Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912) unrehearsed piano duet

Marked "allegro moderato" (moderately fast), this rag from 1912 was composed by Scott Joplin.

The title is curious. One theory is that Joplin composed this simply to pay the bills. No one was interested in the opera that he had just finished; everyone simply wanted a new rag. Thus he composed one and gave it this rather glib title.

Certainly, this is one of the last rags he had published. Only two more were published in his lifetime: Kismet Rag (a collaboration with Scott Hayden) and Magnetic Rag. Two more rags are known to have existed after Magnetic Rag, but both have been lost (along with a couple songs, a stage musical and a symphony all written around 1915). Upon Joplin's death in 1917, John Stark published Reflection Rag, but it is quite obviously an older work (or a collection of older strains).

Playing here are two renowned ragtime pianists: Tom Brier on the grand piano, and Patrick Aranda on the upright. This was during a late-night jam session in August 2008. There was no rehearsal or planning before this performance. They just decided to play this rag and began playing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ragtime
• joplin
• piano
• duet
• brier
• aranda
• suttercreek
• rag
• rag-time

[BachScholar]

Ron, this is a perfect example of a fast piece that is just too fast and hectic sounding. All they are thinking about is speed and nothing else. I am about to record my version that is significantly slower but much better musically. I do not play it "slow", but rags need not be lightening fast to be peppy sounding. They totally ruin this rag the way they play it. I disagree with all the commenters. This is bad piano playing at its finest.

[Keeper1st]

If all they were thinking about were speed, this would be faster than it is but with less embellishment (wait for the 3 Pianos on Fire set's Dill Pickles, when Tom and Pat turn it into a speed cutting contest at the end while poor Frederick tries his best to keep up). This certainly isn't as clean as their "Efficiency Rag" played moments earlier (which also is posted). This one does get a bit too hectic at times, sure. The main concern though is simply having fun (this is at a party after all).

[pianomike1]

Excellent, but did they have to catch the last bus? How else explain that no mercy, no prisoners tempo? LOL

[Keeper1st]

The score is marked "allegro moderato", which is about this, bearing in mind that the melody is in 16th notes, thus moves quite fast compared to the moderately fast bass line. (Listen to the rate of the bass notes and you realize it really isn't all that fast.) This isn't an uncommon tempo on period recordings of ragtime, either. It's remarkable how quickly the music really was played back in the day.

[pianomike1]

Thanks for the comment, appreciate it. Where as the party held? Must have been an important do that such greats agreed to play. Cheers.

[Keeper1st]

This was at a residence in Sutter Creek, California, at around midnight Saturday during the weekend of the 10th annual Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival. For several hours after the festival officially wraps up for the day, musicians continue to play and improvise together like this, both in the festival venues and at this nearby house.

[elPacaManca]

This one was just too cacophonous.

[1truffle]

im louder ! no im louder !

[Morahman7vnNo2]

It's not the tempo that bothers me as much as the Forte to Fortissimo! Can hardly hear any embellishments, sounds like they're both in each others way, and almost sounds like their locked in an Apache Dance.

[moonwalker1984]

WoW!! amazing! Great Job!! ;-D

[lilataubenei]

you are doing very professional, one only have heard it this way, i think, too often in toons. .. but this might be a problem of the reception of today.

did anyone thought about the fact, that there was real cocaine in coca-cola during that time? i think until 1907....ok, new rag was composed 1912, but i think, it was less stigmatisated as today (if one could say so) and this speedy, hectic playing was a desired effect of audience and piano players. and, sorry, they had cocaine and alcohol...

[brandon10175]

wait what? that for prisioners?