Ref: 010518 MMDigest -  Magnetic Rag Introduction "Larghetto"

In reference to John Rutoskey's and Mike Knudsen's comments on the
QRS recut of Scott Joplin's "Magnetic Rag" (a reissue of Connorized
10266, as played by the composer Scott Joplin), the introduction to
this roll was not erroneously cut at half tempo.  The abrupt tempo
change after the 4-bar introduction is absolutely authentic to the
original Connorized roll; and is presumably the musical intention of
the artist.

I believe the highly dramatized "larghetto" introduction was fully
Joplin's intention, and that it is one of the very rare instances
where we truly can say that the piano roll may be indicative of what
Joplin's playing might have been like.

In that Joplin was almost certainly working on the score for his last
opera "Treemonisha" at the same time as "Magnetic Rag," it's not hard
to imagine that his dramatic (as well as classical) sensibilities could
contribute to this personalized rendition of the introduction.

Frank Himpsl

 [ The sheet music of "Magnetic Rag" was published by Scott Joplin
 [ Music Pub. Co., New York City, in 1914.  Over the introduction
 [ is written "Allegretto ma non troppo" (moderately fast, but not
 [ too fast).  The only other tempo indication is for the passage in
 [ B-flat minor, which bears the indication "Tempo l'istesso", meaning
 [ "the same tempo".  (Sheet music reproduced in book "Scott Joplin
 [ Complete Piano Works."  Italian musical terms are as defined in
 [ "Dictionary of Musical Terms", publ. by G. Schirmer, New York,
 [ 1895.)  -- Robbie