Composer Profile - Activefolio

11
Introduction
Beyond Classical Music
While the intent of this text is “an introduction to classical music,” it is worthwhile
to discuss briefly the concurrent musical trends that developed in the
United States during the twentieth century. Because of the formidable economic
and artistic importance of these commercial trends, they had a significant impact
on “classical” composers that we have studied who lived and worked at the same time.
The outlines and discussions that follow are by no means intended to be detailed
histories of the development of commercial music. Rather, they can be viewed as brief
outlines that give a cursory overview, and point the direction for further study. Somewhat
more space in this chapter will be devoted to the development of jazz than other
forms. This is due to the close relationship that jazz has to classical music.
From Ragtime to Jazz
The argument can be made that once the twentieth century began, the mainstream of
musical advancement shifted from symphonic and harmonic to commercial development.
Around 1900, ninety percent of middle class homes had a piano; that instrument
was a staple of family life during this time. However, most hobbyists were not adept
enough at the keyboard to play Liszt or even Brahms. A new industry was rapidly growing,
though without great fanfare, in which published sheet music and “piano rolls”
were being sold that were intended for the amateur. Among the styles of music that
were most popular were simplified arrangements of “classical” works, and piano arrangements
of American folk tunes. Many folk styles were popular sellers during this
time, especially the style of music called the cakewalk. The cakewalk had several trademark
rhythms in its dancelike structure, usually employing sixteenth and eighth notes in
a syncopated rhythmic pattern. Soon, a new style of music began to emerge as a huge
force in sheet music sales, using fresh rhythms derived from the cakewalk along with
folklike melodies and harmonies. This music was called ragtime.
Ragtime music got its name from the “rag” paper used for the early piano rolls, or
the paper on which the music was printed. At virtually the same time that Debussy was
crossing the harmonic boundaries into Impressionism, ragtime composer Scott Joplin
(1868–1917) was enjoying immense popularity among American households through
the proliferation of his published sheet music. Many of these works were quite difficult
to play accurately, but the engaging rhythms of the music were infectious, and Joplin’s
“rags” outsold all other composers in America around the turn of the century, both in
135