The song “Maple leaf rag,” performed by Joplin and Morton’s interpretation sounds completely different when listening for the first time. First of all, Joplin’s version seems gloomy in some places, creating a sense of tension (Joplin, 2007, 00:11-00:14). On the contrary, Morton’s version does not cause such a feeling; it is more joyful and bright. It is noteworthy that the similarity in rhythm is guessed only at the beginning of the interpretation. One can also immediately find that Morton starts the song from the middle of the first piece. Moreover, the repetitions in Joplin’s performance are more apparent than in the interpretation. One gets the impression that each time the pieces are modified and changed. Overall, Joplin’s composition sounds simpler, while Morton’s interpretation is more complex and varied.
Joplin was the father of ragtime, which later became the forerunner of jazz. In the song, one can hear contrasting pieces which differ in theme and form, which is due to the dance and marching component of the music direction. Since ragtime was used as an acoustic accompaniment to silent films, the same sections are repeated twice. Joplin has audible sections of 20-30 seconds long with smooth conjunction. It can also be noted that he plays the song at a moderate speed; the rhythm in some places accelerates, but not significantly. Therefore, the whole song sounds even and smooth without any extremes.
Morton interpreted the song in a jazz style, which can be seen in both rhythm and form. However, this version leans more towards ragtime than jazz itself, making it outdated for its time. Compared to Joplin, Morton plays faster and with significant differences in intensity, which is audible. In the interpretation, new shades are added to each piece, including tango and swing, which is noticeable in the final two pieces (Morton, 2000, 00:02:02-00:02:41). Thus, the two songs differ significantly from each other, although the basis of the ragtime is also clearly audible.
References
Joplin, S. (2007). Maple leaf rag [Song]. Joplin: Piano rags, vol. 1 [Album]. Naxos American Classics.
Morton, J. R. (2011). Maple leaf rag: St. Louise and New Orleans [Song]. Vol. 3: Discourse on jazz [Album]. Cool Note.