Scott Joplin

Scott Joplin

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For the biographical film, see Scott Joplin (film). For the painting by Ellen Banks, see Scott Joplin (painting).
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin 19072.jpg
Scott Joplin in June 1903. This picture also appears on the cover of "The Cascades" from 1904.[1]
Background information
Birth name Scott Joplin
Born c. late 1867 or 1868 (tombstone says November 24, 1868)
Northeast Texas, U.S.
Origin Texarkana, Texas, U.S.
Died April 1, 1917(1917-04-01) (aged 48)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
  • Ragtime
  • march
  • waltz
Occupation(s)
  • Composer
  • pianist
  • music teacher
Instruments
  • Piano
  • cornet
  • guitar
  • mandolin
  • violin
  • banjo
  • vocals
Years active 1895–1917

Signature

Signature of Scott Joplin.svg

Scott Joplin (/ˈdʒɒplɪn/; c. 1867/68 or November 24, 1868– April 1, 1917) was an African-American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions and was dubbed the "King of Ragtime".[2] During his brief career, he wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first, and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and has been recognized as the archetypal rag.[3]

Joplin was born into a musical family of railway laborers in Northeast Texas, and developed his musical knowledge with the help of local teachers. Joplin grew up in Texarkana, where he formed a vocal quartet, and taught mandolin and guitar. During the late 1880s he left his job as a laborer with the railroad, and travelled around the American South as an itinerant musician. He went to Chicago for the World's Fair of 1893, which played a major part in making ragtime a national craze by 1897.

Joplin moved to Sedalia, Missouri, in 1894 and earned a living as a piano teacher; there he taught future ragtime composers Arthur Marshall, Scott Hayden and Brun Campbell. Joplin began publishing music in 1895, and publication of his "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899 brought him fame. This piece had a profound influence on subsequent writers of ragtime. It also brought the composer a steady income for life, though Joplin did not reach this level of success again and frequently had financial problems. In 1901 Joplin moved to St. Louis, where he continued to compose and publish music, and regularly performed in the St. Louis community. The score to his first opera A Guest of Honor was confiscated in 1903 with his belongings because of a non-payment of bills, and is now considered lost.[4] He continued to compose and publish music, and in 1907 moved to New York City to find a producer for a new opera. He attempted to go beyond the limitations of the musical form that made him famous, without much monetary success. His second opera, Treemonisha, was not received well at its partially staged performance in 1915.

In 1916, Joplin descended into dementia as a result of syphilis. He was admitted to a mental institution in January 1917, and died there three months later at the age of 49. Joplin's death is widely considered to mark the end of ragtime as a mainstream music format, and in the next several years it evolved with other styles into stride, jazz, and eventually big band swing. His music was rediscovered and returned to popularity in the early 1970s with the release of a million-selling album recorded by Joshua Rifkin. This was followed by the Academy Award–winning 1973 movie The Sting that featured several of his compositions including "The Entertainer". The opera Treemonisha was finally produced in full to wide acclaim in 1972. In 1976, Joplin was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

Contents

 [hide]
  • 1 Early life
  • 2 Life in the Southern states and Chicago
  • 3 Life in Missouri
  • 4 Later years and death
  • 5 Works
    • 5.1 Treemonisha
    • 5.2 Performance skills
  • 6 Legacy
    • 6.1 Museum
  • 7 Revival
  • 8 Other awards and recognition
  • 9 Notes
  • 10 References
    • 10.1 Bibliography
      • 10.1.1 Books
      • 10.1.2 Web-pages
      • 10.1.3 Journals
  • 11 External links
    • 11.1 Recordings and sheet music

Early life[edit]

According to author Edward A. Berlin, "One tenacious myth tells us that Joplin was born in Texarkana, Texas, on November 24, 1868. The location is easily dispensed with: Texarkana was not established until 1873." But, based on a letter discovered by musicologist John Tennison in 2015 in the December 19, 1856 edition of the Times-Picayune, it is clear that Texarkana was established as a place-name at least as early as 1856. Consequently, it appears possible that Joplin, born 12 years later, could have been born in Texarkana. Despite evidence to support such a conclusion, some insist that Joplin was born in Linden, Texas, either in late 1867 or early 1868.[5] He was the second of six children (the others being Monroe, Robert, William, Myrtle, and Ossie)[6] born to Giles Joplin, an ex-slave from North Carolina, and Florence Givens, a freeborn African-American woman from Kentucky.[7][8][9]

The Joplins subsequently moved to Texarkana where Giles worked as a laborer for the railroad and Florence was a cleaner. Joplin's father had played the violin for plantation parties in North Carolina, and his mother sang and played the banjo.[6] Joplin was given a rudimentary musical education by his family and from the age of seven, he was allowed to play the piano while his mother cleaned.[10]

At some point in the early 1880s, Giles Joplin left the family for another woman. His wife Florence struggled to support her children through domestic work. Biographer Susan Curtis speculated that the mother's support of Joplin's musical education was critical to the parents' separation. Joplin's father wanted the boy to pursue practical employment that would supplement the family income.[11]

According to a family friend, the young Joplin was serious and ambitious, studying music and playing the piano after school. While a few local teachers aided him, he received most of his music education from Julius Weiss, a German-born music professor who had immigrated to Texas in the late 1860s and was employed as music tutor to a prominent local business family.[12] Weiss had studied music at university in Germany and was listed in town records as a Professor of music. Impressed by Joplin's talent, and realizing his family's dire straits, Weiss taught him free of charge. He tutored the 11-year-old Joplin until the boy was 16, during which time Weiss introduced him to folk and classical music, including opera. Weiss helped Joplin appreciate music as an "art as well as an entertainment,"[13] and helped his mother acquire a used piano. According to Weiss' wife, Lottie, Joplin never forgot Weiss. In his later years, after achieving fame as a composer, Joplin sent his former teacher "...gifts of money when he was old and ill," until Weiss died.[12] At the age of 16, Joplin performed in a vocal quartet with three other boys in and around Texarkana, also playing piano. In addition he taught guitar and mandolin.[13]

Life in the Southern states and Chicago[edit]

In the late 1880s, having performed at various local events as a teenager, Joplin chose to give up work as a laborer with the railroad and left Texarkana to become a traveling musician.[14] Little is known about his movements at this time, although he is recorded in Texarkana in July 1891 as a member of the Texarkana Minstrels in a performance that happened to be raising money for a monument to Jefferson Davis, President of the Southern Confederacy.[15] He soon discovered, however, that there were few opportunities for black pianists. Churches and brothels were among the few options for steady work. Joplin played pre-ragtime 'jig-piano' in various red-light districts throughout the mid-South, and some claim he was in Sedalia and St. Louis during this time.[16][17]

In 1893 Joplin was in Chicago for the World's Fair. While in Chicago, he formed his first band playing cornet and began arranging music for the group to perform. Although the World's Fair minimized the involvement of African-Americans, black performers still came to the saloons, cafés and brothels that lined the fair. The exposition was attended by 27 million Americans and had a profound effect on many areas of American cultural life, including ragtime. Although specific information is sparse, numerous sources have credited the Chicago World Fair with spreading the popularity of ragtime.[18] Joplin found that his music, as well as that of other black performers, was popular with visitors.[19] By 1897 ragtime had become a national craze in American cities, and was described by the St. Louis Dispatch as "...a veritable call of the wild, which mightily stirred the pulses of city bred people."[20]

Life in Missouri[edit]

Maple Leaf Rag
1906 recording of the "Maple Leaf Rag" by the United States Marine Band. This is the first surviving recording of the "Maple Leaf Rag"[21][22][23][24]

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In 1894 Joplin arrived in Sedalia, Missouri. At first, Joplin stayed with the family of Arthur Marshall, at the time a 13-year-old boy but later one of Joplin's students and a rag-time composer in his own right.[25] There is no record of Joplin having a permanent residence in the town until 1904, as Joplin was making a living as a touring musician.

Front cover of the third edition of the "Maple Leaf Rag" sheet music

There is little precise evidence known about Joplin's activities at this time, although he performed as a solo musician at dances and at the major black clubs in Sedalia, the Black 400 club and the Maple Leaf Club. He performed in the Queen City Cornet Band, and his own six-piece dance orchestra. A tour with his own singing group, the Texas Medley Quartet, gave him his first opportunity to publish his own compositions and it is known that he went to Syracuse, New York and Texas. Two businessmen from New York published Joplin's first two works, the songs "Please Say You Will", and "A Picture of her Face" in 1895.[26] Joplin's visit to Temple, Texas enabled him to have three pieces published there in 1896, including the "Great Crush Collision March", which commemorated a planned train crash on the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad on September 15 that he may have witnessed. The March was described by one of Joplin's biographers as a "special... early essay in ragtime."[27] While in Sedalia he was teaching piano to students who included future ragtime composers Arthur Marshall, Brun Campbell, and Scott Hayden.[28] In turn, Joplin enrolled at the George R. Smith College, where he apparently studied "...advanced harmony and composition." The College records were destroyed in a fire in 1925,[29] and biographer Edward A. Berlin notes that it was unlikely that a small college for African-Americans would be able to provide such a course.[30][31][3]

In 1899, Joplin married Belle, the sister-in-law of collaborator Scott Hayden. Although there were hundreds of rags in print by the time the "Maple Leaf Rag" was published, Joplin was not far behind. His first published rag, "Original Rags", had been completed in 1897, the same year as the first ragtime work in print, the "Mississippi Rag" by William Krell. The "Maple Leaf Rag" was likely to have been known in Sedalia before its publication in 1899; Brun Campbell claimed to have seen the manuscript of the work in around 1898.[32] The exact circumstances that led to the Maple Leaf Rag's publication are unknown, and a number of versions of the event contradict each other. After several unsuccessful approaches to publishers, Joplin signed a contract on August 10, 1899 with John Stillwell Stark, a retailer of musical instruments who later became his most important publisher. The contract stipulated that Joplin would receive a 1% royalty on all sales of the rag, with a minimum sales price of 25 cents.[33] With the inscription "To the Maple Leaf Club" prominently visible along the top of at least some editions, it is likely that the rag was named after the Maple Leaf Club, although there is no direct evidence to prove the link, and there were many other possible sources for the name in and around Sedalia at the time.[34]

Scott Joplin House in St. Louis, Missouri

There have been many claims about the sales of the "Maple Leaf Rag", for example that Joplin was the first musician to sell 1 million copies of a piece of instrumental music.[3] Joplin's first biographer, Rudi Blesh wrote that during its first six months the piece sold 75,000 copies, and became "...the first great instrumental sheet music hit in America."[35] However, research by Joplin's later biographer Edward A. Berlin demonstrated that this was not the case; the initial print-run of 400 took one year to sell, and under the terms of Joplin's contract with a 1% royalty would have given Joplin an income of $4 (or approximately $115 at current prices). Later sales were steady, and would have given Joplin an income that would have covered his expenses. In 1909, estimated sales would have given him an income of $600 annually (approximately $15,993 in current prices).[36]

The "Maple Leaf Rag" did serve as a model for the hundreds of rags to come from future composers, especially in the development of classic ragtime.[37] After the publication of the "Maple Leaf Rag", Joplin was soon being described as "King of rag time writers", not least by himself[38] on the covers of his own work, such as "The Easy Winners" and "Elite Syncopations".

After the Joplins moved to St. Louis in early 1900, they had a baby daughter who died only a few months after birth. Joplin's relationship with his wife was difficult, as she had no interest in music. They eventually separated and then divorced.[39] About this time, Joplin collaborated with Scott Hayden in the composition of four rags.[40] It was in St. Louis that Joplin produced some of his best-known works, including "The Entertainer", "March Majestic", and the short theatrical work "The Ragtime Dance".

In June 1904, Joplin married Freddie Alexander of Little Rock, Arkansas, the young woman to whom he had dedicated "The Chrysanthemum". She died on September 10, 1904, of complications resulting from a cold, ten weeks after their wedding.[41] Joplin's first work copyrighted after Freddie's death, "Bethena", was described by one biographer as "...an enchantingly beautiful piece that is among the greatest of ragtime waltzes."[42]

During this time, Joplin created an opera company of 30 people and produced his first opera A Guest of Honor for a national tour. It is not certain how many productions were staged, or even if this was an all-black show or a racially mixed production. During the tour, either in Springfield, Illinois, or Pittsburg, Kansas, someone associated with the company stole the box office receipts. Joplin could not meet the company's payroll or pay for its lodgings at a theatrical boarding house. It is believed that the score for A Guest of Honor was lost and perhaps destroyed because of non-payment of the company's boarding house bill.[43]

Later years and death[edit]

Front cover of the "Wall Street Rag" (1909) sheet music

In 1907, Joplin moved to New York City, which he believed was the best place to find a producer for a new opera. After his move to New York, Joplin met Lottie Stokes, whom he married in 1909.[40] In 1911, unable to find a publisher, Joplin undertook the financial burden of publishing Treemonisha himself in piano-vocal format. In 1915, as a last-ditch effort to see it performed, he invited a small audience to hear it at a rehearsal hall in Harlem. Poorly staged and with only Joplin on piano accompaniment, it was "a miserable failure" to a public not ready for "crude" black musical forms—so different from the European grand opera of that time.[44] The audience, including potential backers, was indifferent and walked out.[39] Scott writes that "after a disastrous single performance ... Joplin suffered a breakdown. He was bankrupt, discouraged, and worn out." He concludes that few American artists of his generation faced such obstacles: "Treemonisha went unnoticed and unreviewed, largely because Joplin had abandoned commercial music in favor of art music, a field closed to African Americans."[28] In fact, it was not until the 1970s that the opera received a full theatrical staging.

In 1914, Joplin and Lottie self-published his "Magnetic Rag" as the Scott Joplin Music Company, which he had formed the previous December.[45] Biographer Vera Brodsky Lawrence speculates that Joplin was aware of his advancing deterioration due to syphilis and was "...consciously racing against time." In her sleeve notes on the 1992 Deutsche Grammophon release of Treemonisha she notes that he "...plunged feverishly into the task of orchestrating his opera, day and night, with his friend Sam Patterson standing by to copy out the parts, page by page, as each page of the full score was completed."[46]

By 1916, Joplin was suffering from tertiary syphilis and a resulting descent into insanity.[47][48] In January 1917, he was admitted to Manhattan State Hospital, a mental institution.[49] He died there on April 1 of syphilitic dementia at the age of 49[44][50] and was buried in a pauper's grave that remained unmarked for 57 years. His grave at Saint Michaels Cemetery in East Elmhurst was finally given a marker in 1974, the year The Sting, which showcased his music, won for Best Picture at the Oscars.[51]

Works[edit]

Further information: List of compositions by Scott Joplin
Maple Leaf Rag

The Entertainer

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The combination of classical music, the musical atmosphere present around Texarkana (including work songs, gospel hymns, spirituals and dance music) and Joplin's natural ability have been cited as contributing significantly to the invention of a new style that blended African-American musical styles with European forms and melodies, and first became celebrated in the 1890s: ragtime.[11]

When Joplin was learning the piano, serious musical circles condemned ragtime because of its association with the vulgar and inane songs "...cranked out by the tune-smiths of Tin Pan Alley."[52] As a composer Joplin refined ragtime, elevating it above the low and unrefined form played by the "...wandering honky-tonk pianists... playing mere dance music" of popular imagination.[53] This new art form, the classic rag, combined Afro-American folk music's syncopation and 19th-century European romanticism, with its harmonic schemes and its march-like tempos.[40][54] In the words of one critic, "Ragtime was basically... an Afro-American version of the polka, or its analog, the Sousa-style march."[55] With this as a foundation, Joplin intended his compositions to be played exactly as he wrote them – without improvisation.[28] Joplin wrote his rags as "classical" music in miniature form in order to raise ragtime above its "cheap bordello" origins and produced work that opera historian Elise Kirk described as, "... more tuneful, contrapuntal, infectious, and harmonically colorful than any others of his era."[16]

Some speculate that Joplin's achievements were influenced by his classically trained German music teacher Julius Weiss, who may have brought a polka rhythmic sensibility from the old country to the 11-year old Joplin.[56] As Curtis put it, "The educated German could open up the door to a world of learning and music of which young Joplin was largely unaware."[52]

Joplin's first and most significant hit, the "Maple Leaf Rag", was described as the archetype of the classic rag, and influenced subsequent rag composers for at least 12 years after its initial publication thanks to its rhythmic patterns, melody lines, and harmony,[37] though with the exception of Joseph Lamb, they generally failed to enlarge upon it.[57]

Treemonisha[edit]

Treemonisha (1911)
Main article: Treemonisha

The opera's setting is a former slave community in an isolated forest near Joplin's childhood town Texarkana in September 1884. The plot centers on an 18-year-old woman Treemonisha who is taught to read by a white woman, and then leads her community against the influence of conjurers who prey on ignorance and superstition. Treemonisha is abducted and is about to be thrown into a wasps' nest when her friend Remus rescues her. The community realizes the value of education and the liability of their ignorance before choosing her as their teacher and leader.[58][59][60]

Joplin wrote both the score and the libretto for the opera, which largely follows the form of European opera with many conventional arias, ensembles and choruses. In addition the themes of superstition and mysticism evident in Treemonisha are common in the operatic tradition, and certain aspects of the plot echo devices in the work of the German composer Richard Wagner (of which Joplin was aware). A sacred tree Treemonisha sits beneath recalls the tree that Siegmund takes his enchanted sword from in Die Walküre, and the retelling of the heroine's origins echos aspects of the opera Siegfried. In addition, African-American folk tales also influence the story—the wasp nest incident is similar to the story of Br'er Rabbit and the briar patch.[61]

Treemonisha is not a ragtime opera—because Joplin employed the styles of ragtime and other black music sparingly, using them to convey "racial character," and to celebrate the music of his childhood at the end of the 19th century. The opera has been seen as a valuable record of rural black music from late 19th century re-created by a "skilled and sensitive participant."[62]

Berlin speculates about parallels between the plot and Joplin's own life. He notes that Lottie Joplin (the composer's third wife) saw a connection between the character Treemonisha's wish to lead her people out of ignorance, and a similar desire in the composer. In addition, it has been speculated that Treemonisha represents Freddie, Joplin's second wife, because the date of the opera's setting was likely to have been the month of her birth.[63]

At the time of the opera's publication in 1911, the American Musician and Art Journal praised it as, "...an entirely new form of operatic art."[64] Later critics have also praised the opera as occupying a special place in American history, with its heroine, "...a startlingly early voice for modern civil rights causes, notably the importance of education and knowledge to African American advancement."[65] Curtis's conclusion is similar: "In the end, Treemonisha offered a celebration of literacy, learning, hard work, and community solidarity as the best formula for advancing the race."[60] Berlin describes it as a "...fine opera, certainly more interesting than most operas then being written in the United States," but later states that Joplin's own libretto showed the composer, "...was not a competent dramatist," with the book not up to the quality of the music.[66]

As Rick Benjamin, the founder and director of the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, found out, Joplin succeeded in performing Treemonisha for paying audiences in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1913.[67] On 6 December 2011, the centenary of the Joplin piano score's publication, New World Records released an entirely new recording of Treemonisha. August 1984 saw the German premiere of Treemonisha at the Stadttheater Gießen.[68] Another performance in Germany, falsely labelling itself as the German premiere, occurred on 25 April 2015 at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden under direction and choreography of Massimo Gerardi (de).[69]

Performance skills[edit]

"Pleasant Moments – Ragtime Waltz" – played by Scott Joplin (April 1916)
An April 1916 piano roll recording of Scott Joplin. Thought lost until discovered by a collector in New Zealand in 2006.[70]

"Maple Leaf Rag" – played by Scott Joplin (June 1916)
A June 1916 Piano Roll recording of Scott Joplin for The Aeolian Company.

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Joplin's skills as a pianist were described in glowing terms by a Sedalia newspaper in 1898, and fellow ragtime composers Arthur Marshall and Joe Jordan both said that he played the instrument well.[40] However, the son of publisher John Stark stated that Joplin was a rather mediocre pianist and that he composed on paper, rather than at the piano. Artie Matthews recalled the "delight" the St. Louis players took in outplaying Joplin.[71]

While Joplin never made an audio recording, his playing is preserved on seven piano rolls for use in mechanical player pianos. All seven were made in 1916. Of these, the six released under the Connorized label show evidence of significant editing to correct the performance to strict rhythm and add embellishments,[72] probably by the staff musicians at Connorized.[73] Berlin theorizes that by the time Joplin reached St. Louis, he may have experienced discoordination of the fingers, tremors, and an inability to speak clearly—all symptoms of the syphilis that took his life in 1917.[74] Biographer Blesh described the second roll recording of "Maple Leaf Rag" on the UniRecord label from June 1916 as "...shocking... disorganized and completely distressing to hear."[75] While there is disagreement among piano-roll experts as to how much of this is due to the relatively primitive recording and production techniques of the time,[76][77][78][79] Berlin notes that the "Maple Leaf Rag" roll was likely to be the truest record of Joplin's playing at the time. The roll, however, may not reflect his abilities earlier in life.[72]

Legacy[edit]

"Nonpareil" (1907)

Joplin and his fellow ragtime composers rejuvenated American popular music, fostering an appreciation for African-American music among European-Americans by creating exhilarating and liberating dance tunes. "Its syncopation and rhythmic drive gave it a vitality and freshness attractive to young urban audiences indifferent to Victorian proprieties ... Joplin's ragtime expressed the intensity and energy of a modern urban America."[28]

Joshua Rifkin, a leading Joplin recording artist, wrote, "A pervasive sense of lyricism infuses his work, and even at his most high-spirited, he cannot repress a hint of melancholy or adversity ... He had little in common with the fast and flashy school of ragtime that grew up after him."[80] Joplin historian Bill Ryerson adds that, "In the hands of authentic practitioners like Joplin, ragtime was a disciplined form capable of astonishing variety and subtlety ... Joplin did for the rag what Chopin did for the mazurka. His style ranged from tones of torment to stunning serenades that incorporated the bolero and the tango."[39] Biographer Susan Curtis wrote that Joplin's music had helped to "revolutionise American music and culture" by removing Victorian restraint.[81]

Composer and actor Max Morath found it striking that the vast majority of Joplin's work did not enjoy the popularity of the "Maple Leaf Rag", because while the compositions were of increasing lyrical beauty and delicate syncopation they remained obscure and unheralded during his lifetime.[57] Joplin apparently realized that his music was ahead of its time: As music historian Ian Whitcomb mentions that Joplin, "...opined that "Maple Leaf Rag" would make him 'King of Ragtime Composers' but he also knew that he would not be a pop hero in his own lifetime. 'When I'm dead twenty-five years, people are going to recognize me,' he told a friend." Just over thirty years later he was recognized, and later historian Rudi Blesh wrote a large book about ragtime, which he dedicated to the memory of Joplin.[53]

Although he was penniless and disappointed at the end of his life, Joplin set the standard for ragtime compositions and played a key role in the development of ragtime music. And as a pioneer composer and performer, he helped pave the way for young black artists to reach American audiences of both races. After his death, jazz historian Floyd Levin noted: "Those few who realized his greatness bowed their heads in sorrow. This was the passing of the king of all ragtime writers, the man who gave America a genuine native music."[82]

Museum[edit]

Main article: Scott Joplin House State Historic Site

The home Joplin rented In St. Louis 1900-1903 was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and was saved from destruction by the local African American community. In 1983, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources made it the first state historic site in Missouri dedicated to the African American heritage. At first it focused entirely on Joplin and ragtime music, ignoring the urban milieu which shaped his musical compositions. A newer heritage project has expanded coverage to include the more complex social history of black urban migration and the transformation of a multi-ethnic neighborhood to the contemporary community. Part of this diverse narrative now includes coverage of uncomfortable topics of racial oppression, poverty, sanitation, prostitution, and sexually transmitted diseases.[83]

Revival[edit]

After his death in 1917, Joplin's music and ragtime in general waned in popularity as new forms of musical styles, such as jazz and novelty piano, emerged. Even so, jazz bands and recording artists such as Tommy Dorsey in 1936, Jelly Roll Morton in 1939 and J. Russell Robinson in 1947 released recordings of Joplin compositions. "Maple Leaf Rag" was the Joplin piece found most often on 78 rpm records.[84]

In the 1960s, a small-scale reawakening of interest in classical ragtime was underway among some American music scholars such as Trebor Tichenor, William Bolcom, William Albright and Rudi Blesh. Audiophile Records released a two record set, The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin, The Greatest of Ragtime Composers, performed by Knocky Parker, in 1970.[85]

In 1968, Bolcom and Albright interested Joshua Rifkin, a young musicologist, in the body of Joplin's work. Together, they hosted an occasional ragtime-and-early-jazz evening on WBAI radio.[86] In November 1970, Rifkin released a recording called Scott Joplin: Piano Rags[87] on the classical label Nonesuch. It sold 100,000 copies in its first year and eventually became Nonesuch's first million-selling record.[88] The Billboard "Best-Selling Classical LPs" chart for September 28, 1974 has the record at number 5, with the follow-up "Volume 2" at number 4, and a combined set of both volumes at number 3. Separately both volumes had been on the chart for 64 weeks. In the top seven spots on that chart, six of the entries were recordings of Joplin's work, three of which were Rifkin's.[89] Record stores found themselves for the first time putting ragtime in the classical music section. The album was nominated in 1971 for two Grammy Award categories: Best Album Notes and Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra). Rifkin was also under consideration for a third Grammy for a recording not related to Joplin, but at the ceremony on March 14, 1972, Rifkin did not win in any category.[90] He did a tour in 1974, which included appearances on BBC Television and a sell-out concert at London's Royal Festival Hall.[91] In 1979 Alan Rich in the New York Magazine wrote that by giving artists like Rifkin the opportunity to put Joplin's music on disk Nonesuch Records "...created, almost alone, the Scott Joplin revival."[92]

In January 1971, Harold C. Schonberg, music critic at The New York Times, having just heard the Rifkin album, wrote a featured Sunday edition article entitled "Scholars, Get Busy on Scott Joplin!"[93] Schonberg's call to action has been described as the catalyst for classical music scholars, the sort of people Joplin had battled all his life, to conclude that Joplin was a genius.[94] Vera Brodsky Lawrence of the New York Public Library published a two-volume set of Joplin works in June 1971, entitled The Collected Works of Scott Joplin, stimulating a wider interest in the performance of Joplin's music.

In mid-February 1973 under the direction of Gunther Schuller, The New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble recorded an album of Joplin's rags taken from the period collection Standard High-Class Rags called Joplin: The Red Back Book. The album won a Grammy Award as Best Chamber Music Performance in that year, and went on to become Billboard magazine's Top Classical Album of 1974.[95] The group subsequently recorded two more albums for Golden Crest Records: More Scott Joplin Rags in 1974 and The Road From Rags To Jazz in 1975.

In 1973, film producer George Roy Hill contacted Schuller and Rifkin separately, asking each man to write the score for a film project he was working on: The Sting. Both men turned down the request because of previous commitments. Instead Hill found Marvin Hamlisch available, and brought him into the project as composer.[96] Hamlisch lightly adapted Joplin's music for The Sting, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and Adaptation on April 2, 1974.[97] His version of "The Entertainer" reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the American Top 40 music chart on May 18, 1974,[98][99] prompting The New York Times to write, "The whole nation has begun to take notice."[91] Thanks to the film and its score, Joplin's work became appreciated in both the popular and classical music world, becoming (in the words of music magazine Record World), the "classical phenomenon of the decade."[100] Rifkin later said of the film soundtrack that Hamlisch lifted his piano adaptations directly from Rifkin's style and his band adaptations from Schuller's style.[96] Schuller said Hamlisch, "...got the Oscar for music he didn't write (since it is by Joplin) and arrangements he didn't write, and 'editions' he didn't make. A lot of people were upset by that, but that's show biz!"[96]

On October 22, 1971, excerpts from Treemonisha were presented in concert form at Lincoln Center with musical performances by Bolcom, Rifkin and Mary Lou Williams supporting a group of singers.[101] Finally, on January 28, 1972, T.J. Anderson's orchestration of Treemonisha was staged for two consecutive nights, sponsored by the Afro-American Music Workshop of Morehouse College in Atlanta, with singers accompanied by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra[102] under the direction of Robert Shaw, and choreography by Katherine Dunham. Schonberg remarked in February 1972 that the "Scott Joplin Renaissance" was in full swing and still growing.[103] In May 1975, Treemonisha was staged in a full opera production by the Houston Grand Opera. The company toured briefly, then settled into an eight-week run in New York on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in October and November. This appearance was directed by Gunther Schuller, and soprano Carmen Balthrop alternated with Kathleen Battle as the title character.[102] An "original Broadway cast" recording was produced. Because of the lack of national exposure given to the brief Morehouse College staging of the opera in 1972, many Joplin scholars wrote that the Houston Grand Opera's 1975 show was the first full production.[101]

1974 saw the Royal Ballet, under director Kenneth MacMillan, create Elite Syncopations a ballet based on tunes by Joplin and other composers of the era.[104] That year also brought the premiere by the Los Angeles Ballet of Red Back Book, choreographed by John Clifford to Joplin rags from the collection of the same name, including both solo piano performances and arrangements for full orchestra.

In 2016, Scott Joplin appeared as a character in the second season of the Comedy Central show Another Period, portrayed by Cedric the Entertainer.

Other awards and recognition[edit]

  • 1970: Joplin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the National Academy of Popular Music.[105]
  • 1976: Joplin was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize, "...bestowed posthumously in this Bicentennial Year, for his contributions to American music."[106]
  • 1977: Motown Productions produced Scott Joplin, a biographical film starring Billy Dee Williams as Joplin, released by Universal Pictures.[107]
  • 1983: the United States Postal Service issued a stamp of the composer as part of its Black Heritage commemorative series.[108]
  • 1989: Joplin received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.[109]
  • 2002: a collection of Joplin's own performances recorded on piano rolls in the 1900s (decade) was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.[110] The board annually selects songs that are "...culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Notes[edit]

  1. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 121
  2. Jump up ^ Joplin, Scott (1899). Maple Leaf Rag (2nd edition) (sheet music cover). John Stark. p. 1.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Edwards 2008.
  4. Jump up ^ Berlin, Edward A. "Scott Joplin: Brief Biographical Sketch". Berlin. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  5. Jump up ^ Berlin, Edward A. "Scott Joplin: Brief Biographical Sketch". Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Jasen, David A. (2007). Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography. New York: Taylor & Francis. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-415-97862-0. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  7. Jump up ^ Jasen & Tichenor (1978) p. 82.
  8. Jump up ^ "Scott Joplin". Texas Music History Online. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
  9. Jump up ^ Kirchner (2005) p. 32.
  10. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 6.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Curtis (2004) p. 38.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Albrecht (1979) pp. 89–105.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Berlin (1994) pp. 7–8.
  14. Jump up ^ Christensen (1999) p. 442
  15. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 9
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Kirk (2001) p. 190.
  17. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 8–9
  18. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 11–12.
  19. Jump up ^ Christensen (1999) p. 442.
  20. Jump up ^ St. Louis Dispatch, quoted in Scott & Rutkoff (2001) p. 36
  21. Jump up ^ Jasen (1981) p. 319–320.
  22. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 131–132.
  23. Jump up ^ Edwards 2010.
  24. Jump up ^ RedHotJazz.
  25. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 24–25.
  26. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 25–27.
  27. Jump up ^ Blesh (1981) p. xviii.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Scott & Rutkoff (2001) p. 37
  29. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 19
  30. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 31–34
  31. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 27.
  32. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 47, 52.
  33. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 56, 58.
  34. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 62.
  35. Jump up ^ Blesh (1981)p. xxiii.
  36. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 56, 58.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b Blesh (1981) p. xxiii.
  38. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 128.
  39. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ryerson (1973)
  40. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Jasen & Tichenor (1978) p. 88
  41. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p.142
  42. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 149.
  43. Jump up ^ "Profile of Scott Joplin". Classical.net. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  44. ^ Jump up to: a b Kirk (2001) p. 191.
  45. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 226, 230.
  46. Jump up ^ Vera Brodsky Lawrence, Sleeve notes to 1992 Deutsche Grammophon release of Treemonisha, quoted in Kirk (2001) p. 191.
  47. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 239.
  48. Jump up ^ Walsh, Michael (September 19, 1994). "American Schubert". Time. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  49. Jump up ^ Berlin 1998.
  50. Jump up ^ Scott & Rutkoff (2001) p. 38.
  51. Jump up ^ John Chancellor (October 3, 1974). "Vanderbilt Television News Archive summary". Vanderbilt Television News Archive. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  52. ^ Jump up to: a b Curtis (2004) p. 37.
  53. ^ Jump up to: a b Whitcomb (1986) p. 24.
  54. Jump up ^ Davis (1995)pp. 67–68.
  55. Jump up ^ Williams (1987)
  56. Jump up ^ Tennison, John. "History of Boogie Woogie". Chapter 15. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  57. ^ Jump up to: a b Kirchner (2005) p. 33.
  58. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 203.
  59. Jump up ^ Crawford (2001) p. 545.
  60. ^ Jump up to: a b Christensen (1999) p. 444.
  61. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 203–204.
  62. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 202, 204.
  63. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 207–208.
  64. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) p. 202.
  65. Jump up ^ Kirk (2001) p. 194.
  66. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 202–203.
  67. Jump up ^ Barrymore Laurence Scherer (6 December 2011). "Opera Treemonisha as It Was Intended To Be". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  68. Jump up ^ Nancy R. Ping Robbins, Guy Marco: Scott Joplin: A Guide to Research. Routledge, 2014, p. 299
  69. Jump up ^ "Treemonisha Oper mit getanzten Szenen". Staatsschauspiel Dresden. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  70. Jump up ^ "Pianola.co.nz". Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  71. Jump up ^ Jasen & Tichenor (1978) p. 86.
  72. ^ Jump up to: a b Berlin (1994) p. 237.
  73. Jump up ^ "List of Piano Roll Artists". Pianola. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  74. Jump up ^ Berlin (1994) pp. 237, 239.
  75. Jump up ^ Blesh (1981) p.xxxix.
  76. Jump up ^ Siepmann (1998) p. 36.
  77. Jump up ^ Philip (1998) pp. 77–78.
  78. Jump up ^ Howat (1986) p. 160.
  79. Jump up ^ McElhone (2004) p. 26.
  80. Jump up ^ Rifkin, Joshua. Scott Joplin Piano Rags, Nonesuch Records (1970) album cover
  81. Jump up ^ Curtis (2004) p. 1.
  82. Jump up ^ Levin (2002) p. 197.
  83. Jump up ^ Timothy Baumann, et al. "Interpreting Uncomfortable History at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri." The public historian 33.2 (2011): 37-66. online
  84. Jump up ^ Jasen (1981) pp. 319–320.
  85. Jump up ^ The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin, The Greatest of Ragtime Composers, John W. (Knocky) Parker, piano. Audiophile Records (1970) AP 71–72
  86. Jump up ^ Waldo (1976) pp. 179–182.
  87. Jump up ^ "Scott Joplin Piano Rags Nonesuch Records CD (with bonus tracks)". Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  88. Jump up ^ "Nonesuch Records". Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  89. Jump up ^ Billboard Magazine 1974a, p. 61..
  90. Jump up ^ "Entertainment Awards Database". LA Times. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  91. ^ Jump up to: a b Kronenberger, John (August 11, 1974). "The Ragtime Revival – A Belated Ode to Composer Scott Joplin". The New York Times.
  92. Jump up ^ Rich 1979, p. 81..
  93. Jump up ^ Schonberg, Harold C. (January 24, 1971). "Scholars, Get Busy on Scott Joplin!". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  94. Jump up ^ Waldo (1976) p. 184.
  95. Jump up ^ Billboard Magazine & December 26, 1974, pp. 4,34..
  96. ^ Jump up to: a b c Waldo (1976) p. 187.
  97. Jump up ^ "Entertainment Awards Database". LA Times. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  98. Jump up ^ "Charis Music Group, compilation of cue sheets from the American Top 40 radio Show" (PDF). Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  99. Jump up ^ Billboard Magazine 1974b, p. 64.
  100. Jump up ^ Record World Magazine July 1974, quoted in Berlin (1994) p. 251.
  101. ^ Jump up to: a b Ping-Robbins 1998, p. 289.
  102. ^ Jump up to: a b Peterson, Bernard L. (1993). A century of musicals in black and white. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 357. ISBN 0-313-26657-3. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  103. Jump up ^ Schonberg, Harold C. (February 13, 1972). "The Scott Joplin Renaissance Grows". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  104. Jump up ^ "Birmingham Royal Ballet". Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  105. Jump up ^ "Songwriters Hall of Fame". Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  106. Jump up ^ "Special Awards and Citations". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  107. Jump up ^ IMDB.com.
  108. Jump up ^ ESPER.
  109. Jump up ^ St. Louis Walk of Fame. "St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees". stlouiswalkoffame.org. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  110. Jump up ^ "2002 National Recording Registry from the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 6, 2009.

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Blesh, Rudi (1981). "Scott Joplin: Black-American Classicist". In Lawrence, Vera Brodsky. Scott Joplin Complete Piano Works. New York Public Library. ISBN 0-87104-272-X.
  • Berlin, Edward A. (1994). King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era. Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-510108-1.
  • Crawford, Richard (2001). America's Musical Life: A History. W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-04810-1.
  • Curtis, Susan (1999). Christensen, Lawrence O, ed. Dictionary of Missouri Biography. Univ. of Missouri Press. ISBN 0-8262-1222-0. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  • Curtis, Susan (2004). Dancing to a Black Man's Tune: A Life of Scott Joplin. Univ. of Missouri Press. ISBN 0-8262-1547-5.
  • Davis, Francis (1995). The History of the Blues:The Roots, the Music, the People. Hyperion. ISBN 0-306-81296-7.
  • Gioia, Ted (1997). The History of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509081-0.
  • Haskins, James (1978). Scott Joplin. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-385-11155-X.
  • Howat, Roy (1986). Debussy in Proportion: A Musical Analysis. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-31145-4. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  • Jasen, David A.; Trebor Jay Tichenor (1978). Rags and Ragtime: A Musical History. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc. p. 88. ISBN 0-486-25922-6.
  • Jasen, David A. (1981). "Discography of 78 rpm Records of Joplin Works". In Lawrence, Vera Brodsky. Scott Joplin Complete Piano Works. New York Public Library. ISBN 0-87104-272-X.
  • Kirk, Elise Kuhl (2001). American Opera. Univ. of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-02623-3.
  • Lawrence, Vera Brodsky, ed. (1971). Scott Joplin Complete Piano Works. New York Public Library. ISBN 0-87104-242-8.
  • Levin, Floyd (2002). Classic Jazz: A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians. Univ. of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-23463-5.
  • MaGee, Jeffrey (1998). "Ragtime and Early Jazz". In David Nicholls (ed.). The Cambridge History of American Music. New York: The Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-45429-8. CS1 maint: Extra text: editors list (link)
  • McElhone, Kevin (2004). Mechanical Music (2 ed.). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-7478-0578-4. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
  • Morath, Max (2005). Kirchner, Bill, ed. The Oxford Companion to Jazz. Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-518359-2.
  • Palmer, Tony (1976). All You Need Is Love /The Story Of Popular Music. Book Club Associates. ISBN 978-0-670-11448-1.
  • Philip, Robert (1998). Rowland, David, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Piano. Cambridge Companions to Music (Illustrated, reprint ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-47986-X. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  • Scott, William B.; Rutkoff, Peter M (2001). New York Modern: The Arts and the City. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press. ISBN 0-8018-6793-2.
  • Ping-Robbins, Nancy R. (1998). Scott Joplin: a guide to research. p. 289. ISBN 0-8240-8399-7. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  • Siepmann, Jeremy (1998). The Piano: The Complete Illustrated Guide to the World's Most Popular Musical Instrument. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0-7935-9976-8.
  • Ryerson, Bill; Joplin, Scott (1973). Best of Scott Joplin: a Collection of Original Ragtime Piano Compositions. C. Hansen Music and Books. ISBN 0-8494-0581-5.
  • Waldo, Terry (1976). This Is Ragtime. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc. ISBN 0-8015-7618-0.
  • Waterman, Guy (1985a). "Ragtime". In J.E. Hasse (ed.). Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York: Shirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-871650-7. CS1 maint: Extra text: editors list (link)
  • Waterman, Guy (1985b). "Joplin's Late Rags: An Analysis". In J.E. Hasse (ed.). Ragtime: Its History, Composers, and Music. New York: Shirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-871650-7. CS1 maint: Extra text: editors list (link)
  • Whitomb, Ian (1986). After the Ball. Hal Leonard Corp. ISBN 0-87910-063-X.
  • Williams, Martin (1959). The Art of Jazz: Ragtime to Bebop. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-306-80134-5.
  • Williams, Martin, ed. (1987). The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz. Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 0-393-99342-6.

Web-pages[edit]

  • Berlin, Edward A. (2012). "Scott Joplin: Brief Biographical Sketch". Edward A. Berlin. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  • Berlin, Edward A. (1998). "A Biography of Scott Joplin". The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  • Edwards, "Perfessor" Bill (2008). "Rags & Pieces by Scott Joplin, 1895–1905". Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  • Edwards, "Perfessor" Bill (2010). ""Perfessor" Bill's guide to notable Ragtime Era Composers". Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  • ESPER. "Black Heritage Stamp issues". Ebony Society of Philatelic Reflections, Inc. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  • IMDB.com. "Listing for Scott Joplin (TV 1977)". IMDB.com, Inc. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  • RedHotJazz. "Wilbur Sweatman and His Band". Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  • St. Louis Walk of Fame. "Inductees to the St. Louis Walk of Fame". St. Louis Walk of Fame. Retrieved August 17, 2011.

Journals[edit]

  • Albrecht, Theodore (1979). Julius Weiss: Scott Joplin's First Piano Teacher. 19. Case Western Univ. College Music Symposium. pp. 89–105.
  • Billboard Magazine (1974a). "Best Selling Classical LPs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (September 28, 1974): 61. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  • Billboard Magazine (1974b). "Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (May 18, 1974): 64. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  • Rich, Alan (1979). "Music". New York Magazine. New York Media LLC (December 24, 1979): 81. Retrieved August 5, 2011.

External links[edit]

Find more aboutScott Joplinat Wikipedia's sister projects
  • Media from Commons
  • Quotations from Wikiquote
  • Texts from Wikisource
  • Texas State Historical Association – Biography of Scott Joplin
  • The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation
  • Joplin at St. Louis Walk of Fame
  • "Perfessor" Bill Edwards plays Joplin, with anecdotes and research.
  • Maple Leaf Rag A site dedicated to 100 years of the Maple Leaf Rag.
  • The Scott Joplin House – St. Louis, Missouri
  • Scott Joplin at Find a Grave
  • Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
  • Scott Joplin at Library of Congress Authorities, with 276 catalog records

Recordings and sheet music[edit]

  • Free recordings of Joplin's music in Mp3 format by various pianists at PianoSociety.com
  • www.kreusch-sheet-music.net – Free scores by Joplin
  • Sheet Music and Covers (includes cover art, comprehensive sheet music selection, and biography)
  • Free scores by Scott Joplin at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
  • Kunst der Fuge: Scott Joplin – MIDI files (live and piano-rolls recordings)
  • John Roache's site has MIDI performances of ragtime music by Joplin and others
  • The Mutopia Project has compositions by Scott Joplin
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  • WorldCat Identities
  • VIAF: 56796614
  • LCCN: n50039880
  • ISNI: 0000 0001 0904 5211
  • GND: 119174030
  • SUDOC: 060341742
  • BNF: cb13895753j (data)
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  • NDL: 00756299
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  • BNE: XX1114220
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The Perfect Mate

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The Perfect Mate

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"The Perfect Mate"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
ST-TNG The Perfect Mate.jpg
The make up designed for Famke Janssen as Kamala (pictured left) was later used on Terry Farrell in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 21
Directed by Cliff Bole
Story by René Echevarria
Gary Percante
Teleplay by Gary Percante
Michael Piller
Featured music Jay Chattaway
Production code 221
Original air date April 27, 1992 (1992-04-27)
Guest appearance(s)
  • Famke Janssen – Kamala
  • Tim O'Connor – Briam
  • Max Grodénchik – Par Lenor
  • Mickey Cottrell – Alrik
  • Michael Snyder – Qol
  • David Paul Needles – Miner #1
  • Roger Rignack – Miner #2
  • Charles Gunning – Miner #3
  • April Grace – Transporter Officer
  • Majel Barrett – Computer Voice[1]
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List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"The Perfect Mate" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 121st overall. The episode was credited to Gary Percante and Michael Piller from a story by Percante and René Echevarria. Percante was a pseudonym of Rueben Leder, which was used by the writer in protest against re-writes. Four endings were written, with two filmed. "The Perfect Mate" was directed by Cliff Bole.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship Enterprise. In this episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) develops feelings for Kamala (Famke Janssen), a woman destined from childhood for an arranged marriage which hopefully might end a war between two planets. Picard steps in to help in the peace ceremony and later gives Kamala away at her wedding.

The episode was the second acting job for former model Janssen, and she would subsequently turn down the offer to join the main cast in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Her makeup seen in "The Perfect Mate" would end up being used on Jadzia Dax in that series. Also appearing was Max Grodénchik, who would go on to play Rom in Deep Space Nine. "The Perfect Mate" received Nielsen ratings of 10.8 percent, and received a mixed reception from reviewers, with criticism directed at the presentation of Kamala and the Ferengi, while Janssen was subsequently praised.

Contents

 [hide]
  • 1 Plot
  • 2 Production
    • 2.1 Writing
    • 2.2 Casting
  • 3 Themes
  • 4 Reception
  • 5 Home media release
  • 6 See also
  • 7 Notes
  • 8 References
  • 9 External links

Plot[edit]

Kriosian ambassador Briam (Tim O'Connor) comes on board the Enterprise with some cargo, ready for a peace ceremony with the Valtian. As the ship heads to the rendezvous, they save two Ferengi from a failing ship. Despite security being assigned, the Ferengi enter the cargo bay and deactivate the stasis field on Briam's cargo, revealing a young Kriosian woman named Kamala (Famke Janssen). With the Ferengi secured, it is revealed that she is an empathic metamorph who can sense what males around her desire and react appropriately. She was being brought as an arranged marriage to the Valtian representative. Kamala is generating pheromones that can affect males around her, which was why she was kept in stasis until the ceremony.

Briam tells Kamala to stay in her quarters, but Captain Picard allows her to travel throughout the ship, with the unaffected Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) as her escort. This results in a fight nearly breaking out in Ten Forward, when Kamala begins to interact with several miners. The Ferengi seek to bribe Briam to turn Kamala over to them, but he rejects their offer. As he leaves, they attack him, causing him to fall, hit his head, and lose consciousness. The Enterprise turns the Ferengi over to the nearest starbase to stand trial, but Briam is unable to participate in the ceremony. Kamala helps Picard to take on Briam's role, and the two become close. He seeks to resist her abilities and tells her to be herself, and she explains that the woman he wants her to be is who she actually is.

They meet with the Valtian ambassador, Chancellor Alrik (Mickey Cottrell), who is uninterested in the marriage and wants to pursue trade agreements. With the arrangements made, Picard visits Kamala to say goodbye; she tells him that she has permanently bonded with him instead of Alrik. Kamala explains that he has changed her for the better, and will continue in her duty for her people to marry Alrik. At the wedding ceremony, Picard escorts Kamala down the aisle and watches as she marries another. After the newlyweds have returned to the planet, Picard says goodbye to Briam in the transporter room. When asked how he resisted Kamala, the expression on Picard's face reveals how much of a struggle it has been and how much he feels he has lost.

Production[edit]

Writing[edit]

The story for "The Perfect Mate" was created by René Echevarria and Rueben Leder and then written as a teleplay by Leder and executive producer Michael Piller.[1] A great deal of edits were made to the script by a number of staff members, and Piller felt that it was a difficult one due to the subject matter. As Piller explained to Echevarria in a memo, he felt that Kamala had to be a well-rounded character which would be loved by the viewer in order for the episode to work.[2]

Fellow executive producer Rick Berman recalled heated discussions over the content of the script,[2] and following re-writes to the draft, Leder elected to be credited only under the pseudonym Gary Percante. This was the only time during Piller's tenure as executive producer that a writer chose to be credited under a pseudonym. Piller subsequently praised the episode, saying "We have Beverly argue the point that Kamala's mission amounts to prostitution, and we have Picard taking the other tack; that whether or not we approve, we can't change or interfere with the way these people are. And if you accept [Gene] Roddenberry's vision, which we are built on, you have to respect that."[3]

Two of the scenes seen in "The Perfect Mate" built upon references in earlier episodes. The morning meeting over tea between Picard and Crusher seen here was previously mentioned in "Qpid", while in "Family" there was the mention of Picard taking piano lessons as a child. In "The Perfect Mate", he relates that these were only briefly taken because his mother wanted him to.[3] Four endings were written for the episode, with two filmed. Piller preferred a "trick ending" in which Picard daydreamed of objecting to the wedding, but ultimately with Kamala rejecting both him and Alrik having been enlightened by Picard's influence.[2]

Casting[edit]

A headshot of a Caucasian woman with brown hair.
Famke Janssen had worked as a model before appearing in "The Perfect Mate".

Prior to working on The Next Generation, Famke Janssen had worked as a model in Europe for seven years.[4] Her first acting role was on the television series Fathers and Sons, with Star Trek representing her second acting performance.[5] Two days after auditioning for the role of Kamala, she was on set filming the episode.[4] She later described how this did not give a great deal of time to prepare for the role, and that new script pages would be delivered on a daily basis through the seven day shoot which she found difficult due to her lack of fluency in English at the time.[4][5] However, she said the cast were friendly and described them as a "family". Regarding the make-up, she said that on the first day they created a stencil through which they applied the spots on the following six days. Janssen said that Kamala was "very intelligent and educated".[4] Berman described Janssen as "about as beautiful as any woman any of us have ever seen and she gave a delightful performance".[2]

Following her appearance in the episode, Janssen was offered a five-year contract to appear in the main cast as Jadzia Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine but turned it down as she did not want to be tied to a long term series contract,[4] and felt it would have made her lazy as an actor. The makeup worn by Janssen was used on the actress cast in that part, Terry Farrell, although without stencilling.[6] This was as a result of Berman's rejection of the original Trill makeup from "The Host", with Kamala's makeup suggested as a replacement.[7] At the time of an interview with Starlog magazine in 1993, Janssen said that she would be happy to return to The Next Generation to portray Kamala once again.[4] She did not return to the series, but went on to appear as Jean Grey alongside Stewart in the 2000 film X-Men and subsequent films in the series.[8] She found working with Stewart easy when they were reunited, because of their previous work on "The Perfect Mate".[5]

"The Perfect Mate" was one of several episodes of The Next Generation where Max Grodénchik portrayed a Ferengi. He would subsequently audition for the role of Quark on Deep Space Nine, but this went to Armin Shimerman. Grodénchik then portrayed "Ferengi Pit Boss" in the pilot of Deep Space Nine, "Emissary", who was subsequently written to become the brother of Quark, Rom.[9] Michael Snyder went on to appear as another Ferengi in The Next Generation episode "Rascals".[10]

Themes[edit]

Robin Roberts discussed "The Perfect Mate" in his 1999 book Sexual Generations. He explained that the premise of a perfect mate had been seen elsewhere in science fiction, such as in The Stepford Wives, and said that he found it disturbing when works of the genre depicted this as a role model for women.[11] He called "The Perfect Mate" the exemplification of the "depiction of woman as a passive reflection of a male partner".[12] He compared the Federation non-interference in a people who treat women as gifts to the involvement of the United States in the Gulf War in defence of Kuwait, a country which limits rights for women.[13]

In Chris Gregory's 2000 book Star Trek: Parallel Narratives, he compared "The Perfect Mate" to the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Elaan of Troyius" to the ancient Greek poem the Iliad. He said that the influence of Picard caused Kamala to abandon any potential sense of happiness and replace it with an increased sense of self-awareness and remove the ability for her to legitimately love Arik.[14]

Reception[edit]

"The Perfect Mate" aired during the week commencing May 10, 1992, in broadcast syndication. According to Nielsen Media Research, it received ratings of 10.8 percent. This means that it was watched by 10.8 percent of all households watching television during its timeslot. This was the lowest first run episode of the season.[15] It was the lowest rating since "In Theory", broadcast during the fourth season,[16] and no episode broadcast afterwards during the course of the season received ratings equal or lower.[17]

Starlog magazine reported in 1993 that the reception from female fans of Star Trek was mostly negative due to the manner in which Kamala was presented,[4] while some reviewers offered a similar opinion. Michelle Erica Green, in her review for TrekNation in 2013, praised the chemistry between Stewart and Janssen but called it "a terrible episode, an enormous setback in terms of how Next Gen presents women in the 24th century, and the fact that I appreciate several of the performances doesn't mean I don't wish it had never been produced." She questioned that if Kamala's gender was switched about whether the arguments presented in the episode would have remained, and felt it was a missed opportunity to tackle social issues.[18] Keith DeCandido hated the episode in his review for Tor.com in 2012, giving it a score of 2 out of 10, and said that when he first watched it, the episode had left him "seething". He explained that he would "expect a storyline rooted in tiresomely traditional gender roles from a show airing in the late 1960s. Not so much the early 1990s." He said that Janssen was "flat", and did not have any chemistry with Stewart. DeCandido also criticized the Ferengi "at their absolute worst" and the absence of Deanna Troi from the episode.[19]

However, other reviewers received the episode more positively. Zack Handlen gave the episode a rating of a "B+" in his 2011 review for The A.V. Club. He called the Ferengi "as awful as ever", but otherwise praised the episode. He said that Janssen was one of the reasons why it worked, with the evolution of Kamala through "The Perfect Mate" showing "a sense of someone coming into their own as a sexually aware, potentially powerful individual." Handlen compared the situation to the "Elaan of Troyius", and found the imprinting of Kamala on Picard an unexpected twist.[20] It was ranked in 47th place out of the top 100 of the entire franchise in Charlie Jane Anders' list for io9,[21] In the Toronto Sun's list of the 50 top moments of the franchise, Janssen's appearance as Kamala was placed 13th.[22]

Home media release[edit]

"The Perfect Mate" was first released on VHS cassette in the United States and Canada on October 7, 1997.[23] The episode was later released in the United States on November 5, 2002, as part of the season five DVD box set.[24] The first Blu Ray release was in the United States on November 19, 2013,[25] followed by the United Kingdom on November 18.[26]

See also[edit]

  • "Precious Cargo" (Star Trek: Enterprise) The first meeting between Kriosians and humans

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Nemecek 2003, p. 199.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Gross & Altman 1993, p. 245.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Nemecek 2003, p. 200.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Bloch-Hansen, Peter (December 1993). "Perfect Mating". Starlog (197): 58–62 – via Archive.org.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Famke Janssen Talks TNG & Her New Film, Jack of the Red Hearts". StarTrek.com. February 24, 2016. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  6. Jump up ^ Erdmann & Block 2000, p. 245.
  7. Jump up ^ Westmore 2000, p. 133.
  8. Jump up ^ McDonnell, David (July 27, 2013). "Starlogging With David McDonnell: Lunch With The Perfect Mate". StarTrek.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  9. Jump up ^ Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens 1994, p. 9.
  10. Jump up ^ Nemecek 2003, p. 224.
  11. Jump up ^ Roberts 1999, p. 66.
  12. Jump up ^ Roberts 1999, p. 73.
  13. Jump up ^ Roberts 1999, pp. 74–75.
  14. Jump up ^ Gregory 2000, p. 186.
  15. Jump up ^ "Star Trek: The Next Generation Nielsen Ratings – Seasons 5–6". TrekNation. Archived from the original on October 5, 2000. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  16. Jump up ^ "Star Trek: The Next Generation Nielsen Ratings – Seasons 3–4". TrekNation. Archived from the original on October 5, 2000. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  17. Jump up ^ "Star Trek: The Next Generation Nielsen Ratings – Season 7". TrekNation. Archived from the original on June 22, 2001. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  18. Jump up ^ Green, Michelle Erica (November 6, 2009). "Retro Review: The Perfect Mate". TrekNation. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  19. Jump up ^ DeCandido, Keith (August 17, 2012). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "The Perfect Mate"". Tor.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  20. Jump up ^ Handlen, Zack (April 28, 2011). "Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Perfect Mate"/"Imaginary Friend"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  21. Jump up ^ Anders, Charlie Jane (October 2, 2014). "The Top 100 Star Trek Episodes Of All Time!". io9. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  22. Jump up ^ Slotek, Jim (June 3, 2016). "Star Trek's 50th: 50 great moments for Trekkies to celebrate". Toronto Sun. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  23. Jump up ^ "Star Trek – The Next Generation, Episode 121: The Perfect Mate (VHS)". Tower Video. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  24. Jump up ^ Ordway, Holly E. (November 5, 2002). "Star Trek the Next Generation – Season 5". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  25. Jump up ^ Miller III, Randy (November 19, 2013). "Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Five (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  26. Jump up ^ Simpson, Michael (November 11, 2013). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5 Blu-Ray Review". Sci-Fi Now. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.

References[edit]

  • Erdmann, Terry J.; Block, Paula M. (2000). Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-50106-8.
  • Gregory, Chris (2000). Star Trek: Parallel Narratives. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-333-74488-8.
  • Gross, Edward; Altman, Mark A. (1993). Captain's Logs: The Complete Trek Voyages. London: Boxtree. ISBN 978-1-85283-899-7.
  • Nemecek, Larry (2003). Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed.). New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-5798-6.
  • Reeves-Stevens, Judith; Reeves-Stevens, Garfield (1994). The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-87430-8.
  • Roberts, Robin (1999). Sexual Generations: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Gender. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-06810-2.
  • Westmore, Michael (2000). Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-04299-8.

External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Perfect Mate
  • The Perfect Mate on IMDb
  • The Perfect Mate at StarTrek.com
  • The Perfect Mate at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
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