Scott Joplin: Piano Rags [IMPORT]
Scott Joplin: Piano Rags [IMPORT]
Customer Review: One of the greatest ever performances
I cannot sufficiently praise this album - it is simply one of the greatest ever recordings of any music by anybody. It is as near to perfection as one gets in this world.
The music is wonderful, the performances lyrical and strong, the sound is rich, the atmosphere joyous and wistful. I have listened to this album literally hundreds of times, I am listening to it now - it never palls.
The only sadness is that Rifkin did not record more of Jopin’s work - and that this CD is an incomplete selection of pieces from three LPs which are now unavailable - although I am lucky enough to posses the second one which has several gems not on the CD including Rose Leaf Rag which is Joplin at the peak of his powers.
I bracket Rifkin playing Joplin with Gould playing Bach and Bream playing Dowland in my personal Hall of Fame.
Customer Review: Unique & Timeless Music
My piano teacher at school castigated me for wanting to learn Scott Joplin pieces on the piano. Not proper music. The guy did not even want me to learn Mozart for God’s sake such was his high brow view of classical music. But in the end Scott Joplin is about the most joyous music it is possible to listen to and here on this set Mr Rifkin brings 17 pieces to life so that you almost feel that the man Scott Joplin is performing for you personally in your own living room! There are so many great moments here and I will mention a few. But the overall effect is to demonstrate Joplin’s incredible talent for not only a catchy melody (Elite Syncopations, Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag) but also wonderfully atmospheric pieces such as Solace and Euphonic Sounds. And wonderful harmony throughout. My piano teacher was wrong. Herein lies some great music. Not just stomping ragtime piano but clever harmony, superb melodies, clever time structures (elite syncopations?!) and moreover this is really uplifting music. Who can listen to this record and not feel absolutely uplifted when the final track Magnetic Rag comes to its gorgeous close? Just that last track is a masterpiece in itself. And it is sad and pertinent to point out that Magnetic Rag was the very last piece he released before his premature death at the age of 49. Too many artists die at a young age, enough of them to make you feel depressed. But Scott Joplin signed off on a high note as did The Beatles with Abbey Road. Not many others.
You are one of the greats as far as I’m concerned Scott Joplin.
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