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Musicology:
Country Club is another popular Joplin piece written in the composer's inimitable ragtime style. The work was published with the parenthetical description "ragtime two-step" following the title. While that tag might prompt some to expect brisk, even rowdy music here, the work is relatively reserved and graceful in its colorful, moderately paced tempo. That said, it is not tame, either, or without a sense of mischief: the music rouses the spirit, makes the foot tap, and beguiles the ear with its sprightly rhythmic manner and catchy thematic wares.
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Country ClubYear: 1909
Genre: Other Keyboard
Pr. Instrument: Piano
The work opens with a brief, rhythmic introductory passage, after which the main theme festively dances along, first in arpeggiated chords then in proud, frolicsome statements that cavort their celebration with exuberance. The music is splashy here, but is always tempered by a graceful, somewhat demure sense, too. The second subject is a bit less muscular and more playful, but much in the same colorful spirit. A further thematic offshoot dominates the latter half, a sprightly creation also quite delightful in its lightness and sense of joy. This piece typically has a duration of four to five minutes.
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