Harpsichord Neupert with two manuals, with seven pedals controlling the registrations, including 8′ and 4′, “lute,” and a 16′ which doubled the low bass notes.
Released 1972 by Klavier Records – KS-510
Produced by Harold L. Powell
Technical Facilities by Keith Johnson
Mastering by Steve Guy
Cover by Tri·Arts Inc.
Library of Congress No. 72-750685

SIDE A
00:00 1. Peacherine Rag . …… .. ……. . …………… …………..4:10
04:10 2. The Easy Winners, A Ragtime Two Step* . . .. 4:00
* Sorry I had to restore some damaged parts in the opening
…. and bar 14
08:10 3. Harmony Club Waltz …. ….. , .. ………….. …….6:25
14:36 4. Maple Leaf Rag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:35
18:09 5. Heliotrope Bouquet, A Slow Drag Two Step . .. 3:50
SIDE B
22:07 1. Pine Apple Rag ………….. .. ………. . …………. 3:50
25:57 2. Sunflower Slow Drag, A Ragtime Two Step . . .. 4:20
30:19 3. Bethena; A Concert Waltz . . . ……. ………… . 5:25
35:44 4. Swipesy-Cake Walk … . ……….. ……… . . . 4:10
39:57 5. Elite Syncopations .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4:00
43:55 6. Stoptime Rag . ……………………. ……………. ……. 3:10

This fun album is dedicated to my father who first introduced
me to Scott Joplin’s Ragtime when I was 11 years
old by bringing home a sheet music copy of Maple Leaf
‘Rag. At his request I frequently played it for our guests
never suspecting that I would someday make this recording.
My father is equally surprised by this and the unexpected
turn of events which finds him now living just outside
of Joplin, Missouri.

SIDE A
no. 1
PEACHERlNE RAG (190]) is in the typical rag form; Introduction,
AABBACCDD. The first theme is thin textured,
graceful and swinging. Theme two is a very polished,
hesitant tune with broken octaves coyly accenting the offbeat
in the upper octave. The third theme cuts loose and
“rolls” and with theme four we return to a more reserved
and controlled ragged rhythm.
no. 2
EASY WINNERS A Rag Time Two Step (190]). The first
three themes suggest the Cakewalk and the fourth theme
uses a “barrel house” rhythm and heavy chords recalling
the honkey-tonk pianists.
no. 3
HARMONY CLUB WALTZ (1896), one of Joplin’s earliest
works, is a sweet and sentimental Victorian Waltz. It is
constructed on 7 themes in 5 differtnt keys,
no. 4
MAPLE LEAF RAG (1899) brought Joplin almost instant
fame and was used as a prototype for at least 12 years by
ragtime composers,
no. 5
HELIOTROPE BOUQUET A Slow Drag Two Step (1907),
The first and second themes are samples of the e xquisitely
personal style of Louis Chauvin to which Joplin added
themes three and four. The second theme was used again
by Boyd Atkins in his 1926 Jazz hit “Heebie Jeebies”,
SIDE B
no. 1
PINE APPLE RAG (1908) is an instrumental version of JoPlin’s
1904 song by the same name. The innocence of theme
one gives no hint of what is to follow, With theme two we
begin to break into an infectious swaying rhythm and
then after a return of theme one we let go with theme three
and its “low down” style. Theme four stomps above a
moving bass line somewhat suggestive of the Boogie Bass
of the 40’s, .
no. 2
SUNFLOWER SLOW DRAG A Rag Time Two Step (1901).
The publisher, John Stark wrote the following; “This piece
came to light during the high temperature of Scott Joplin’s
courtship, and while he was touching the ground only in
the highest places, his geese were swans, and Mississippi
water tasted like honey-dew,” It is a captiva tingly melodious
work.
no. 3
BETHENA a Concert Waltz (1-905), Here is proof thot Joplin
was able to transform Ragtime concepts into other more
serious compositions, Its smoothly elegant themes, each
in a different key, are connected by short bridges which
display an often unique concept of modulation, The thematic
fragment presented in the introduction serves as the
melodic and rhythmic idea for all the themes.
no. 4
SWIPESY-Cake Walk (1900). Themes one, two and four are
beautiful song-like themes of Arthur Marshall and are
complimented by Joplin’s third theme, Stark, the publisher,
had his neighborhood shoeshine boy photographed for the
cover of this piece, Upon seeing the shy, half smiling face,
he commented that the lad looked as though he’d just
swiped some cookies so he said “Le t’s call it Swipesy”,
This piece enjoyed long popularity,
no. S
ELITE SYNCOPATIONS (1902) is an example of restrained
and more sophisticated rag until it begins to jive with the
fourth theme,
no. 6
STOPTIME Rag (1910), Under its title it instructs; “To get
the desired effect of “Stoptime”, the pianist should stamp
the heel of one foot heavily upon the floor wherever the
word “Stamp” appears in the music.” The tempo is “Fast
or slow” as though the dancer were to call the time. Its
many themes capture the musical qualities of American
folk dance, the frontier, the minstrel and the Afro-American.

#Neupert #WilliamNeilRoberts