Here is the April 1916 Connorized company hand played Joplin roll of the Maple Leaf Rag for those curious. ua-cam.com/video/YxHEmGOHUCU/v-deo.html It was moderately edited due to Joplin suffering from severe dementia at the time, and was touched up by head of the connorized company Wilhelm Axman (William Arlington). The roll is at a slower tempo and gives a more classy sound, explaining why Joplin considered it a professional classic art form opposed to a honky tonk saloon sound. He made another roll of the same rag for the Æolian company months later with no editing done and it shows how badly ill he was, as the playing is disorganized, chaotic and distressing to hear, he couldn’t play anymore by that point which explains the quality and tempo of the roll. ua-cam.com/video/7vG_IPgjOYs/v-deo.html He had been suffering the effects of dementia since roughly 1913, He passed away in 1917, at age 49 and his death certificate labels the cause as “dementia Paralytica cerebral form.” His death was the main reason why ragtime ended as a modern popular art form.
Here is the April 1916 Connorized company hand played Joplin roll of the Maple Leaf Rag for those curious. ua-cam.com/video/YxHEmGOHUCU/v-deo.html
It was moderately edited due to Joplin suffering from severe dementia at the time, and was touched up by head of the connorized company Wilhelm Axman (William Arlington). The roll is at a slower tempo and gives a more classy sound, explaining why Joplin considered it a professional classic art form opposed to a honky tonk saloon sound. He made another roll of the same rag for the Æolian company months later with no editing done and it shows how badly ill he was, as the playing is disorganized, chaotic and distressing to hear, he couldn’t play anymore by that point which explains the quality and tempo of the roll. ua-cam.com/video/7vG_IPgjOYs/v-deo.html
He had been suffering the effects of dementia since roughly 1913, He passed away in 1917, at age 49 and his death certificate labels the cause as “dementia Paralytica cerebral form.” His death was the main reason why ragtime ended as a modern popular art form.
Thanks for sharing. It’s a shame how he deteriorated so quickly