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Folks,

I am not a teacher but from time to time (not often :)) I have questions appropriate for teachers. I have noticed that some non-teachers do post questions on this board. My question is this--is it appropriate for me to do so, or is it found to be annoying? Thanks very much.

Russ

Russ, you may post, but teachers may not answer, although one or two probably will. Generally, you'll find teachers more likely to answer if you're already studying with a teacher, and are trying to understand something you can't quite get your arms around with your teacher.

Thanks, John, and completely understood. Heck, if someone didn't want to hire me to answer a question about mainframe database systems--but wanted a free answer--I probably wouldn't be to eager either! If it's any consolation, my mother paid three teachers quite well to tear out their hair for several years when I was a kid

But no, I would not presume to ask those kind of questions from folks who make their living at it. Rather, my question has to do with opinions on how you teachers would grade the following Joplin pieces:

The Entertainer: (My guess would be grade 5 or 6)
Solace:(My guess would be 5)
Maple Leaf: (My guess would be 7 or 8)

If anyone has a ballpark opinion on this, I would be greatly appreciative. Thanks.

Russ

These are not easy. The MLR was played
by one of the 58 finalists in
the most recent Van Cliburn YouTube
Competition, right along side of
very difficult concert pianist-level
pieces. There were apparently
many more than 58 entrants, and
the organizers apparently cut
the field down to those 58, to be
voted on the the public. So
all 58 apparently were deemed
worthy candidates for a winner.
And so MLR was considered substantial
classical repertoire that would
hold its own in difficulty against
concert pianist-level works.

I'm not familiar with Solace, but
at one time I had MLR worked up
fairly well, but I was not able
to really polish it, because it
was too difficult to do, and so
I shelved it. I also tried working
up The Entertainer but couldn't
get it up to speed and I shelved
it. I consider it more difficult
than MLR.

Gyro, you're completely wrong on this. All submitted videos for the van Cliburn Amateur YouTube Contest were posted. The organizers did not cut the field down. You could have submitted your recording of Fur Elise and it would have been posted. The fact that a piece was posted on the YouTube contest has absolutely nothing to do with its level of difficulty.

Russ,

Joplin is discussed fairly regularly in the Pianist Corner and the Pianist Corner - Non-Classical. I suspect there's significant interest in his music in the Adult Beginners Forum as well.

In any case, questions are welcomed in all those forums, so don't be shy.

I'm hardly a Joplin expert, but my impression is that "The Entertainer" is significantly less difficult than the other two pieces you mention, and that "Solace" may be the most challenging of the three.

Steven

In California, CM lumped all the Joplin compositions to levels 7-9. My opinion is that all three of these pieces are level 10. They are _not_ easy at all. Solace is slow, but the rhythm is extremely complex. The Entertainer is probably the easiest of the three, but even that one has parallel octaves and 16th-note chords that are quite difficult.

Thank you all most kindly for your opinions. I believe that when I quit, many years ago, I was about at grade 5--had "mastered" Fur Elise and was working on Rondo Alla Turca (Mozart variety). The Entertainer came fairly easily a number of years ago when I took it up again. I am currently working on Bethena--which is a lovely slow Joplin piece and not, I believe, as difficult rhthmically, as Solace. I concluded some time ago that Maple Leaf is beyond my ability--at the age of 65, probably forever.

But one interesting thing about it--I'm sure many of you have heard Joplin's quotation: "Ragtime should never be played fast." Well, I decided that meant I could master Maple Leaf--at a much slower tempo than usually performed. Then, I listened to a U-Tube cut of a 1917 roll recording by Joplin himself. It was like listening to Flight of the Bumblebee sped up to 66 RPM.

I agree that The Entertainer is by far the easiest of the three, and I have heard recordings of it played lickedy split. However, if you listen to Peskanov--who plays almost everything of Joplin's more rapidly than I believe the composer intended it to be played--he plays it quite deliberately.

Thanks again.

Russ

I think perhaps one can't rely upon piano rolls that much for authenticity. Tempos in general have gotten faster in the past century or so, not slower. So, play it at a speed that you can play it well and make it entertaining.