Rag
Gladiolus Rag
Lily Queen
Rose Leaf Rag

Tracks:

Solace
Heliotrope Bouquet
Sugar Cane
Fig Leaf Rag
Pine Apple Rag
Wall Street Rag
Country Club
Pleasant Moments
Euphonic Sounds
Paragon Rag
Stoptime Rag
Felicity Rag
Scott Joplin's New Rag
Kismet Rag
Magnetic Rag
Silver Swan Rag
Reflection Rag

Tracks:

Please Say You Will
Picture of Her Face
I Am Thinking of My Pickaninny Days
Ragtime Dance
Little Black Baby
Maple Leaf Rag
Sarah Dear
Good-Bye Old Gal Good-Bye
Snoring Sampson
When Your Hair Is Like the Snow
Pineapple Rag
Lovin' Babe
Unknown Song Fragment

Album Description

Guido Nielsen's third ragtime CD features all of the great ragtime composer Scott Joplin's rags, marches, waltzes and songs on four discs! Stunning cover design by Chris Ware, it is bundled with two booklets and excellent liner notes

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2005-05-19

i saw people writing her that mr nielsen doesnt has the feeling or doesnt play as max morath... well then i see buy the sheet music and look what is written... mr nielsen exactly plays what is written.. except in the ragtime dance and stoptime rag where he dont use stop time....

i can hear in his playing that he is a very talented and gifted piano player who earned his 9,5 on his exam on the conservatory in Utrecht.

if i listen to max morath or joshua rifkin i hear to slow music with out expression, ok mr nielsen plays some pieces to fast... way to fast like peacherine rag.. the sheet music says "not fast" not "not too fast" or march tempo mr nielsen plays it more presto. and some more pieces are like this but overall he plays in a very good talend style.

if you want to chose between nielsen, morath, arpin or rifkin... i say nielsen.

Treasure the liner notes, beware the CDs.......2005-03-19

I hate to say that Nielsen's playing is, while precise and clean, almost strangely unexpressive and unnuanced. He lacks a feel for the certain "catch" in syncopated rhythm that makes players like Max Morath and Dick Hyman such a joy to listen to. His versions are basically demonstrations of what is on the page played by a thoroughly competent pianist who nevertheless does not really "feel" this music, rather as if it were 1904 and he was a pianist at a music store on hand to play through anything you asked for so you could hear how it sounded.

To rip through SUGAR CANE as if it were CAROLINA SHOUT, for example, is to miss what Joplin meant with this piece. And overall, Nielsen seems to render what should be crisp staccato closing notes for phrases as full ones, which especially blunts the snap of stop-time sections in pieces like THE RAGTIME DANCE. Nielsen plays the same way on his Scott and Lamb recordings -- all of these sets are of reference value only.

But Galen Wilkes and Edward Berlin's liner notes are some of the best ever written anywhere for any recording. The text is scholarly in its richness of information, the photographs are invaluable, and Chris Ware's artwork is splendid. This set is worth it for the liner notes alone, including penetrating capsule treatments of each and every piece Joplin wrote and new news on his life and work from research over the past several years. I consider myself to have basically spent the money on a great BOOK, with accompanying CDs as a kind of demonstration bonus.

Guido Nielsen plays Scott Joplin Complete Works.......2004-12-25

I've always liked Ragtime music, usually heard only as brief movie background sound clips. That all changed around 1973 when I saw the blockbuster movie, The Sting, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. All the movie's music was Scott Joplin Ragtime Music played by Marvin Hamlisch.

I became then, and still am, a Ragtime Music devotee. For me, Ragtime can be uplifting, joyful, satisfying, and just fun to listen to. It may help fight Depression. I bought the Dover Publication Book of Joplin's Piano Music. And I learned to play a number of the best known pieces: The Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag, Cascades, Sugar Cane, Elite Syncopations, and others. I don't claim to be anything other than a serious amateur, playing for my own enjoyment, and for house guests.

The movie soundtrack from The Sting, made Joplin's music widely known, and temporarily popular. Pianist Joshua Rifkin recorded three LP 33 1/3 records under the Nonesuch label of Joplin's music. Each of the CD's had 8 tracks totaling about 30 minutes of music. Sadly, these LP's and the corresponding CD's are out of print - no longer available. However, Nonesuch released a Joplin CD 7559-79159-2, with pianist Rifkin, 17 tracks, total time 71:15. This CD is currently available.

I bought Guido Nielsen's recordings of the Ragtime Piano Music of Joseph Lamb, and James Scott. I greatly enjoy these recordings. I obtained the sheet music for a number of the songs that I liked and I've had some success in actually playing the music. Nielsen is certainly a superb pianist.

To finally "get to the point" of all this. I bought the Joplin set of 4 CD's, performed by Nielsen, and I'm disappointed. It seems that Nielsen plays much of the music as if it's a "chore." I don't hear passion, enthusiasm, vitality. Perhaps he simply doesn't like Joplin's music. I'm sorry that I bought the set.

With all due respect to marvelous pianist Nielsen, I challenge anyone who takes issue with my comments to listen, really LISTEN, to Joplin's music as performed by Marvin Hamlisch and Joshua Rifkin. Then listen to Nielsen's recordings and form your own opinion.

Scott Joplin recordings obliterated by Dutch pianist.......2004-05-17

THE ultimate Scott Joplin performances! Forget about the rest: clear, correct AND very musically played rags, marches, songs and waltzes. They're miked very close (like the Lamb and Scott recordings by the same pianist on the same label), which makes even Mr. Nielsen's (sober but efficiënt) pedalings audible. This is the standard, people, by all means!

The King of Ragtime Recordings.......2004-05-13

Wow! The only words that can truly describe this set are exclamations. Mr. Guido Nielsen has done it again. The music is played as written, in a style that is accurate, fresh, and lively. The performances are excellent, although classics like 'Gladiolus Rag' and 'Magnetic Rag' could be played somewhat slower. The cover design is exquisite and the discs themselves are simply beautiful. The two 24-page booklets are crammed with color and black-and-white photographs, not to mention notes of the highest quality. Be sure to read the entertaining advertisements on the last page of the second booklet. I highly recommend this set to anyone interested in ragtime and the music of Scott Joplin. Purchase this set as soon as possible, and if you have not done so already, pick up the Joseph Lamb and James Scott sets produced by the same team. Happy listening!

Silks & Rags: The Great American Main St. Band

Average customer rating:

can't get better than this

Silks & Rags: The Great American Main St. Band
Tom Turpin , Fred S. Stone , Joseph Ascher , Herbert L. Clarke , Louis Moreau Gottschalk , Ludwig Stasny , Walter Milbank , John W. Bratton , Scott Joplin , Eubie Blake , Mark Gould , Sam Pilafian , and The Great American Main St. Street Band
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008G63
Release Date: 1991-10-11

Tracks:

Creole Belles
Harlem Rag
Silks and Rags
Sans Souci
Maid of the Mist
Berceuse
Papageno Polka
Moonbeams
Teddy Bear's Picnic
Cascades
Peacherine Rag/The Favorite
Overture
We're Goin' Around
Sacred Tree
We Will Rest Awhile
Aunt Dinah Has Blowed de Horn
When Villians Ramble Far and Near
Real Slow Drag
Charleston Rag

Customer Reviews:

can't get better than this.......2007-07-05

One the most wonderful recordings of all time. Most amazing group of wind musicians I've ever heard. Unmatched collection of compositions mostly from the Scott Joplin era. All of the B side is instrumental selections from Joplin's only opera.

The Complete Works of Scott Joplin, Vol. 1-5

Average customer rating:

Wilmot
Delightful colletion of Scott Joplin's music
Avoid
One Star for Pity
The Complete Works?? I think not

The Complete Works of Scott Joplin, Vol. 1-5

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Ragtime | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin: The Complete Rags, Marches, Waltzes & Songs
James Scott: The Complete Works 1903-1922

ASIN: B000001VWW
Release Date: 1993-11-30

Tracks:

Please Say You Will
A Picture Of Her Face
The Great Crush Collision March
Harmony Club Waltz
Combination March
Original Rags
Maple Leaf Rag
Swipesy-Cake Walk
Sunflower Slow Drag
Peachtree Rag
Augustan Club Waltz
The Easy Winners
Cleopha
The Strenuous Life

Tracks:

I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days
The Ragtime Dance
A Breeze From Alabama
Elite Syncopations
March Majestic
The Entertainer
Something Doing
Weeping Willow
Little Black Baby
Palm Leaf Rag
The Favorite
The Sycamore
The Cascades
The Chrysanthemum

Tracks:

Rosebud March
Bethena
Leola
Sarah Dear
Binks Waltz
Eugenia
Antoinette
Snoring Sampson
Gladiolus Rag
Searchlight Rag
The Nonpareil (Equal To None)
When Your Hair Is Like The Snow
Lose Leaf Rag
Heliotrope Bouquet

Tracks:

School Of Ragtime
Fig Leaf Rag
Sugar Cane
Pine Apple Rag
Wall Street Rag
Solace
Pleasant Moments
Country Club
Paragon Rag
Euphonic Sounds
Stoptime Rag
Felicity Rag
Lovin' Babe
Scot Joplin's New Rag

Tracks:

Highlights From Treemonisha
A Real Slow Drag
Prelude to Act 3
Frolic Of The Bears
Kismet Rag
Magnetic Rag
Reflection Rag
Silver Swan Rag
Lily Queen
Sensation

Customer Reviews:

Wilmot.......2007-01-10

Well done, with the only drawback that Joshua Rifkind is not at the piano. Sometimes the pace is too frenetic.

Delightful colletion of Scott Joplin's music.......2006-08-17

This is a wonderful collection of Scott Joplin's music. Delightful to own, to play over and over and over.

Avoid.......2004-10-30

I have to agree with "A music fan" is his review of March 2003.

The piano used is poor, and not even all that well in tune. The recorded sound quality is muffled and 'processed'-sounding.

And the playing, I am afraid, is an insult to Joplin. What a pity to produce so full a set, and to do it so badly. A travesty.

If you want a superb Joplin set, played "as wrote", on a good concert grand and played with verve and style, and well-recorded, it's got to be the new Guido Nielsen 4 CD set on the Basta label (Basta 30-91262).

For a really fine single CD recorded on a top-notch piano and with playing that brings out all the elegance in Joplin's music (which it isn't wrong to do - Joplin put it in there), try the new Naxos CD played by Alexander Peskanov (Naxos 8.559114).

The Zimmerman set, I am afraid, must be consigned to the dustbin. A pity.

One Star for Pity.......2003-05-05

My review in two statements: DON'T BUY IT. EVER.

One star for pity - and for the effort of going to the trouble of learning Scott Joplin's complete works. I know it must have been quite a task getting the sheet music for these works and it must have been quite a task learning them, but I cannot honestly say that this is a good recording. Richard Zimmerman plays these works on a piano with bad quality sound, and he plays these works with his own embellishments and in his own style. If you're going to take liberties with a written score, you'd might as well not even try to play it at all. Either play it as written, or don't play it. Why can't people understand that?

The Complete Works?? I think not.......2002-08-06

I bought the CD entitled the Complete Works of Scott Joplin but upon receiving it I found that it only contained 14 tracks from the Complete Works book. The CD at the price is certainly a good buy even with the 14 tracks but it should be more correctly labled as the "Almost" complete works - "Sort - Of" Complete works or maybe A Partial Compilation of the Complete Works but a Complete Works it is not. It appears that a more Complete Works also has the same label.. Or maybe I am missing something..

Average customer rating:

One disc of a larger set
Complete Works, 14 tracks? No way!
Complete Works, 14 tracks? No way!

Complete Works of Scott Joplin, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Ragtime | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001VY0
Release Date: 1993-11-30

Tracks:

Please Say You Will
A Picture Of Her Face
The Great Crush Collision March
Harmony Club Waltz
Combination March
Original Rags
Maple Leaf Rag
Swipesy-Cake Walk
Sunflower Slow Drag
Peachtree Rag
Augustan Club Waltz
The Easy Winners
Cleopha
The Strenuous Life

Customer Reviews:

One disc of a larger set.......2003-12-16

Let's clear up something here that Amazon and LaserLight have not--this disc DOES NOT contain the complete works of Scott Joplin. This is just one disc from a set of five that LaserLight put out containing the complete published piano music of Scott Joplin played by Richard Zimmerman. Unfortunately, LaserLight has not numbered the five discs in the set, so each one purports to contain the "complete" works. Very poor organization. (Besides Joplin wrote more than piano music... no Joplin set should be considered "complete" without a full recording of his opera "Treemonisha.")

The playing on this disc is fairly good-I've seen Richard Zimmerman perform in person and he's certainly capable of playing ragtime well-but by no means are the recordings here the best interpretation of Joplin's music. Sometimes I feel Zimmerman plays too fast, at other times it sounds jerky, and at other times wrong notes are painfully obvious. Additionally, the sound quality varies from track to track, with some being marred by heavy tape hiss or distortion. These were originally recorded for budget LP's label back in the 1970s (I've seen them on Olympic and Murray Hill labels) and LaserLight has not done much to improve the sound quality. The music's there, and for casual listening on a boombox or car stereo, one might not notice the technical flaws, but on a good stereo system, they significantly detract from the overall listening experience.

If you're in the market for Joplin's music, you'd do yourself a favor to ignore this disc (even if the price is inviting) and invest in a better set like Joshua Rifkin's Joplin CD or William Albright's Joplin 2-CD set. Pianist Scott Kirby is currently releasing a complete Joplin set in four volumes, and I'd highly recommened looking into getting those before buying this disc.

Complete Works, 14 tracks? No way!.......2003-11-25

A CD purporting to be Joplin's complete works would certainly have more than 14 tracks. Instead try "The Complete Piano Music Of Scott Joplin," ASIN B000003QWN; four disks containing 52 tracks! I think this would be far more likely to be his "complete works" though I think even this one must be leaving out some of the compositions of this prolific ragtime composer. I know for a fact 14 songs wouldn't be his complete... anything! If you just want an introduction to his music, this CD may be all the Joplin you need, but be sure to rub out the word "complete" when your CD arrives. :)

Complete Works, 14 tracks? No way!.......2003-11-25

A CD purporting to be Joplin's complete works would certainly have more than 14 tracks. Instead try "The Complete Piano Music Of Scott Joplin," AISN B000003QWN; four disks containing 52 tracks! I think this would be far more likely to be his "complete works" though I think even this one must be leaving out some of the compositions of this prolific ragtime composer. I know for a fact 14 songs wouldn't be his complete... anything! If you just want an introduction to his music, this CD may be all the Joplin you need, but be sure to rub out the word "complete" when your CD arrives. :)

Average customer rating:

Distinguished renditions, on the finest piano

Marches, Waltzes & Rags of Scott Joplin

Manufacturer: Music Masters Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000FRE
Release Date: 1993-02-09

Tracks:

The Crush Collision March
Harmony Club Waltz
Combination March
Swipesy Cake Walk
Augustan Club Waltz
Sunflower Slow Drag
Cleopha
March Majestic
Something Doing
Bethena
Rosebud
Binks' Waltz
Antoinette
Heliotrope Bouquet
Lily Queen
Pleasant Moments
Felicity Rag
Kismet Rag

Amazon.com

This second volume of William Albright's Joplin recordings includes some rags and some other forms, such as marches and waltzes. Joplin wrote well in these forms too, though his early Crush Collision March (depicting a train wreck) is amusingly naïve. While these pieces aren't the best-known Joplin, some of them such as the gorgeous waltz Bethena and the Sunflower Slow Drag deserve to be in the Joplin pantheon. As on Volume 1, Joplin: Rags, Albright plays this music with charm, humor, and insight; he knows where the music comes from and he doesn't try to inflate it or vulgarize it. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Distinguished renditions, on the finest piano.......2004-10-25

The piano used for this CD is a Bosendorfer Imperial Grand, and it's pleasing to think of Joplin's music being performed by a Professor of Music on this Austrian Emperor of pianos!
Listen to the low note at the end of Augustan Club Waltz to hear a meaty sound that no other piano can produce.

These are solid, musical, very listenable performances, faithful to the music "as wrote", and really this CD belongs in the collection of anyone interested in Joplin's music.
Sometimes I feel that the left hand is perhaps a little 'light', but perhaps that's just a quibble.

The recording of the Bosendorfer here has a warm, slightly 'forward' sound that is very different from the slightly detached or recessed sound of the (still excellent) 1970s Rifkin recordings on Nonesuch.

Syncopated Musings: Classic Piano Rags and Ragtime Waltzes

Average customer rating:

Classy Ragtime
Great classic ragtime!

Syncopated Musings: Classic Piano Rags and Ragtime Waltzes
Bryan Wright
Manufacturer: Rivermont
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0002XQAY0
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

The Thriller! (May Aufderheide)
Ham And! (Arthur Marshall)
Country Club (Scott Joplin)
Magnetic Rag (Scott Joplin)
Smiles And KissesA Syncopated Classic (Harry Jentes)
Pastime Rag No. 4 (Artie Matthews)
Binks' Waltz (Scott Joplin)
Rooster Rag (Muriel Pollock)
Weeping Willow (Scott Joplin)
Ragtime Nightingale (Joseph Lamb)
Bantam Step (Harry Jentes)
Harmony Club Waltz (Scott Joplin)
Sleepy Sidney (Archie W. Scheu)
Heliotrope Bouquet (Louis Chauvin & Scott Joplin)
BethenaA Concert Waltz (Scott Joplin)
Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin)

Album Description

"What is scurrilously called ragtime is an invention that is here to stay...Syncopations are no indication of light or trashy music, and to shy bricks at `hateful ragtime' no longer passes for musical culture" wrote Scott Joplin in 1908 when ragtime was at the peak of its popularity. Across the United States, composers and publishers were busy churning out one rag after another to satisfy a public that could not get enough of ragtime's "weird and intoxicating effect." Ragtime flourished for roughly twenty years, during which it evolved from the simple folk melodies of Tom Turpin and Blind Boone to the sophisticated, elegant works of Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb, and James Scott, later giving way to the acrobatic, harmonically complex novelty rags of such composers as Zez Confrey, Roy Bargy, and Arthur Schutt.

Unlike much popular music, which rapidly becomes old-fashioned through dated lyrics or gimmicky instrumental effects, ragtime has stood the test of time. Ragtime sounds as fresh today as it did a century ago. For this recording, pianist Bryan Wright has selected sixteen classic piano rags and ragtime waltzes from 1896-1923. Many of Scott Joplin's finest compositions are presented alongside lesser known gems from such other composers as Artie Matthews, May Aufderheide, Arthur Marshall, Harry Jentes, and others. The disc also includes a handsome 8-page booklet with reproductions of original sheet music covers and notes by the performer about each of the pieces. 64 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Classy Ragtime.......2005-06-15

If you are one of those people who thinks ragtime was the music of turn of the century riff-raff, Bryan Wright will prove you wrong. This guy plays with an understated, classical touch that really elevates the genre.

His thoughtful and at times dramatic rendition of "Bethena" really shows why Joplin subtitled it a "concert waltz" -as opposed to just a plain old "waltz." I also like Bryan Wright's interpretation of Muriel Pollock's "Rooster Rag." There are moments in this rag where I am reminded of the delicate passagework of a Chopin Nocturne. But he can also play with a lot of vim and vigor - like in the "Thriller" and the "Maple Leaf Rag"- in which he displays some "hot" ragtime playing.

Great classic ragtime!.......2005-03-10

Bryan Wright beautifully articulates both well known and obscure piano solos from the ragtime genre. My personal favorite is "Smiles and Kisses" by Harry Jentes, a brilliantly executed rendition reminiscent of music from the silent movie era.

Bryan's performances reveal feeling and nuance, without a tendency to flashy embellishment that distracts from the original score.

Technically, the album is very well recorded - never a certainty with independent labels.

Any fan of piano instrumental music from the early 20th century will enjoy this album!