Customer Reviews

Piano Rags

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't know what I can say about this CD that hasn't already been said, but it's so good that I'll try to add my own two cents. Although he's primarily a Baroque music scholar, Joshua Rifkin (however unintentionally) pretty much spearheaded the Joplin revival in the '70s, and this CD reveals that even after thirty-plus years his recordings are still the best. The emotional content on this CD is incredible not only for its depth, but for its variances; Rifkin subtly varies his playing style strain by strain, and in some cases even measure by measure, to capture the ever-changing moods of each rag. Many performers of Joplin play each piece with the same style and approach throughout, resulting in an emotionally flat experience that sounds like "a bunch of saloon music." Rifkin, conversely, obviously has a keen understanding of what feeling each rag is trying to convey, resulting in a CD that gives us a fresh, new sound with each track while displaying the subtle brilliance and Classical influence of Joplin's music as a whole. Rifkin's best attribute by far, however, is his understanding of Joplin's "Prime Directive" regarding his pieces: "It is never right to play 'ragtime' fast." Unlike other Joplin performers, who seem to use Joplin's works more as flashy showpieces than as music of any real depth, Rifkin doesn't let his ego get in the way of what the music is trying to convey. He's experienced enough to restrain his tempi and play each work on this CD in a relaxed, flowing manner, providing us a chance to truly hear and appreciate the individual notes and rhythms that make up each rag while still maintaining the music's emotional power and vivacity. It certainly doesn't hurt that the sound quality of this CD is rich and full-bodied, too, as opposed to many recordings I've heard in which the piano sounded excessively bright, very tinny and confined, or monotonous and flat (or any combination of these characteristics). The bottom line is that Rifkin's experience and research into the proper performance of Joplin's music shine through on this CD, leaving us with music that is in no hurry to finish itself, but takes its time and saunters easily to the end, displaying a remarkable range of dynamics, emotions and amazing musical architecture on the way--all recorded in crystal-clear sound. While other Joplin CDs may be fun to listen to, this is the one that will not only become THE staple of your Joplin library, it will reveal the amazing technique and artistry behind Joplin's composition, providing a fascinating look into a composer who was (until Rifkin's efforts) unfortunately unknown.

Ever since I first heard Joshua Rifkin's first LP of the Scott Joplin rags (when searching for music to play along with Super 8 silent comedies back in the early 70s), I have been in love with these recordings.

Rifkin's sensitive playing finds a dignity and variety of moods in these rags, waltzes, senerades, dances, etc., that is simply astonishing. This music is the link between romantic classical music and early jazz, and it combines some of the finest elements of both. Having a classicly trained musician perform it (vs. someone from the stride or barrelhouse - much less honkytonk! - school) reveals much of the subtle beauty and invention in these compositions...

Once you've heard this, both the "fingerbreaker" high-speed approach to ragtime that preceded this, and the Hamlisch-ized popularization of this music that came later, fade into insignificance!

And having nearly all of the 3 original LPs on a single CD is fantastic. My ONLY complaint is that the recordings themselves, particularly the first group from 1970, seem somewhat flat and lacking in the rich tone and dynamics that we expect nowadays. No matter, these performances are wonderful. No other recordings of Joplin come close - do yourself a favor and grab this one!

I've always been a big fan of ragtime, and have many records and CD's in my collection. This has always been my favorite recording of Scott Joplin. Rifkin plays clearly and smoothly when called for, and the dynamics make each piece a delight to hear. Other recordings I've heard sound "choppy" or rushed compared to this disc; Joplin himself stated that his pieces were not to be played fast. Other recordings I've heard have way too much pedal, making them "muddy." This one is perfect... a little pedal at the right time, but never too much. The large-room auditorium sound of this recording only adds to its charm: it obviously wasn't recorded in a small, dampened studio; even so, each note is distinct. In addition, Rifkin is quite faithful to the original score. Other performers will stick in too many embellishments so that the music is no longer as Joplin wrote it. Rifkin sprinkles a few of his own grace notes or other ornaments occasionally, but they are always done with such taste that they never detract from the listener's enjoyment. If you have just one Scott Joplin recording in your collection, make it this one. Even if you own other collections of Scott Joplin's recordings, get this one. It's the best of them all!

Yes, the production values are pretty lousy at times and no, it is far from being a complete collection of Joplin piano music. However, if one is forced to choose a single recording of Joplin rags, again and again one returns to Rifkin, even after all of these years. Nobody has supplanted him. His interpretations remain definitive.

As so many other reviewers have mentioned, Rifkin knows how to play a rag properly. Pacing is everything --- he allows the music to breath. With the proper measured tempi, the listener is allowed to appreciate the intricacies of Joplin, intricacies which are blurred when other pianists insist on a breakneck pace.

If you are determined to have a complete Joplin collection, so be it --- but Rifkin will be the cornerstone of any ragtime collection.

As a kid back in the 70's, I started my classical piano training. Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, etc. One day by chance, I caught the sound of music coming from my cousin's room that I'd never heard. To me it was remarkable. I ran to the phonograph to see what was playing. It was Mr. Rifkins Scott Joplin Piano Rags, Volume 1. Being classically trained, I was immediately drawn to the music's intricate,flowing,syncopated rhythms. I had to play this stuff. My first rag purchased was Maple Leaf. That was in 1977. Since then I've played them all. I'm in my 40's now and have yet to master the sound produced by Mr. Rifkin. I have basically given up. I can't play as well and thank God he can.

I've enjoyed reading the reviews here and noticed some people actually criticize Mr. Rifkin's playing. What a joke. I'd like to see these so called music afficionados play one measure of Euphonic Sounds.

Be that as it may, this recording will stand the test of time.

It is absolutely the most important interpretation of Joplin's music in our lifetimes.

Anybody that says otherwise is trying to sell something.

By observing Scott Joplin's tempos, dynamics, pedal markings and various warnings to the performer like "DO NOT PLAY THIS PIECE FAST! IT IS NEVER RIGHT TO PLAY RAGTIME FAST!" and "DON'T FAKE!", Joshua Rifkin's performance are possibly the closest to what the composer had in mind.

Play the Maple Leaf Rag on this CD to anyone and watch a broad smile break out as Rifkin launches into that oh-so-familiar second strain. Hear how the Gladiolus Rag literally blooms from a simple opening into all of its fistful-of-notes glory. And finally, hear Joplin sum up the few successes and many tragedies of his life in the haunting Magnetic Rag, with its many wanderings into the most unlikely keys and its ending suggestive of a candle slowly burning itself out.

Of all the recordings of Scott Joplin that came out during the Ragtime mania of the 1970s, this is the one that every serious listener cherishes and returns to, time after time.

Joshua Rifkin plays Joplin just flat-out better than ANYONE else I've heard--and I have over 25 ragtime CDs in my collection. Listen to the stately splendor of "Solace," the subtlety of "Magnetic Rag", and the exuberance of "Gladiolus Rag"--all interpreted with incredible sensitivity. This is a seminal record, largely responsible (along with The Sting, of course) for the revival of Joplin as a serious artist in the 70s and beyond. If I had to throw away every other ragtime CD, this would be the one to keep.

Just a short note to state my admiration for Joshua Rifkin, the consumate musician who is equally at home playing Scott Joplin on the piano or conducting J.S.Bach's Mass in B Minor.

I fell in love with this recording as an LP, and still love it as a CD. It is the best recording of Scott Joplin's piano rags I have ever heard. Following the direction of the composer (usually, "NOTE: Do not play this piece fast. It is never right to play Ragtime fast."), Rifkin keeps the tempos where they should be - "The Entertainer" on this album will almost make you cry, so perfect is the tempo to bring out the sheer beauty of the piece. Rifkin's use of a proper instrument (a 9' concert grand piano) and his 99.9% attention to playing the pieces precisely as written, coupled with his virtuosity, make this the premier recording of Scott Joplin's masterpieces. Rifkin does take some very minor liberties in a few of the pieces, but they are tasteful and do not detract from the pieces in question. All other Joplin recordings I have heard contain far more, less tasteful embellishments. Nit-picking this CD for the small liberties taken by Rifkin is to overlook the enormous liberties taken by everyone else and misses the point. You can't find a better Joplin recording than this CD.

This CD is a selection of pieces from three albums made by Rifkin over 25 years ago. These are probably Joplin's best pieces and Rifkin's playing is excellent. In several, the music and Rifkin's musicianship are simply wonderful. The defect of these recordings is that the sound quality is mediocre. A number of tracks are 'hissy.' This is not surprising as these albums were originally issued on the bargain Nonesuch label.
Joplin was clearly a tremendously talented individual with a unique voice. His relatively early death, from tertiary syphlis, may have deprived us of much excellent and distinctly American music.
A final comment on the Nonesuch label. Older listeners will recall Nonesuch as an excellent label. Run by people with adventurous and discriminating taste, Nonesuch issued a wide variety of modestly priced recordings including a lot of early music, non-western music, and contemporary serious music. These recordings often lacked the production qualities of higher end labels but the choice of music and artists was generally excellent. This set of Joplin recordings, which were probably Nonesuch's best-seller, is typical of Nonesuch offerings.