Online: Treemonisha, Scott Joplin's Only Surviving Opera

Scott Joplin (1868-1917) is often referred to as “The King of Ragtime” due to his immense success as a composer of piano rags. His greatest wish was to be recognized as a composer of opera. He spent his final years trying to see “Treemonisha” performed on stage, but failed to do so. Nearly sixty years after Joplin’s death his wish was finally fulfilled.

Jeffrey Engel will detail Joplin’s life and play excerpts from his only surviving opera which has also been nicknamed “The Sleeping Beauty of American Music.” 

Mr. Engel has been giving lectures devoted to music history in colleges, libraries, retirement communities and other venues for some fifteen years. He believes that such lectures should be entertaining as well as informative. To that end, his explanations are never too technical, and he infuses his material with amusing anecdotes and musical illustrations.

This program is part of the Library’s Understanding Race initiative, supported in part by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.

Please register below for the Zoom link.