Archived Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag (composed 1899) (hooktube.com)
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Archived on: 6/14/2018 10:00:00 AM
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Archived Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag (composed 1899) (hooktube.com)
submitted ago by cynicaloldfart
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[–] cynicaloldfart [S] ago (edited ago)
This is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. It is one of the most famous of all ragtime pieces. "Maple Leaf Rag" was published while he was living in Sedalia, Missouri. It was named after the famous and popular Black nightspot called the Maple Leaf Club; the date the club was founded is uncertain, but it was no later than November 24, 1898, when the first Maple Leaf ball was held. It is possible though that the actual music predates this. As a result Joplin was called the "King of Ragtime". The piece gave Joplin a steady if unspectacular income for the rest of his life (a contract which gave him a one cent per copy royalty). Despite ragtime's decline after Joplin's death in 1917, the "Maple Leaf Rag" continued to be recorded by many well-known artists.
This appears to be a Pianola (player piano) roll that was created by Joplin himself. There is supposedly an Edison cylinder recording of him playing this song, but I'm unable to locate that. In the early 1900's almost all music was distributed as sheet music, allowing people to play popular songs.
In 1903 Stark, the original producer Joplin signed with, issued a "Maple Leaf Rag Song", an arrangement of Joplin's music with words by Sydney Brown. Brown's lyrics tell the story of a poor man from Accomack County, Virginia, who stumbles into a ballroom where, in spite of his anxiety over the state of his appearance he manages to wow the crowd with the Maple Leaf Rag. While the men are jealous of his dancing abilities and draw their razors, the women love him, and the "finest belle" sends for a carriage and the two of them ride away.