'Weeping Willow Rag' SCOTT JOPLIN (1903) Ragtime Piano Roll Legend

[bblake1000]

CSK: i believe this roll was made much earlier in joplin's career. i'm not sure of the key here, but i imagine that either a) joplin played it faster to suit the audience, or b) the roll was speeded up a key or two by the manufacturer. as for the syphilis, i have a roll dated 1914 of joplin playing something called "gasoline rag", full of missed notes and clumsy phrasing, played by a broken man. this, in contrast, is very clear, and the baroque decorations he builds in are smooth and organic.

[bblake1000]

coolest thing about the piano rolls is watching the keys animate as if by unseen hands -- the hands that actually played what you're hearing. both spooky and illuminating.

[CSK225]

This is WAY too fast. The Weeping Willow has a very beautiful, longful sound when played at the right speed. Not so slow you want to slit your wrists, but not like this. Joshua Rifkin did the absolute best version of this one (and some others).

[MrValovinorovich]

@CSK225 Well, Scott Joplin wrote this, and is playing this piece right now, so maybe it's supposed to be this fast.

[CSK225]

@MrValovinorovich

No, I really don't think so. When Scott recorded these rolls I believe he was already battling fairly advanced syphillis. He really didn't play them that well either. He himself made it a point to note on his music that "ragtime should never be played fast". It was a misconception that obviously drove him crazy.

[CSK225]

Thumbs up for Scott Joplin - the best American composer of all time!

[StirFriedPikeFungi]

omg, how many RAGS DOES HE HAVE?!?!!?!??!

[CSK225]

@StirFriedPikeFungi He has 41 that I'm aware of. That includes a few collaborative works but does not include his opera "Treemonisha"!! I'm sure there's some other lost pieces floating about out there as well.

[superdot36]

Anyhow, it is remarkable how a coloured man could publish his own works in the turn of the century. He deserves more attention and admiration. Great vid!!

[alesisization]

just a masterpiece, i love this one he does

[verdew8181]

To me, this music is a sort of time machine-merry-go-round combination into a better world.

[trapspeed97]

When people think of music during the Industrial Age, they think of ragtime, and, more specifically, Scott Joplin.

[verdew8181]

ragtime and other great music was forgotten for many decades because of the jazz age and changing tastes, not because it was unworthy.

[cameraman4brainiac]

i hate racists... im surprised we have not lynched them..

[imhavnablast]

Dear Tewrite 77- Thank You for sharing your thoughts, Wish everyone felt like you. It is what it is . My comment was from a sense of pride in our contribution that has been long taken for granted. I also take pride in the fact that our country has grown so much since Mr. Joblins era. Music dose bring us together more now than ever. I would love for my comment to raise awareness and to bring us all closer

[BeeHold]

God Bless Scott Joplin. Thank God he existed on planet earth.

[TheMaxi418]

One of the most beautiful pieces ever by Scott Joplin! the best ever!!!

[imhavnablast]

America is known for our Music,BLACK MUSIC. Period !

[tewright77]

@imhavnablast - Do you think that comment joins us or further separates us as a people? To me, music has no color and is the one medium where we can all share the same soul.

I see people as great Americans, great composers, great writers, ect.

[cyndie26]

Right now, this is one of my piano lessons and it sounds nothing like what's on the sheet music.

[EmulatorDX]

nigga can play! lol jk, He's a genius!!!

[dragoons9009]

I think this is from a piano roll.

[rockstar416037]

Scott Joplin The Composer of all Composers!! My favorite of all t imes,The Greatest

Iove and enjoy his music

[BoidsiesRoblox]

This sounds a little out of tune...

[rondoliomercutio]

@BoidsiesRoblox i've never felt more out of tune than when i get the blues

[geneward101]

@BoidsiesRoblox ...The way all ragtime should be played.

[LeReporterProvencal]

I Like Scott Japlin !!!

Youtube and Facebook : " le reporter provencal "

[rodrigocientista]

I think it is way too fast for such slow piece

[Eggbert1x]

@rodrigocientista

idk why, but I think it sounds better fast.

[beakt]

@rodrigocientista It's not a slow piece. It's ragtime. It's supposed to be a two-step march tempo, which this recording is. Scott Joplin wrote not to play his pieces fast, but he was referring to people who played about twice as fast as we're hearing, just to show off. People have, for decades, misinterpreted this as meaning you should play it adagio.

[pakipakiyuki]

OH for pete's sakes can't we just sit back and enjoy the damn music with out all of this racist BS. yes, back then was hard. I feel bad that it had to be that way.

so let's just leave it in the past. if you bring it up so rudely just as racist. For god's man. seriously 2010 already.

[doooobies332]

@sharonanony

I think your unbalanced.

[Cheese838]

People this is the black equivalent of Mozart

[nexplosion1]

Please please please can anyone tell me where to get the sheet music for this?

[pDdrOxUrSoXoFf]

i agree. black people have that rhythm within their soul. jazz, blues, ragtim, swing-they're all so breathtaking!

[parkman35]

Always this race stuff...just listen to the music and save all the racial crap folks for something else....

[dipalma07]

Joplin's music is NOT about race, my friends. It is art at its finest. Enjoy, and stop being so uptight. Life is too short for bitterness. Open your heart and let in a little sunshine.

[juliachen7]

nice song but bad sound quality =/

[sharonanony]

BLACKS ARE MUSICAL GENIUSES.

and there will be NO HIDING PLACE ON THE KINGDOMS THRONE. FOR THE CRIME OF SLAVERY, and Continuous Benefit from Such, will be revealed. AND COWARDS AND HYPOCRITS, WHO SING AND PLAY BLACK MUSIC, while upholding Crimes against the Body of God. WILL HAVE NO HIDING PLACE ON THE KINGDOMS THRONE. SO PEOPLE GET READY

[svavargarri]

@sharonanony chill man

[shtookatz]

@sharonanony I just read your profile and have to say that you're clearly nuts and shouldn't be posting comments especially ones about race. Now go and learn the true meaning of awanening the kundalini to bring you pure joy, pure love and pure knowledge, only then may you rid yourself of your hate.

[sharonanony]

@shtookatz U Whites Know Nothing About Cosmic Balance. U talk this race Neutrality Bullshit. While U R so IMBALANCED AND OBSESSED WITH UR SELVES. That U think U can get away with Crimes Against Cosmic Balance.

KUNDALINI =BALANCING OF THE COSMIC OF PURGING IT OF ANYTHING AND ANYONE THE CAUSES AN IMBALANCE. AND THAT MEANS 500 YEARS OF STOLEN LIVES UP TO 400, 000 OR 1 BILLION MUST BE CHECKMATED

[beakt]

@sharonanony Take your medicine, Sharon. Seriously. Every day.

[lilataubenei]

@sharonanony i think its already agains the cosmic balance to use a U instead of you.

[cebukid70]

Wow, is this truly the original piano roll played by Joplin himself? Nice! Thanks for sharing. 5-stars. :-)

[ChessPlayer50]

I LOVE YOU SCOTT!

[tan73h]

yes, if he were white, he would have had a statue or something of that magnitude

[JamesPriceJohnson]

damn straight, although someone did do a statue of his uper body

[0zenith]

Sure! If he were white, he would have seen Treemonisha performed with great success in his lifetime...

[Bumblebee38]

@tan73h

Probably Correct unfortunately !

[RMNCOfficial]

@tan73h There is a statue of Scott Joplin in the San Antonio Opera house, near where Joplin was from.

[MooPotPie]

@tan73h Well … he was black and has a Pulitzer Prize … plus a music festival and park named for him, he's a household name, a pop-culture icon, his St. Louis home was spared from demolition and restored into a museum in his honor, and his likeness has appeared on U.S. Postage stamps. The list goes on … and did I mention that there's a Scott Joplin STATUE in the San Antonio Opera House in Texas? Yeah….if only he were white …. LOL

[MeikoMoo]

@tan73h He has a town named after him. Probably schools. Screw statues. LOL.

[oknetty]

@tan73h shut up you stupid know nowt twat, get an education you eejit

[SlinkyWyrm]

Scott joplin is a genius