Maple Leaf Rag

work by Joplin

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July 20, 2026

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"The Maple Leaf Rag" is a seminal piano composition by Scott Joplin, often called the "King of Ragtime." Published in 1899, it became one of the most successful early examples of the ragtime style. Ragtime, a popular American music genre from roughly 1899 to 1917, is characterized by its propulsive syncopation, where a steady left-hand rhythm is contrasted with a lively, off-beat melody in the right hand. Joplin, who viewed ragtime as a serious musical form, composed many pieces in this style, significantly influencing the development of jazz. The enduring popularity of "The Maple Leaf Rag" and other Joplin works was highlighted by their use in the film The Sting in the 1970s.12

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Scott Joplin
…rags for piano, including “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer,” published from 1899 through 1909, and his opera, Treemonisha, published at his own expense in 1911. Treemonisha was well received when it was first produced by a troupe in Atlanta, Georgia, directed and choreographed by Katherine Dunham. The production…
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…rags for piano, including “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer,” published from 1899 through 1909, and his opera, Treemonisha, published at his own expense in 1911. Treemonisha was well received when it was first produced by a troupe in Atlanta, Georgia, directed and choreographed by Katherine Dunham. The production…
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ragtime
…of the early rags, “The Maple Leaf Rag,” in 1899. Joplin, who considered ragtime a permanent and serious branch of classical music, composed hundreds of short pieces, a set of études, and operas in the style. Other important performers were, in St. Louis, Louis Chauvin and Thomas M. Turpin (father…
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…of the early rags, “The Maple Leaf Rag,” in 1899. Joplin, who considered ragtime a permanent and serious branch of classical music, composed hundreds of short pieces, a set of études, and operas in the style. Other important performers were, in St. Louis, Louis Chauvin and Thomas M. Turpin (father…
Read More