Genre Ragtime Published 1902 (1902) | Form Rag Publisher John Stark & Son | |
"Elite Syncopations" is a 1902 ragtime composition by Scott Joplin, originally published by John Stark & Son. One of his more popular works, it is one of a handful of Joplin rags for which he recorded a piano roll. The cover of the original sheet music prominently features a well-dressed man and lady sitting on a treble staff, looking down upon a cherub clutching a cymbal in each hand, which reflects plainly the title of the piece. In 1974, the Royal Ballet, under director Kenneth MacMillan, created the ballet Elite Syncopations based on tunes by Joplin and other composers of the era.
Musical structure
The piece's musical structure is
Intro A A B B A C C D DIt begins in F major, and modulates to B-flat major at the beginning of the C section, where it remains until the end of the piece. In addition, many parts of the piece are somewhat chromatic, especially section A.