Skip to content
Cello Repertoire Initiative

6 Ragtimes for Violin (or Cello) and Piano, Vol. 1

by Scott Joplin · arranged by Dieter H. Förster

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Publisher
Edition Kunzelmann
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

Edition Kunzelmann's first volume of Scott Joplin rags, arranged by Dieter H. (Hans-Dieter) Förster for violin or cello with piano (GM 889d, 42 pages, ISMN 9790206201059). It holds six of Joplin's piano rags: Original Rags (1899), Elite Syncopations, The Entertainer, The Favorite, The Chrysanthemum and The Ragtime Dance. Joplin, the "King of Ragtime", thought of ragtime as classical music meant for the concert hall. The same Förster volume is set for violin by ABRSM: The Chrysanthemum is a Grade 7 piece in the violin syllabus from 2024. Cellists have recorded these rags in their own arrangements, for example Heinrich Schiff with Samuel Sanders in Original Rag.

Technical overview

Six independent Joplin piano rags (Original Rags, Elite Syncopations, The Entertainer, The Favorite, The Chrysanthemum, The Ragtime Dance), each roughly 2½–4 minutes in recorded piano performances. The main challenge is syncopated ragtime rhythm in the solo line over the piano. I couldn't see the cello part, so its range, positions and bowing demands are unconfirmed.

Level rubric

Late Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Master positions up to 7th.
  • Use 5th–7th positions for high notes; early thumb position basics.
  • Learn treble clef for 4th, 5th, 6th positions.
  • Practice complex shifting with guide‑finger techniques.
  • Manage upper extensions; play double stops (thirds, fourths, sixths) with consistency.
  • Use continuous, selectively applied vibrato.

Right Hand

  • Develop advanced bow strokes: deliberate ricochet & controlled up‑bow staccato.
  • Execute quick string crossings & precise chord articulations.
  • Achieve wide dynamic range while maintaining tone.
  • Seamless transitions between spiccato and legato.
  • Execute multiple stops/chord rolls rapidly.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Increased complexity: fast passages, intricate syncopation.
  • Detailed phrasing & structure; shape long phrases with rubato.
  • Combine expressive dynamics, vibrato & precise bowing techniques.
  • Further refine ensemble sensitivity & leadership.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

Music

Recently AddedThe newest additions

About

Our MissionResource CatalogContributeContact Us