THE SCOTT JOPLIN RAGTIME FESTIVAL
  • Home
    • Sedalia's Ragtime Heritage
    • Joplin Biography
    • Contact & Links
  • 2023 Festival Info
    • 2023 Event Schedule
    • 2023 Festival Artists
    • 2018 Festival Photos
    • Venues, Lodging & Transportation
    • Donors & Sponsors
  • The Ragtime Foundation
    • Board Members
    • Ragtime Outstanding Achievement Award
    • Chrysanthemum Award
    • Artist-In-Residence
    • Archive VIdeo Project
    • Joplin Footsteps Tour
  • News
  • Tickets | Store
    • Seating Chart
  • Donate
Picture
Reflections

Scott Joplin died April 1, 1917. Some say it was of a broken heart because of the difficulties he had encountered with the presentation of his Ragtime Opera Treemonisha. The official report cited "dementia" as the cause. The actual cause had to do with the lifestyle led by many of the pianist/composers of the era, "The sportin' life", which gave Joplin syphilis, the eventual cause of his dementia and death.
 
His widow, Lottie Stokes Joplin, long regretted that she did not fulfill one of his final requests; that the Maple Leaf Rag be played at his funeral.
 
Shortly after his death, publisher John Stark dug into his archives to pull out one final Joplin rag for publication. It is not entirely certain if this is a complete rag as originally written, or perhaps a fusion of themes from two or more pieces. Still, it is generally believed that the major content of Reflection was written about 1907 to 1908, and Joplin submitted no more pieces to Stark after 1909. It is unusual in that there are five repeated sections played in order, and no reiteration of any of them. This adds to the speculation of Reflection having been "assembled" rather than composed as a single rag.
 
Even more cryptic is the promise of two more Joplin rags to be released in the future, a promise which never materialized. The manuscripts for these were likely destroyed or lost at some point after Stark's death.
 
The cover picture had been previously used by Stark on Joseph Lamb's Cleopatra Rag and James Scott's Sunburst Rag.     ​--Bill Edmunds


Location (not for mail):
​
600 East Third Street
Sedalia, Missouri  65301

More Joplin merchandise at:
www.katydepotsedalia.com


​Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation
​

A not for profit organization dedicated to preserving the importance of Ragtime music; Scott Joplin's contribution to it; ​and Sedalia’s role in its history.
Picture

Clickable Site Links:
​

Scott Joplin Biography
Contact & Links
Photo Gallery
Festival Info
About the Foundation
Donate
Tickets/Store
Blog or News

Email Us
Call 660-826-2271
  • Home
    • Sedalia's Ragtime Heritage
    • Joplin Biography
    • Contact & Links
  • 2023 Festival Info
    • 2023 Event Schedule
    • 2023 Festival Artists
    • 2018 Festival Photos
    • Venues, Lodging & Transportation
    • Donors & Sponsors
  • The Ragtime Foundation
    • Board Members
    • Ragtime Outstanding Achievement Award
    • Chrysanthemum Award
    • Artist-In-Residence
    • Archive VIdeo Project
    • Joplin Footsteps Tour
  • News
  • Tickets | Store
    • Seating Chart
  • Donate