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Scott Joplin's "Silver Swan Rag," a Lost Roll?
By Bob Kern 

The "Silver Swan Rag" is available in the two-CD set entitled "The
Complete Rags Of Scott Joplin," played by William Albright (MusicMasters
1990).  The liner notes claim that the tune was "twice  released on
piano rolls around 1914-15".  The copyright, which dates to around 1970
when Silver Swan Rag was "discovered," apparently belongs to the Lottie
Joplin Thomas Trust.

The liner notes further conclude that, "since Joplin is known to have
cut other rolls at about the same time, it seems likely that the Joplin
attribution is not bogus.  On its own merits, it has enough Joplin
'signatures' to lend it some credence; but the piece also shows enough
imperfections to make  one think that Joplin purposely withheld it from
publication.  The third chorus, for example, is a fascinating but
flawed mongrel of modality and patchwork construction."

If you're a Joplin fan (and who isn't), this CD is for you!

Bob Kern

(Message sent Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:17:58 EDT , from time zone -0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Joplin's, Lost, Rag, Roll, Scott, Silver, Swan

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