Ragtime: A musical and cultural history

by Edward A. Berlin

Ragtime, the jaunty, toe-tapping music that captivated American society from the 1890s through World War I, forms the roots of America's popular musical expression. But the understanding of ragtime and its era has been clouded by a history of murky impressions, half-truths, and inventive fictions. A Musical and Cultural History cuts through the murkiness. A methodical survey of thousands of rags along with an examination of then-contemporary opinions in magazines and newspapers demonstrate how the music evolved and how America responded to it. "The most complete available discussion of ragtime" (Floyd & Reisser, Black Music in the United States).

Genres: Music, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

A TV news show I watched discussed the musical Ragtime, based on a book by that or a similar name, this is not it. This book would be very informative for someone involved in researching various styles of music. Obviously the core music style of this book is ragtime although there is information as the overlap of the creation of jazz and the differences.

[Edward Irons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and Precise Overview of this Neglected Music Form

Berlin’s analysis is anchored in the music. He unties the easy generalizations that have kept ragtime a footnote in music history. A scholarly, well-argued work.