Rifkin Goes From Rag to Riches of the Classic Joplin

Most of us have a narrow view of ragtime music: light, carefree and with a definite syncopation. That’s because most of us really only know two rags.

Pianist and musicologist Joshua Rifkin got those two--”Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer,” best known as the theme from the movie “The Sting”--out of the way at the very start of his performance Saturday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. He then proceeded to expand our notion of what ragtime encompasses.

It’s safe to say that when the capacity audience left the theater, it was with a better respect of the music, its principal composer, Scott Joplin, and Rifkin himself.

The opening numbers fit the popular conception of a rag exactly, with their happy dance rhythms and gentle melodic content. Rifkin brought out these traits but also uncovered more subtle nuances of mood and rhythm at various points.

The somewhat serious middle section of “The Entertainer,” for instance, carried a Baroque-style geometry. And the entire piece was presented with uncharacteristic slowness that revealed emotions often hidden by faster presentations (the pace also made it easy to follow the attractive left-hand lines as they climbed in and out of the chords).

From those numbers, it was onto “Elite Syncopations,” a lively up-tempo piece with a rhythmic flow that seemed not so ragged at all. “Bethena,” moving to a stately waltz tempo, developed from a quiet theme through a number of dynamic swings broken by dramatic pauses.

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Throughout the performance, Rifkin’s interpretations seemed designed to emphasize emotional content rather than rhythm. At times, one could hear parallels with the music of Bach, Strauss and Telemann, with hints of Ravel and other impressionists who were just coming to the fore during Joplin’s life.

At such points, it was clear that Joplin not only was well-versed in classical music but was part of that tradition. “Pleasant Moments--A Ragtime Waltz” was especially close to the classical with its dark, low-register introduction and its big ending.

Other highlights included “Wall Street Rag” which, though composed a full 20 years before the 1929 crash, mirrored the schizophrenic nature of stockbroking; and “Stoptime Rag” which, paced by Rifkin’s tapping left foot, featured a number of dramatic breaks and shifts.

Most beautiful of the pieces was “Solace--A Mexican Serenade” with its languid, dignified theme and Latin-flavored rhythmic touches. Again, Rifkin played to the tune’s emotion, letting the feeling dominate.

Having heard (and who hasn’t?) umpteen piano student recital presentations of “The Entertainer,” it has been easy to dismiss ragtime music as trivial. Rifkin helped us discover the beauty and craft in Joplin’s compositions and their ability to reflect the temper of their times.