Scott Kirby Piano: Magnetic Rag by Scott Joplin
Surely one of the purest interpreters of Scott Joplin rags alive today, Scott Kirby has become a favorite at many ragtime festivals each year. His well-paced, thoughtful and evocative renditions stay true to the original score, then feature his own tasteful arrangements in the repeats, adding to the original music while still honoring Joplin's genius. Kirby's beautiful renditions seem to channel Joplin himself.
To learn more about Scott Kirby, visit his website:
www.scottkirby.net
Scott's music is available through CD Baby:
www.cdbaby.com/...
A native of Ohio, Scott Kirby began his study of music at the age of six, and continued formal piano instruction for seventeen years. He worked under Robert Howat of Wittenberg University of Ohio, and Sylvia Zaremba at the Ohio State University. After obtaining an English degree from Ohio State University, Kirby moved to New Orleans and began his professional music career, as a street performer. In the following four years, he recorded the complete rags of Scott Joplin, and made his debut at all of the major ragtime festivals in the United States, as well as festivals in Belgium, France, Norway, New Zealand, and Hungary.
Kirby has served as Musical Director of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, MO, and of the Rocky Mountain Ragtime and American Music Festival in Boulder, CO, as well as director of the San Juan Islands Ragtime Institute. His appearances include a segment on CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood in 1998, and at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. Kirby co-founded a record company (Viridiana Productions, L.L.C.), has made 25 recordings, and has composed over 150 original works for piano and other instruments. Admired by fellow pianists including George Winston, and hailed by Time Magazine as an "ace pianist," CBS News' Charles Osgood agreed that "...Critics call Scott Kirby one of the best interpreters of ragtime music on the scene today."
Kirby's artistic passion grew to include to visual art, and in 2005, while living in France, he completed 75 paintings and 28 piano compositions, including "The Prairie Devotionals," The paintings (belonging to a set entitled "Visions of the Great Plains") and the new musical works set the groundwork for his new multi-media project "Main Street Souvenirs." Kirby now lives in Sandpoint with his wife Marie-Dominique and two daughters Sara and Leah-Marie, and divides his time between composing, painting, performing and teaching.
Kirby has achieved a rarified status as a performer of ragtime and related American styles. Considered "Today's best player of Scott Joplin's music" (Trebor Tichenor, author of Rags and Ragtime), Kirby has appeared at every major ragtime festival in the U.S., plus events in Hungary, Norway, New Zealand, France, England and Belgium. His unique presentation highlights the worlds of Classic Ragtime, New Orleans Jazz, and Blues, then expands to include the marches of John Philip Sousa, the songs of Stephen Foster, Latin-American styles, Afro-Cuban rhythms, European Romanticism, Rock & Roll and Original works ranging from the syncopated to the impressionistic. Kirby's sense of Americana is enhanced by his historical commentary, and also by his art work, a series of watercolors entitled "Visions of the Great Plains," which he presents in either an accompanying exhibit or in a video presentation during the show.
Kirby also specializes in American and Pan-American musical traditions that span 150 years. From the inventive compositions of New Orleans genius Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Classic Ragtime, Cuban Danzas, Brazilian Tangos of Ernesto Nazareth and Creole styles from the Caribbean, to contemporary works by Kirby himself, the Pan-American umbrella is full of color and variety. Kirby weaves these styles together with historical and cultural background that shows the connections and cross-influences that have been occurring in the Western Hemisphere for hundreds of years, and have influenced not only American Popular Music, but also American Classical and Art Music composers.
Scott Kirby has composed over 150 works for solo piano and other instruments, which fall into several categories. The early works follow the example of Scott Joplin and the Classic Ragtime composers, but with a decidedly contemporary harmonic sensibility. Later, using Louis Moreau Gottschalk as a model, Kirby began to draw from a wider variety of Pan-American traditions, Latin-American rhythms, afro-caribbean syncopation, and European Romantic influence. This Terre Verde music naturally morphed into a new style that incorporated less syncopation but more distinctive melodic content - a new and highly romanticized Americana.
Пікірлер: 61
My hats off to whoever got that piano up the stairs.
i heard that Scott always said; 'stop playing that fast! its not that fast!' you play it at an absoutly *perfect* speed! Well done!
@citiblocsMaster
6 жыл бұрын
That's quite my tempo
@noonehere0987
6 жыл бұрын
When Joplin said to no play it fast, he meant to keep it at a march tempo of 100-120bpm and not some 140+bpm race. That said, this does sound perfect
My favorite - something about it makes me want to dance and weep at the same time. I think Mr Joplin would appreciate your rendition . Many thanks .
@speechrighter
6 ай бұрын
Agreed, and well put.
This is the best playing of Magnetic I have ever heard, truly remarkable and moving. I have always found it a deeply tragic little piece, which spirit is only intensified by the doomed gaiety of the third strain. I think Rifkin says on one of the LP covers that it is almost as if Joplin knew, in writing it, how brief and bleak his remaining years would be. Too fast and it simply sounds jolly, but too funereal a pace can also miss the effect through well intentioned exaggeration. I am particularly impressed by your amazing inner voices, rhythmic counterpoint and accents. So very few ragtime players can do this, especially now, as with the classical brigade, we seem to be entering another period of unbridled, monotonous ninety miles an hour in everything. Fifteen years ago, when I first wrote to David, Frank and Hal to get their music, (ragtime does not have a strong following here) I thought your playing insights were outstanding and I still do. How wonderful that you are now posting things on youtube. Ted (New Zealand)
the piano bench sorta messed with my head. looks like its ON the floor
@Archiekunst
8 жыл бұрын
True!
So refreshing, it is wonderful to hear Joplin played well and not banged out. You capture his essence, thank you.
Hi Scott. As many times as I've heard you play this piece... on your CDs... on video... and in person, I never seem to be able to fully absorb just how magnificent your renditions are. This one in particular is truly amazing... mesmerizing... moving... perfection. I can't imagine how anyone could ever channel Joplin more flawlessly than you have. Thanks for providing the truly moving moments I get to experience whenever I visit here yet again. Hope you're doing well, and that we get to see you sometime soon. Miss you. - Peter
This is wonderful. It is definitely the best version of Magnetic I have ever heard. I think Scott Kirby is my favorite ragtime pianist.
@speechrighter
6 ай бұрын
I've been a ragtime fan for 50 years, and Kirby is the best interpreter of Scott Joplin, King of the Ragtime Composers.
Non importa la velocità con la quale Scott Joplin suonasse i suoi Rags che ascoltiamo nei suoi rulli. Ogni Rag va suonato a velocità moderata, sia perché lo consigliava Lui, sia perché musicalmente è più gradevole. E Scott Kirby da bravo musicista qual è li suona tutti al tempo giusto.
"Purest interpreter" of Joplin's music is accurate. GREAT version of this timeless piece. Thank you Scott.
Really good performance. Perfect ragged timing, between straight and shuffle, and it was integrated with the pedal control and note phrasing. Very easygoing improvisations, never overdoing it. Good balance in movement between left and right hands. And I didn't hear a single wrong note. Well done.
This rivals Scott's versions on piano rolls--amazing to have this live performance.
Beautiful! Magnetic Rag is one of my favorites!
Man you crushed that. That 3rd section of that was what made me have to seriously work on technique; have yet to learn the whole tune. Bravo to you on the interpretation, and execution.
This was spectacular; more feeling than I can ever remember hearing in a ragtime performance. I was spellbound.
Remarkably well played. I especially enjoyed the little ad lib / embellishments, you included.
So beautiful. The best I've ever heard it played. :-)
Very well played, thank you. The tempo was spot on
Of all the instruments, including everything invented using electronics a good piano with the keys properly tickled makes the best darn music... Thanks for sharing your Genius with us all.
Marvelous ... soo beautiful Scott Kirby..I feel that Scott Joplin is very pleased! So wonderful that you recorded this on Christmas Day...on your awesome 1907 grand piano! Thank you!
This is a brilliant performance of this piece.
The RIGHT tempo, and the Mason & Hamlin is a great piano!
My favorite performance of my favorite piece of music. Love your embellishments and it could not be played better!
@citiblocsMaster
6 жыл бұрын
It could. This is just the best so far
Great playing. And what a great sound the Mason & Hamlin gives the music!
Pure . You & Frank Livolsi make this sing like no one else today. Always a pleasure.
Brilliant. Just perfect! Superbly interpreted during the first iterations of the themes, and then your added filigree and improvised arrangements on the repeats are absolutely perfect and an absolute joy to hear! Not too wild so as to completely change the piece, but so much fun and just the right amount to make the repeats wonderfully interesting-I kept waiting with avid anticipation for what was going to happen next! Thank you for this! It's marvelous! :)
Fantastic rendition of a Joplin masterpiece! Bravo
Excellent! You capture the festive feeling this song has. You play it with a unique style. I love it! By far, performed better than all the rest! Thanks 😊
Your piano sounds beautifully tuned and voiced. Your playing is lovely to listen to, perfect balance between left and right hands, you can hear every note clearly. Very enjoyable, thank you.
I so enjoy ALL your playing.your rags are so pure. I can play a few so I understand the challenge and the joy they are to play. I hope to see you in person one day.
Really sweet! Such fluid, relaxed playing, you can just the rag rolling through his body and coming out on the keyboard and hopping around. Love it.
I love your dynamics!
I think this is how Scott Joplin would have liked it played. It will influence how I play it from now on. Beautiful, he must have meant those harmonies to not be raced through.
@NROS2012
10 жыл бұрын
you might want to look up the version on youtube played by Joplin himself.
@Freeknowledgefan
10 жыл бұрын
NROS2012 You mean the piano roll? Hardly reliable.
@NROS2012
10 жыл бұрын
The original roll was marked with a play back speed, published in his lifetime and recorded by the man himself! It's not 100% but it's the next best thing to asking the bloke himself and far more reliable than some wishy washy imagined "I think this is how he'd have liked it' postulation, even if it is JR who said it - he doesn't have some magical insight and connection with the spirit of SJ - it's just his interpretation.
Love your soft flowing smooth touch to the piano .... very excellent
Beautifully done. A perfect touch.
Enjoyed this a lot. Great interpretation. Thanks for sharing.
Esse tipo de música quando bem interpretada no piano, é um deleite para o coração! Amei! 💜
@ismaelcarlos7241
Жыл бұрын
Concordo
nice balance from quiet to loud sound. really good :)
Very nice.
MARVELLOUS ! Thanks !
I like how you went real low on that funky part.
I mean.. this is my favorite rag. I can play it and get all the notes out. But it doesn't sound like this. Nice one.
Beautiful!
Superb
I know it's meant to be played slowly, but it sounds pretty good at 1.5x
right tempo
Well, for a guy who is an accomplished pianist and has quite a following, you have quite the bad audio quality xD But the playing is really nice!
Great playing. And what a great sound the Mason & Hamlin gives the music!