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Ragtime's most distinctive musical characteristic is its syncopated, or 'ragged,' rhythm.
Answer: True
Explanation: The defining characteristic of ragtime is indeed its syncopated, or 'ragged,' rhythm, which imparts a lively and complex feel to the music.
Ragtime pieces, often called 'rags,' were exclusively composed for and performed on the banjo.
Answer: False
Explanation: While early ragtime had banjo influences, ragtime pieces, or 'rags,' were typically composed for and performed on the piano, though the genre was adapted for other instruments.
Ragtime was a modification of the waltz style, incorporating additional polyrhythms from European folk music.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ragtime was a modification of the march style, not the waltz style, and while it incorporated polyrhythms, their origin from European folk music is not definitively established.
In a typical ragtime piece, the right hand plays bass notes on strong beats, while the left hand plays the syncopated melody.
Answer: False
Explanation: In a typical ragtime piece, the left hand plays bass notes on strong beats and chords on weak beats, while the right hand performs the syncopated melody.
To 'rag' a piece of music means to compose an entirely new piece in the ragtime style.
Answer: False
Explanation: To 'rag' a piece of music means to convert an existing non-ragtime composition into the ragtime style by altering the time values of its melody notes to introduce syncopation, not to compose an entirely new piece.
Original ragtime compositions commonly feature four distinct themes, each typically 16 bars long.
Answer: True
Explanation: Original ragtime compositions typically comprise four distinct themes, each commonly 16 bars in length, arranged in specific patterns of repeats and reprises.
A 'ragtime waltz' is a ragtime composition written in 4/4 time with a strong emphasis on the first beat.
Answer: False
Explanation: A 'ragtime waltz' is specifically a ragtime composition written in 3/4 time, applying the characteristic syncopated style to the triple meter of a waltz, not 4/4 time.
What is the most distinctive musical characteristic of ragtime?
Answer: Its syncopated, or 'ragged,' rhythm
Explanation: The most distinctive musical characteristic of ragtime is its syncopated, or 'ragged,' rhythm, which is central to its unique sound and appeal.
For what instrument are ragtime pieces typically composed and performed?
Answer: Piano
Explanation: Ragtime pieces, or 'rags,' were typically composed for and performed on the piano, although the genre was adapted for other instruments.
Ragtime music is described as a modification of which popular musical style?
Answer: The march style
Explanation: Ragtime music is characterized as a modification of the march style, incorporating syncopated rhythms to create its distinctive sound.
In a typical ragtime piece, which hand plays the syncopated melody?
Answer: The right hand
Explanation: In the characteristic structure of a ragtime piece, the right hand is responsible for playing the syncopated melody, while the left hand provides the rhythmic accompaniment.
What does it mean to 'rag' a piece of music?
Answer: To convert a non-ragtime composition into a ragtime style by altering the time values of its melody notes.
Explanation: To 'rag' a piece of music involves transforming an existing composition into the ragtime style by modifying the temporal values of its melody notes, thereby introducing the characteristic syncopated rhythm.
What is the most common number of distinct themes found in original ragtime compositions?
Answer: Four
Explanation: Original ragtime compositions typically feature four distinct themes, each usually 16 bars in length, arranged in specific structural patterns.
What defines a 'ragtime waltz'?
Answer: A ragtime composition written in 3/4 time.
Explanation: A 'ragtime waltz' is a specific type of ragtime composition written in 3/4 time, applying the genre's characteristic syncopated style to the triple meter of a waltz.
Ragtime music originated primarily in European classical music academies in the early 20th century.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ragtime music originated within African American communities in the late 19th century, primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States, not in European classical music academies.
During its period of popularity, ragtime music was primarily distributed through live radio broadcasts and phonograph records.
Answer: False
Explanation: During its heyday, ragtime music was primarily distributed through sheet music and piano rolls, rather than live radio broadcasts or phonograph records, which became prevalent later.
The term 'ragtime' was first recorded in 1896 and is believed to originate from dance events called 'rags' hosted by enslaved black folk.
Answer: True
Explanation: The term 'ragtime' was first recorded in 1896 and is widely believed to originate from 'rags,' dance events organized by enslaved African Americans within the plantation system.
Before being widely published, early ragtime music was typically performed by large brass bands in formal settings.
Answer: False
Explanation: Prior to widespread publication, early ragtime was typically performed by musicians on banjo or piano in informal settings such as brothels, bars, saloons, house parties, and juke joints, not by large brass bands in formal settings.
Jessie Pickett's *The Dream Rag* is unique for its strong adherence to the march-style left-hand pattern common in later rags.
Answer: False
Explanation: Jessie Pickett's *The Dream Rag* is unique precisely because it deviates from the march-style left-hand pattern, instead utilizing a rhythm related to the habanera, showcasing Spanish musical influence.
The 1893 Chicago World's Fair played a crucial role in introducing the music that would become known as ragtime to a broader American public.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 1893 Chicago World's Fair served as a pivotal platform for introducing the music that would evolve into ragtime to a wider American audience, with key figures like Jessie Pickett, Scott Joplin, and Ben Harney present.
Louis Moreau Gottschalk was a direct ragtime composer whose works were published in the 1890s.
Answer: False
Explanation: Louis Moreau Gottschalk, born in 1829, was not a direct ragtime composer; however, his compositions, influenced by African-American rhythms, foreshadowed the ragtime music that emerged in the 1890s.
In the 1890s, early ragtime musicians primarily performed in grand concert halls and opera houses.
Answer: False
Explanation: In the 1890s, early ragtime musicians typically performed in informal settings such as brothels, bars, saloons, house parties, and juke joints, rather than grand concert halls or opera houses.
Ernest Hogan composed 'La Pas Ma La' in 1895, which was the first ragtime composition to be published.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ernest Hogan's 'La Pas Ma La,' published in 1895, holds the distinction of being the first ragtime composition to be published.
Ben Harney's 1896 composition 'You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You Done Broke Down' was a hit that significantly popularized the ragtime genre.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ben Harney's 1896 composition 'You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You Done Broke Down' achieved significant popularity and was instrumental in introducing the ragtime genre to a mainstream audience.
Scott Joplin stated in 1913 that ragtime music in America was a recent invention, only about twenty years old.
Answer: False
Explanation: Scott Joplin stated in a 1913 interview that ragtime music had existed in America 'ever since the Negro race has been here,' but white people only began to notice it 'about twenty years ago [in the 1890s],' indicating its deep historical roots, not a recent invention.
The cakewalk was a pre-ragtime dance form that remained popular until around 1904, and many early ragtime compositions were, in fact, cakewalks.
Answer: True
Explanation: The cakewalk was indeed a significant pre-ragtime dance form, popular until approximately 1904, and many early ragtime compositions were directly associated with or were cakewalks themselves.
In which region of the United States did ragtime music primarily originate?
Answer: Midwestern and Southern United States
Explanation: Ragtime music primarily originated within African American communities in the late 19th century, particularly in the Midwestern and Southern United States, notably in the Mississippi Valley and St. Louis.
How was ragtime music primarily distributed during its period of popularity?
Answer: Through sheet music and piano rolls
Explanation: During its peak popularity, ragtime music was primarily distributed through the sale of sheet music and piano rolls, enabling widespread access and performance.
From what type of dance events does the term 'ragtime' likely originate, according to historical accounts?
Answer: 'Rags' hosted by enslaved black folk
Explanation: The term 'ragtime' is believed to originate from dance events known as 'rags,' which were hosted by enslaved African Americans within the plantation system.
What instruments typically featured in the early ensembles that played ragtime music for plantation slave dance events?
Answer: Banjo and fiddle
Explanation: Early ragtime music, performed for plantation slave dance events, typically featured ensembles with a banjo player and a fiddle player, with the banjo's syncopated style being foundational.
Which piece is believed to be one of the oldest preserved examples of ragtime music, notable for its habanera-related rhythm?
Answer: *The Dream Rag*
Explanation: Jessie Pickett's *The Dream Rag* is considered one of the oldest preserved ragtime pieces, distinguished by its habanera-related rhythm, which contrasts with the march-style left-hand patterns of later rags.
What significant event in 1893 served as a crucial platform for introducing ragtime to a wider American audience?
Answer: The Chicago World's Fair
Explanation: The 1893 Chicago World's Fair was a pivotal event that introduced the music that would become known as ragtime to a broader American public, with several future ragtime figures present.
Louis Moreau Gottschalk's compositions foreshadowed ragtime primarily due to his exposure to what cultural element in New Orleans?
Answer: The distinctive rhythms of the African-American community's music-making in Congo Square
Explanation: Louis Moreau Gottschalk's exposure to the distinctive rhythms of African-American music-making in Congo Square, New Orleans, influenced his compositions and notably foreshadowed the emergence of ragtime.
In the 1890s, where were early ragtime musicians most likely to perform their music?
Answer: Brothels, bars, saloons, and house parties
Explanation: During the 1890s, early ragtime musicians predominantly performed in informal venues such as brothels, bars, saloons, house parties, and juke joints, which were crucial to the genre's development.
Who composed 'La Pas Ma La' in 1895, recognized as the first published ragtime composition?
Answer: Ernest Hogan
Explanation: Ernest Hogan, a minstrel comedian, composed 'La Pas Ma La' in 1895, which is recognized as the first published ragtime composition.
Which 1896 composition by Ben Harney became a hit and played a significant role in popularizing ragtime to a mainstream audience?
Answer: 'You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You Done Broke Down'
Explanation: Ben Harney's 1896 composition 'You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You Done Broke Down' was a successful hit that significantly contributed to the popularization of ragtime among mainstream audiences.
According to Scott Joplin's 1913 interview, when did white people begin to take notice of ragtime music in America?
Answer: Around the 1890s
Explanation: Scott Joplin stated in a 1913 interview that white people began to notice ragtime music in America 'about twenty years ago,' which places its mainstream recognition around the 1890s.
What was the 'cakewalk' in the context of early ragtime?
Answer: A pre-ragtime dance form representing an African American dance contest where the prize was a cake.
Explanation: The cakewalk was a pre-ragtime dance form, popular until around 1904, originating as an African American dance contest where the prize was a cake, and many early ragtime compositions were, in fact, cakewalks.
Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb were instrumental in shaping and disseminating the ragtime genre.
Answer: True
Explanation: Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb are recognized as pivotal composers who significantly contributed to the development and popularization of the ragtime genre through their compositions.
Scott Joplin was widely known as the 'Duke of Ragtime' due to his famous compositions like 'The Entertainer.'
Answer: False
Explanation: Scott Joplin was widely known as the 'King of Ragtime,' not the 'Duke of Ragtime,' due to his widespread fame for compositions such as 'The Entertainer' and 'Maple Leaf Rag.'
The publication of 'Harlem Rag' by Tom Turpin and 'Mississippi Rag' by William Krell in 1897 marked the emergence of mature ragtime.
Answer: True
Explanation: The year 1897, with the publication of 'Harlem Rag' by Tom Turpin and 'Mississippi Rag' by William Krell, is generally recognized as the period marking the emergence of mature ragtime compositions.
Scott Joplin advised musicians to play ragtime pieces at a rapid tempo for maximum effect.
Answer: False
Explanation: Scott Joplin explicitly advised against playing ragtime fast, stating, 'Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play 'ragtime' fast,' and encouraged playing slowly to 'catch the swing.'
Which of the following composers is NOT credited with popularizing ragtime during its early 20th-century heyday?
Answer: Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Explanation: Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb were instrumental in popularizing ragtime. Louis Moreau Gottschalk, while influential with rhythms that foreshadowed ragtime, was not a ragtime composer himself.
What title did Scott Joplin earn from his contemporaries due to his widespread fame for ragtime compositions?
Answer: The King of Ragtime
Explanation: Scott Joplin was widely recognized by his contemporaries as the 'King of Ragtime' due to his significant contributions and widespread fame for his ragtime compositions.
When is the emergence of 'mature ragtime' generally dated, marked by the publication of significant early rags?
Answer: 1897
Explanation: The emergence of 'mature ragtime' is generally dated to 1897, a period marked by the publication of influential early rags such as 'Harlem Rag' and 'Mississippi Rag'.
What specific advice did Scott Joplin provide regarding the tempo for playing ragtime music?
Answer: Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play 'ragtime' fast.
Explanation: Scott Joplin explicitly cautioned against playing ragtime quickly, advising musicians, 'Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play 'ragtime' fast,' and suggested playing slowly to achieve the proper 'swing.'
Ragtime significantly influenced early jazz, Harlem stride piano, and European classical composers such as Erik Satie and Claude Debussy.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ragtime indeed exerted a significant influence on various musical genres and styles, including early jazz, Harlem stride piano, and the works of European classical composers like Erik Satie and Claude Debussy.
Ragtime became the first African American music to significantly impact mainstream popular culture in the United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ragtime holds the historical distinction of being the first African American music to achieve significant impact and acceptance within mainstream popular culture in the United States.
W. C. Handy and James R. Europe were primarily known for their efforts to preserve traditional African American folk music, not ragtime.
Answer: False
Explanation: W. C. Handy and James R. Europe were instrumental in breaking racial barriers in American music and introducing ragtime to a broader audience, thereby integrating it into mainstream popular culture.
The new rhythms of ragtime profoundly influenced dance culture in the 1910s, leading to new dance steps popularized by Vernon and Irene Castle.
Answer: True
Explanation: The innovative rhythms of ragtime indeed had a profound effect on dance culture in the 1910s, inspiring new dance steps that were notably popularized by the show-dancers Vernon and Irene Castle.
Ragtime spread to Europe exclusively through the efforts of James R. Europe's 369th Regiment band during its 1918 tour of France.
Answer: False
Explanation: While James R. Europe's 369th Regiment band significantly contributed to ragtime's popularity in Europe, the genre also spread through other avenues, such as shipboard orchestras and the American Ragtime Octette's concerts in the United Kingdom.
Which musical genre or style was NOT significantly influenced by ragtime?
Answer: Gregorian chant
Explanation: Ragtime significantly influenced early jazz, Harlem stride piano, and Piedmont blues, as well as European classical composers. Gregorian chant, an ancient form of liturgical music, predates and is unrelated to ragtime.
What historical significance does ragtime hold regarding African American music's impact on mainstream popular culture?
Answer: It was the first African American music to significantly impact mainstream popular culture.
Explanation: Ragtime holds the historical distinction of being the first African American music to achieve widespread recognition and significantly influence mainstream popular culture in the United States.
Which figures were among the first to break racial barriers in American music by helping to introduce ragtime to a broader audience?
Answer: W. C. Handy and James R. Europe
Explanation: W. C. Handy and James R. Europe, through their bands, were pioneers in breaking racial barriers in American music, playing a crucial role in introducing ragtime to a broader, mainstream audience.
Who were the show-dancers credited with notably popularizing new dance steps influenced by ragtime rhythms during the 1910s?
Answer: Vernon and Irene Castle
Explanation: The show-dancers Vernon and Irene Castle were highly influential in popularizing new dance steps during the 1910s, which were significantly influenced by the innovative rhythms of ragtime.
How did ragtime primarily make its way to Europe in the early 20th century?
Answer: Through shipboard orchestras on transatlantic lines and American touring bands.
Explanation: Ragtime disseminated to Europe in the early 20th century primarily through shipboard orchestras on transatlantic lines and performances by American touring bands, such as James R. Europe's 369th Regiment band.
Edward A. Berlin's definition of ragtime, which is closer to the original understanding, includes later styles like novelty piano and stride piano.
Answer: False
Explanation: Edward A. Berlin's definition of ragtime, which aligns more closely with the original understanding, explicitly excludes later styles such as novelty piano and stride piano, while including ragtime songs.
According to Edward A. Berlin's definition, which is closer to the original understanding of the genre, what styles are excluded from 'genuine' ragtime?
Answer: Novelty piano and stride piano
Explanation: Edward A. Berlin's definition of 'genuine' ragtime, which aligns with the original understanding, explicitly excludes later styles such as novelty piano and stride piano, while including ragtime songs.
No questions available for this topic.
Ernest Hogan's 'All Coons Look Alike to Me' was universally praised for its musical innovation and positive social impact.
Answer: False
Explanation: Despite its musical innovation and commercial success, Ernest Hogan's 'All Coons Look Alike to Me' was highly controversial due to its use of racial slurs, which led to the proliferation of derogatory 'coon songs' and caused Hogan personal shame.
What was the controversial aspect of Ernest Hogan's 1896 composition 'All Coons Look Alike to Me'?
Answer: Its use of racial slurs led to a proliferation of derogatory 'coon songs'.
Explanation: The controversial aspect of Ernest Hogan's 'All Coons Look Alike to Me' was its use of racial slurs, which regrettably contributed to the widespread production of derogatory 'coon songs' featuring racist stereotypes.