Joplin Medley for String Ensemble

Ragtime is a style of American popular music that reached its peak ca. 1910 - 15. American composer Scott Joplin (ca. 1867 - 1917) helped create this style which is characterized by a marchlike duple meter with a syncopated melody.

The Maple Leaf, founded in 1898, was a social club for black men in Sedalia, Missouri, where Joplin worked as a pianist.

In 1907 Joplin moved to New York City where he spent the remainder of his life. In addition to composing numerous rags, possibly Joplin’s most substantial work is his opera, Treemonisha.

King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era by Edward A. Berlin is one of the main sources of information on Joplin’s life.

A Joplin Medley, arranged for intermediate strings, was published in 1983 as part of the collection 101 Strings (Hansen House). The Medley may also be performed in a chamber music setting.