Published in 1911, this piece was probably composed in St. Louis ten years earlier, where both Scott Joplin and his friend Scott Hayden then lived and collaborated on musical projects. Many people have wondered precisely how two composers can co-write a composition. Who writes the tunes, who the harmonies? And who has final say? This effort was likely dominated by Joplin since its ragtime style is the shoe that fits his unique stylistic foot rather snugly. One can even hear bits of other Joplin works here, including his famous The Entertainer, written in 1902. Felicity Rag effervesces with color and energy, its main theme splashing onto the sonic canvas in bouncy, mostly descending chords whose staccato-dominated sonorities do not sound brittle at all, but vital and bright. The music here is carefree and playful, sassy and humorous, propelled along by foot-tapping rhythms and an infectious sense of merriment. The lively secondary material does not break from this joyous mood and never runs short of energy. The music in the middle section is, however, a bit lighter and more graceful. The piece typically has a duration of four-and-a-half minutes.

© Robert Cummings, Rovi