Fig Leaf Rag


Composer:	S. Joplin	Suppliers:
Editor:	Christa Sokoll	Quartet	D/A/T/B
Publisher:	Otto Heinrich Noetzel Verlag	Publication:	Noetzel N 3508
Midi

This is a much loved, by me, folio of four ragtimes namely, the world-famous "The Entertainer", "New Rag", "Ragtime Dance" and "Fig Leaf Rag". Each one is better than the last and each has been at one time my favourite.
I first played "The Entertainer" with Frau Suhrlie and The Vegesack Double Quartet way back in the early eighties. The others much later with Blue Moday and Blue Tuesday just a few years back. I have fond memories of playing these delightful pieces in Peter Krügers Gallery, Zeichnung and Malerie, Vegesack.
Entertainer, The composed by Joplin (1868-1917), arranged by Christa Sokoll
Quartet: D/A/T/B rmentertainer.mid
As mentioned above I first played "The Entertainer" with Heidi Suhrlie and The Vegesack Double Quartet way back in the early eighties. It was the theme of a well-known Redford film and quite popular. It was considered at that time to be quite daring to include such items such as "The Entertainer" in a programme of recorder music.
For a long this arrangement was my favourite only to be replaced by others as a became more of a Scott Joplin fanatic. Compared with the others it is relatively easier to play as the harmonic runs are not quite so long.
New Rag composed by Joplin (1868-1917), arranged by Christa Sokoll
Quartet: D/A/T/B rmnewrag.mid
The "New Rag" is absolutely delightful and is very demanding on the descant and treble voices. It is always a personal joy to play bass whereby the "oom-pahs" are practically never on the same notes twice (just to kept on ones toes) at the same admiring the artistry of the upper voices. The tenor too, has its moments with rapid alternation between on and off the beat.
Ragtime Dance composed by Joplin (1868-1917), arranged by Christa Sokoll
Quartet: D/A/T/B rmragtimedance.mid
"Ragtime Dance" was the source of much laughter in the Blue Monday and Blue Tuesday consorts during rehearsals. What with the repeats and pauses and harmonic runs over a complete octave there was plenty of opportunity to make a fool of oneself. As a bass player, I found "Ragtime Dance" especially demanding as the last bars from 56 had to be performed meticulously in order not to spoil the super ending. Tenor players are made demands upon in that the are suddenly in the limelight having to play a descending harmonic run over an octave as a solo. If one can find two trebles (for a few divisi) then so much the better, they too have their work cut out playing in close harmony with the descant.
At an unforgettable performance at KITO Vegesack on 24th May 1998, our audience were also in gales of laughter because some impatient members of the audience would insist on clapping (excusably) in the somewhat over-drawn-out pauses. The players became more ragged and the pauses even longer causing much humorous confusion.
Fig Leaf Rag composed by Joplin (1868-1917), arranged by Christa Sokoll
Quartet: D/A/T/B rmfigleaf.mid
This version of "Fig Leaf Rag" is much more demanding than that of Hugh Blake's. As a bass player, I much prefer this version, as I suppose players in the other voices also do. It is very much in line with the original piano score and its "ragginess" is well to the fore.