"Frog Legs Rag" is a

classic rag Classic rag (short for classical ragtime) is the style of ragtime composition pioneered by Scott Joplin and the Missouri school of ragtime composers. These compositions were first considered "classic" by Joplin's publisher, John Stark, as a way t ...

composed by James Scott and published by

John Stillwell Stark John Stillwell Stark (April 11, 1841October 21, 1927) was an American publisher of ragtime music, best known for publishing and promoting the music of Scott Joplin. Early life and education Stark was the eleventh of 12 children born to Adin S ...

in December 1906. It was James Scott's first commercial success. Prior to this composition Scott had published marches. With "Frog Legs Rag", Scott embarked upon a career as a successful and important

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...

songwriter.

Background

In 1909, Scott Joplin orchestrated "Frog Legs Rag" for publication by John Stillwell Stark, Joplin's publisher, and his company, Stark Music Company.

Edward A. Berlin Edward A. Berlin is an American author and musicologist who is most known for his research and written works on the Ragtime artist, Scott Joplin. Berlin has written three books on this topic: ''King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era (1994)'', ' ...

, author of the Joplin biography ''King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era'' asserts that there was no direct evidence that James Scott and Scott Joplin were personally acquainted. "They certainly knew each other's music," Berlin affirms while describing the Joplin orchestration, and they "had similar temperaments, both being mild-mannered, quiet, and thoroughly engrossed in their music". However, he considers assertions of personal acquaintance between the two men to be speculation. Other music historians take a different view. The authors of ''Black Bottom Stomp'' credit Joplin for discovering and mentoring the young artist "even while his oplin'sown career was faltering" and assert that "Frog Legs Rag" was published "at Joplin's insistence".

Structure

Ragtime encyclopedist David A. Jasen identifies a number of characteristic James Scott compositional devices in this early work. Jasen's appraisal of "Frog Legs Rag" is not unreserved: he also places "Frog Legs Rag" within the early period when James Scott compositions were "flag-waving" and lacking in the restraint the songwriter developed after 1906. Unlike Joplin, who lengthened traditional ragtime phrasing, Scott explored the genre's dynamic qualities with shortened phrasings.

Reception

Among songs published by Stark, "Frog Legs Rag" was second in sales after Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag". "Frog Legs Rag" has been described as "brash" and "exuberant". It was also considered to be a landmark in ragtime sheet music, composed with "vigor" and "brilliance", and to be "one of the great hits of the ragtime years".

References

External links

Sheet music of Frog Legs Rag at

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{{authority control 1906 songs Rags Compositions for solo piano Songs with music by James Scott (composer)