Obscure Music Monday: Joplin's Solace
Scott Joplin (c. 1867/68 - April 1, 1917) was an African-American composer and pianist, who came to be known as the "King of Ragtime Writers". Joplin was born in to a family of railroad laborers in Texas, but got as much musical knowledge as he could from local teachers, and ended up forming a vocal quartet, and teaching mandolin and guitar. He later left for the south to work as a itinerant musician, and eventually found his way up to Chicago for the World's Fair of 1893, which contributed towards the ragtime craze.Though most of his works are rags, didn't consider Solace to be a rag; he actually labeled it as a "Mexican serenade." The feel of this work is as you'd expect from its title; it's a comforting piece. Slower than many of the usual tempos of his works, this piece has a bit of a habañera feel to it, particularly from the bass line. Joplin wrote wonderful and memorable melodies, and this work is no exception!
Here are some recordings of this wonderfully sweet work for you to enjoy!
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