Kismet Rag (Piano Roll)

End of 'Euphonic Sounds' followed by 'Kismet Rag' (Scott Joplin/Scott Hayden, 1913).

Both are from "Piano Roll Solos performed by Scott Joplin - Ragtime King".

Since the track layout confuses a few tracks, my initial task was to identify a tune I didn't know before. It should be mentioned that some (or most) of the tunes are not handplayed rolls but arranged ones.

Thanks for identifying the tune!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Scott
• Joplin
• Ragtime
• Piano
• Kismet
• Rag

[BachScholar]

One has to be really gullible to believe this is Joplin playing. It's obviously not a human being at all, but is mechanically programmed. I can't imagine any human being desiring to play so uninspired and mechanical sounding.

[wuloki]

Yes, indeed. As autopiano pointed out, Joplin just made a few 'handplayed' rolls, this is not one of them. Even handplayed rolls mostly do not sound like a real pianist, because they only store the notes being played, not dynamics or expression. If you play such a roll, you have to operate levers to add dynamics and expression yourself (some rolls have "stage directions" printed on them for this purpose). ...

[wuloki]

However, some companies such as Welte-Mignon or Ampico did in fact make rolls with expression, these are called reproducing piano rolls. To play this rolls correctly you need a piano capable of decoding the dynamics tracks on the edges of the roll.

[autopiano]

BTW, the record is incorrect in attributing all the tracks to rolls recorded by Joplin. Joplin only cut seven rolls in total - two versions of 'Maple Leaf Rag', plus "Something Doing," "Magnetic Rag," "Ole Miss Rag," "Weeping Willow Rag" and "Pleasant Moments - Ragtime Waltz".

[wuloki]

Big thanks for your helpful comments and for identifying Kismet Rag. - Some of the rags you mention are included on the record. Sadly there is no indication which rolls they used. Maple Leaf Rag seems to be QRS 9725, Weeping Willow sounds like QRS-198 - It's just a guess, I compared them to the midified rolls I have.

[BobShuthead]

HardAss shit!-

[sashajumaboev]

No mistaking this recording - it was issued on LP as part of a series on an LP in the seventies "The Golden Age of Ragtime" along with a companion volume "Ragtime Piano Roll Classics". I wonder if Mary E Brown was the lady I have heard referred to as May Brown who did the fabulous States Rag Medley (No8?) which was also on the LP. The version of Pineapple Rag is definitive - once heard no other will do. I read once it was cut from the version for band in D. See also the Biograph label.

[BrianGriffin66]

QRS 9725 was made in 1960. Another comment I read said that isn't Joplin playing the Maple Leaf Rag.

[autopiano]

I can help with this one. The unknown tune is 'Kismet Rag' (1913) by Joplin and Scott Hayden. I believe the Kismet roll is the US brand arranged by Mary E. Brown. The preceding tune is an Aeolian medley roll of the two tunes, Pineapple and Euphonic, arranged by (I think) George Swift. Being a medley roll, the tunes are joined together. Hope this helps!