Bethena - A Concert Waltz by Scott Joplin (1905)

This "Ragtime Waltz." is my favorite Joplin piece!

...this was also my first YouTube video, and I made a few mistakes due to nervousness! I played and learned this piece in less than a year after a 27 year layoff from piano (I had 4 years of childhood lessons). This performance reflects the skill that I had at the moment, and I may re-do a better version in the future.


Thanks for watching, and of course, I welcome ratings, comments, criticisms, etc.

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Bethena

Source: http://www.wikipedia.com

"Bethena, A Concert Waltz" (March 6, 1905)[1] is a ragtime composition by Scott Joplin. It was the first Joplin copyrighted work since his wife Freddie's death on September 10, 1904 of pneumonia, ten weeks after their wedding.[1][2] It has been described by critics as "an enchantingly beautiful piece that is among the greatest of Ragtime Waltzes",[3] a "masterpiece",[4] and "Joplin's finest waltz".[5]

The composition was featured throughout the 2008 Hollywood film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.[6]

Joplin biographer Edward A. Berlin believed that the repeated main theme in G major, the contrapuntal passages, and the harmonies, contributed to making Bethena "an enchantingly beautiful piece that is among the greatest of ragtime waltzes".[3] Another biographer, Rudi Blesh, wrote that the work's rhythmic variations, the beauty of each strain's melodies, and the richly scored harmony, combined to make the work a "masterpiece", comparing it favourably to the unsyncopated light salon style of "Binks Waltz" which was published in the same year.[4]

The rhythms of the waltz and ragtime combined to produce what one critic called an "ingenious and delightful example of such a stylistic accommodation", showing that the composer was an "adventurous classicist par excellence" because he was able to combine tradition and innovation in a consistently inventive way.[18] Another critic wrote that Bethena displayed Joplin's characteristic syncopated style in a "seductive" manner even in the waltz's 3/4 time signature.[15]

The composition was featured throughout the 2008 Hollywood film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.[6] The performance of the composition by the pianist Randy Kerber was described by one critic as "letting the inherent wistfulness of the music emerge", with the piece "perfectly suited" to the movie as it was a "tender and heartfelt remembrance of a love lost".[22]

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bethena
• Concert
• Waltz
• Scott
• Joplin
• Ragtime
• Benjamin
• Button
• Soundtrack
• Piano
• adult
• beginner
• piano
• 1905
• randy
• kerber

[Madonncia1408]

Och...you are just a king of ragtimes :)))))

[TTHEBLACKR0CK]

thumbs up if you cane here because you saw it in benjamin button

[sarabullard]

My all-time favorite Joplin, nicely played.

[GameBoi27]

It's played technically well with a few glitches. My only problem is I don't see or hear any true feeling out if you. He wrote this song after his wife died. Feel the music and try to figure out the emotion Mr Scott Joplin was feeling at the time of composition. L

[PaulBartonPiano]

I confess to not ever having heard this before! -- I have played lots of Rags but not a Waltz, I really like it, you play it superbly too. Thanks for sharing -- Paul.

[PhilippineJeann]

Never heard this one before however it is very relaxing and enjoyable. Sounds beautiful. Thanks 5 stars  Jeann

[BrasilianMusician]

And this one is my favourite! I will post it soon...

[AnotherSchmoe]

Oh forgot to mention... I'm always forgetting to check back on people's channels for new videos, so please feel free to "Share" them to me whenever you upload them, this way I can be sure I don't miss any. I look forward to hearing more! =)

[AnotherSchmoe]

Awesome performance!! =))

You're really good at playing Joplin, and your piano sounds really suited to ragtime too, it has a really neat bouncy sound to it. Wow, and a 7 minute piece too! I have a hard enough time making it to 3 minutes while recording without crapping my pants (out of nervousness I mean, lol!). You're doing really excellent, a lot better than me in my first year I think. Glad you decided to play piano again, you're definitely making music now. Keep it up!! =D

[gabriellealyssa]

awesome! :)