Joshua Rifkin is a musical polymath – a Bach scholar and a Ragtime specialist. His performances of Ragtime are gentle and inviting and in this wonderful recording of Rags and Tangos (made in 1990 for Decca) he treats us to a Scott Joplin-free exploration of music from this genre.
JAMES SCOTT: Evergreen Rag
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho
JOSEPH F LAMB: Ragtime Nightingale
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Vitorioso
JOSEPH F LAMB: American Beauty Rag
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Odeon
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Nove de Julho
JOSEPH F LAMB: Bohemia Rag
JOSEPH F LAMB: Topliner Rag
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Labirinto
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Guerreiro
JAMES SCOTT: Modesty Rag
JAMES SCOTT: Peace and Plenty Rag
JAMES SCOTT: Troubador Rag
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Plangente
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Cubanos
ERNESTO NAZARETH: Fon-Fon!
Joshua Rifkin, piano
An admirer wrote the following on the Amazon website and it is as good a summary as any of the disc:
‘Rifkin (so famous for his recordings of Scott Joplin) turns his elegant and insightful musicianship to the music of two of the other great Classic Ragtime composers (James Scott and Joseph Lamb), and the fine tangos of Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth. As always, he respects the scores, playing them as written, with joy and attention to the deeper aspects contained in their brief spans. Of particular note to me are the slow rags by Scott (some of the finest of all rag creations), and the exquisite slower tangos of Nazareth. Rifkin sees through the ephemeral nature of these works into the real substance present that makes these works more than “tin pan alley” throw-aways. The recorded sound is spacious and balanced’
‘Rifkin is the pre-eminent interpreter of ragtime … clever use of dynamics and clear understanding of rhythmic contrasts … very satisfying’ Limelight
‘Respectful, polished, tastefully sculpted, well-judged performances’ ClassicsToday.com
‘Rifkin plays each work with the energy and exuberance the genre demands … all the pieces are very well performed’ MusicWeb