Maple Leaf Rag

[toby1]

What kind of approx metronome markings are are appropriate for this piece?

Should I go buy the Scott Joplin Piano Roll? The book I have lists the time as "Tempo di Marcia"

But a March is usually a bit slower than other versions of this piece that I've heard.

Also has anyone aware of a notated version of the piano roll? Scott Joplin apparently played this with a bunch of extra ornmentation compared to the versions I've seen written down typically.

Haha Urtext Joplin?

Anyways main thing I'm curious about is approximate metronome markings as a guidline for playing speed.

[ted]

Probably Joshua Rifkin’s tempo is closest to Joplin’s intention, with this and other rags. However, many of his livelier pieces, Maple Leaf among them, sound good played a little faster. The main point is that an excessively fast rendition of ragtime loses the rhythmic effect altogether in a blur of notes.