From: mlutton@world.std.com     To: ALL
Subj: Re: What started the 1970 Area: 1-rec.music.ragti   Date: 04/19/95
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•shults@netcom.com (Thomas P. Shults) writes:


>Was there a particular event or person principly responsible for
>the 1970's [ragtime] revival?  Or, is it hard to pin down exactly how the
>renewed interest was generated?

>Thanks,
>Tom Shults

A brief (moderately accurate) chronology:

1950's - 1960's  Max Morath and others continue to keep ragtime alive
but are ignored more and more by the general public.

1970  Joshua Rifkin (classical pianist, arranger and conductor, and
A&R man, I think, for Electra/Nonesuch) records 8 Joplin rags for
Nonesuch.  New York Public Library publishes "Scott Joplin:  Collected
Piano Works."  This brings ragtime to the attention of classical
musicians and classical music lovers.

1971 (or 1972?)  Gunther Schuller forms the New England Conservatory
Ragtime Ensemble and records "The Red Back Book" (contemporary
arrangements of Joplin rags, some by Joplin himself I think) for
Angel/EMI.  More classical musicians notice it.

1973 George Roy Hill, directing "The Sting", needs music; hears Schuller's
record; decides that this is EXACTLY the music he needs (not knowing or
not caring that at the time the movie is set, nobody but moldy figs
had played ragtime for more than 10 years -- imagine scoring "Bonfire
of the Vanities" with 70's disco music!).  Calls Schuller, insists that
Schuller drop everything and fly out to Hollywood.  Schuller is in
the middle of Fromm Week at Tanglewood and can't spare the time.  Hill
hires Marvin Hamlisch to arrange and conduct the music.  Movie is
released, big hit, Hamlisch wins Oscar, and now EVERYONE is aware of
ragtime music.  "The Entertainer" gets overexposed and has not yet
recovered.

1980's  Icecream trucks are programmed to play "The Entertainer" on
their electronic bells.  "The Entertainer" second only to "Fur Elise"
in renditions on little automatic electronic devices such as watches
and doorbells.

1993  Reverend Lovejoy fails in his attempt to play "The Entertainer"
on his church pipe organ.


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Mark Lutton     mlutton@world.std.com