Joplin & Ragtime

Today's focus is on my favorite pianist, Scott Joplin, and his expertise: ragtime.

Ragtime is a style of music that relies on syncopation- that is, a 'disruptive' rhythm which can emphasize off-beats.  Wikipedia summarizes it well: ragtime "may be considered a synthesis of African syncopation and European classical music, especially the marches made popular by John Phillip Sousa."

Scott Joplin (1868-1917) did not originate the genre- but he did make it famous.  Of his 44 rags, many made it mainstream, to include Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainers.  Ragtime (and Joplin) enjoyed popularity in two periods: ~1895-1918 and after 1970, when The Sting (starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford) featured many Joplin works and brought the style back into popularity.

I've played piano for almost 30 years.  I've listened to and played many different styles of music, but I keep coming back to Joplin's Ragtime pieces- I play almost nothing else.  I love the style for a few reasons:
- it's complex.  Playing Ragtime feels like an accomplishment- it takes me weeks to learn a piece due to its sophisticated fingerings and off-beat style.
- it's happy and fun.   Ragtime is almost always happy music- you feel joy listening to and playing it.
- it's distinctly American.  You see influences in Ragtime from a variety of cultures that make up America- our African and European heritages shine through in a delightful combination.  Images of Americana can pop into my head as I play- most commonly, wild west saloons, but Americans in many other settings also experienced and enjoyed this style through the years, from sophisticated urbanites to down-home country folk.  There's something here for everyone.

As you'd expect, videos abound on the Internet of pianists playing Joplin's works.  One such I enjoy is Cory Hall- his take on Joplin's Original Rag can be seen here.  Note that Hall- like many, regrettably- tweaks Joplin's work ever so slightly.  But here, his tweak his minimal, his tempo excellent, and the overall effect enjoyable and exemplary of the genre.

To date, I can play only seven Joplin rags with any degree of competence- Maple Leaf Rag, The Entertainers, The Cascades, Elite Syncopations, Paragon Rag, Magnetic Rag, and Original Rag.  It's not easy, but it is fun and worthwhile.  The biggest temptation- one repeated often enough to elicit printed warnings by the composer- is to play this style fast.  In Joplin's own words, "it is never right to play Ragtime fast."  But, fast or slow, these tunes are a delight to hear- so listen to some today.

Lion King (the Musical)

As a Christmas gift for my wife, we recently went to see The Lion King (the musical, of course, not the Disney movie) performed in London's West End.  Based heavily on the Disney offering, The Lion King is the story of Simba, a young lion who (wrongly) blames himself for his father Mufasa's death, and leaves his pride in shame, only to return years later to wrest the kingdom from his evil uncle Scar.  Helping him along the way are his friends Nala, Pumbaa and Timon, the wise monkey Rafiki, and his father's right-hand bird Zazu.  Need I elaborate?  I think everyone's seen the movie.

The musical adaptation of The Lion King has won many awards, and my wife and I were greatly looking forward to the show.  We were satisfied, though not blown away.  Let's start with the good:
- the costumes were top-notch (A+), and really the best reason to see the show
- the story was fantastic
- the performers nailed the Disney versions of characters Timon, Pumbaa, Scar, and Zazu; their performances were great (and voices impressively similar)

And now, the not-so-good:
- the singing and the dancing/choreography was adequate, not great.  I was neither enthralled nor disgusted.  Both adults and the kids in the show were okay, but not as good as I expected for a professional theatre in London
- the musical differed from the movie a bit more than I expected.  Though the characters were all the same, there were were several new songs and some minor plot differences.  Not a big deal if you're expecting it, but I was mildly disappointed by the new songs (they just didn't impress me).

Overall, we're glad we saw the show; don't get me wrong.  I just thought I'd be blown away, and I wasn't.  It was an enjoyable performance with great costumes.  I think the people who played Timon and Zazu were my favorites on the night.

Rating: A-

Les Misérables (the movie)

Yes, it's true: before today, I had never read or seen any version produced of Les Misérables.  Greatly looking forward to the book, but spotting the 2012 movie at the local library (which is a musical adaptation), I violated a standing rule and watched the movie first.  I was pleased.

Set in early 19th-century France, at the time of the June Rebellion, Les Misérables is about many things, but most of all Jean Valjean and his redemption.

The plot in a nutshell (spoiler alert, and some points are skipped for relative brevity): Convicted for stealing bread to feed his family, he serves 19 years in prison.  After release, he's denied work due to his past, and left to wander the streets.  A priest takes him in for the night; Valjean steals some precious metalware and flees at first opportunity.  Caught and brought back to the priest, the unexpected happens- the priest claims he gave Valjean the objects, absolving him of his crime and saving him from another stint in prison.  Valjean resolves to turn his life around based on the grace afforded him, and does.  In the process, though, he breaks parole, eventually incurring the wrath of the legalistic policemen Javert, who ends up pursuing him for years.  Valjean eludes him and becomes successful, having a factory where he employs dozen of women during a very hard economic time.  There he meets Fantine, who's sending money to her daughter Cosette (currently living with relatives).  She eventually dies, and Valjean tracks down and raises Cosette as his own.  Years pass; Cosette falls in love with an idealist in the revolution, and Valjean makes more sacrifices to bring them together.  Valjean and Javert clash often throughout the years; near the end, Javert is cornered, and Valjean can kill him, but shows mercy.  Javert returns the favor, somewhat unwillingly, and then kills himself, not being able to deal with the idea of grace (at least, that's my take).

How was it?  The story was fantastic- no problems there.  The production was good, and music was great.  At 2.5 hours, towards the end I started getting tired of the drama (yes, I get that it's a drama . . . I didn't say it was a valid reaction), and I even started rooting for the characters to off each other.  Many die in this dreadful time, but some survive, and the overall point (I believe) is the importance and triumph of love and grace, even in horrible circumstances.  I didn't like that the story featured the typical "boy meets girl and both decide, at one glance, that they love each other"- what a silly concept (though commonly told).  That aside, this is well worth your time . . . and I suspect the book will be even better. 

Rating: A