Customer Reviews

Scott Joplin: The Complete Rags, Marches, Waltzes & Songs (1895-1914)

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

 

 

I hate to say that Nielsen's playing is, while precise and clean, almost strangely unexpressive and unnuanced. He lacks a feel for the certain "catch" in syncopated rhythm that makes players like Max Morath and Dick Hyman such a joy to listen to. His versions are basically demonstrations of what is on the page played by a thoroughly competent pianist who nevertheless does not really "feel" this music, rather as if it were 1904 and he was a pianist at a music store on hand to play through anything you asked for so you could hear how it sounded.

To rip through SUGAR CANE as if it were CAROLINA SHOUT, for example, is to miss what Joplin meant with this piece. And overall, Nielsen seems to render what should be crisp staccato closing notes for phrases as full ones, which especially blunts the snap of stop-time sections in pieces like THE RAGTIME DANCE. Nielsen plays the same way on his Scott and Lamb recordings -- all of these sets are of reference value only.

But Galen Wilkes and Edward Berlin's liner notes are some of the best ever written anywhere for any recording. The text is scholarly in its richness of information, the photographs are invaluable, and Chris Ware's artwork is splendid. This set is worth it for the liner notes alone, including penetrating capsule treatments of each and every piece Joplin wrote and new news on his life and work from research over the past several years. I consider myself to have basically spent the money on a great BOOK, with accompanying CDs as a kind of demonstration bonus.

I've always liked Ragtime music, usually heard only as brief movie background sound clips. That all changed around 1973 when I saw the blockbuster movie, The Sting, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. All the movie's music was Scott Joplin Ragtime Music played by Marvin Hamlisch.

I became then, and still am, a Ragtime Music devotee. For me, Ragtime can be uplifting, joyful, satisfying, and just fun to listen to. It may help fight Depression. I bought the Dover Publication Book of Joplin's Piano Music. And I learned to play a number of the best known pieces: The Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag, Cascades, Sugar Cane, Elite Syncopations, and others. I don't claim to be anything other than a serious amateur, playing for my own enjoyment, and for house guests.

The movie soundtrack from The Sting, made Joplin's music widely known, and temporarily popular. Pianist Joshua Rifkin recorded three LP 33 1/3 records under the Nonesuch label of Joplin's music. Each of the CD's had 8 tracks totaling about 30 minutes of music. Sadly, these LP's and the corresponding CD's are out of print - no longer available. However, Nonesuch released a Joplin CD 7559-79159-2, with pianist Rifkin, 17 tracks, total time 71:15. This CD is currently available.

I bought Guido Nielsen's recordings of the Ragtime Piano Music of Joseph Lamb, and James Scott. I greatly enjoy these recordings. I obtained the sheet music for a number of the songs that I liked and I've had some success in actually playing the music. Nielsen is certainly a superb pianist.

To finally "get to the point" of all this. I bought the Joplin set of 4 CD's, performed by Nielsen, and I'm disappointed. It seems that Nielsen plays much of the music as if it's a "chore." I don't hear passion, enthusiasm, vitality. Perhaps he simply doesn't like Joplin's music. I'm sorry that I bought the set.

With all due respect to marvelous pianist Nielsen, I challenge anyone who takes issue with my comments to listen, really LISTEN, to Joplin's music as performed by Marvin Hamlisch and Joshua Rifkin. Then listen to Nielsen's recordings and form your own opinion.

Arguably the greatest ragtime cd ever released. Basta has set the standard (in my book) for all others to be measured by. Fantastic packaging including 4 compact discs with 2 substantial booklets of heavily detailed information on Joplin's life and music. Majestic and true, Nielsen plays on a full, in-tune grand piano, which means you won't hear any heavy reverb or digital piano harshness found on other recordings. Gone are the numerous trills and improvised passages at speeds not befitting the orignal score. Also missing are the arm garters and straw boater undermining Joplin's music and influence. With all due respect to Rifkin, Zimmerman, Arpin etc., this release is without equal. Filled with extraodinary music, liner notes, photos and artwork by Chris Ware, it is an amazing achievement.

Wow! The only words that can truly describe this set are exclamations. Mr. Guido Nielsen has done it again. The music is played as written, in a style that is accurate, fresh, and lively. The performances are excellent, although classics like 'Gladiolus Rag' and 'Magnetic Rag' could be played somewhat slower. The cover design is exquisite and the discs themselves are simply beautiful. The two 24-page booklets are crammed with color and black-and-white photographs, not to mention notes of the highest quality. Be sure to read the entertaining advertisements on the last page of the second booklet. I highly recommend this set to anyone interested in ragtime and the music of Scott Joplin. Purchase this set as soon as possible, and if you have not done so already, pick up the Joseph Lamb and James Scott sets produced by the same team. Happy listening!

This is it. Every known work written by Scott Joplin played by a talented pianist with crystal clear sound quality. Even better, the production values are amazing. The four discs come in two jewel cases which fit inside a cardboard box. The artwork on the cases and box is detailed and reminds me of a phonograph record sleeve. The cover art includes drawings of "the Cascades" at the 1904 St Louis World's Fair in all four seasons. There are two thick booklets of liner notes in the jewel cases including a biography of Joplin, history of Ragtime, historical pictures and sheet music covers, and detailed information about every song in the collection.

Some of the other reviewers have complained that Guido Nielsen isn't as expressive as their favorite pianist. Ironically, the collection's box addresses their concerns, stating that Nielsen plays "clear, unaffected... allowing all of the brilliance of the original compositions to shine through, without excessive rubato or romanticism." Personally, I found Nielsen's playing to be perfectly expressive and very faithful to the original sheet music. Some people can debate the tempo of Joplin's music 'til they're blue in the face. He warned on a few of his pieces not to play the rag too fast. How fast is too fast? Too bad we can't ask him today.

If you like rags and would like to experience some of the other big composers who have been overshadowed by Joplin for decades, check out Nielsen's other collections for Joseph Lamb and James Scott. For people curious about how these rags sound when played by an ensemble instead of a piano, try some of the records by the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, like Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (finally) Plays The Entertainer.

Nielsen's performance is precise and crisp but played too fast. Joshua Rifkin's liner notes to Rifkin's recordings Piano Rags 1-3 point out that several of Joplin's pieces carry the warning "Notice. Do not play this piece fast. It is never right to play 'Ragtime' fast." Nielsen apparently ignores this admonition. Here are just a few examples.

Nielsen positively rips through The Easy Winners in 3:21. Both Rifkin (Ragtime: Music of Scott Joplin) and Zimmerman (His Complete Works) appropriately spend over 4 minutes on this piece. This should be a trot, and not a gallop as Nielsen plays it.

On the wonderful Gladiolus Rag, Nielsen devotes only 3:57. Rifkin and Zimmerman both take over 4 and a half minutes to play this properly.

On the most beautiful Solace (A Mexican Serenade), Nielsen finishes in 5:40. Here Zimmerman takes 6:10, a fitting pace, while Rifkin draws this to 6:46, perhaps a bit languid but far better to give this piece its full due than to short it as Nielsen does.

Some credit is due to this recording for completeness, for good sound engineering, and the precision of Nielsen's playing, but this is just not how to appreciate Joplin's Ragtime.

i saw people writing her that mr nielsen doesnt has the feeling or doesnt play as max morath... well then i see buy the sheet music and look what is written... mr nielsen exactly plays what is written.. except in the ragtime dance and stoptime rag where he dont use stop time....

i can hear in his playing that he is a very talented and gifted piano player who earned his 9,5 on his exam on the conservatory in Utrecht.

if i listen to max morath or joshua rifkin i hear to slow music with out expression, ok mr nielsen plays some pieces to fast... way to fast like peacherine rag.. the sheet music says "not fast" not "not too fast" or march tempo mr nielsen plays it more presto. and some more pieces are like this but overall he plays in a very good talend style.

if you want to chose between nielsen, morath, arpin or rifkin... i say nielsen.

THE ultimate Scott Joplin performances! Forget about the rest: clear, correct AND very musically played rags, marches, songs and waltzes. They're miked very close (like the Lamb and Scott recordings by the same pianist on the same label), which makes even Mr. Nielsen's (sober but efficiënt) pedalings audible. This is the standard, people, by all means!