Foolishness Rag. Ragtime in Europa
– neue Gedanken zu alten Tonträgern
The author discusses the perception of Afro-American music at the turn of the century in Europe and the misunderstanding of ragtime by European scholars. The early booklength authors on jazz were Europeans, whose major source was the gramophone record. Thus, there was no comprehension of earlier and parallel mechanical music, no first-hand knowledge of the social base of Afro-American music, and no experience of live performances. The author provides evidence that German manufacturers of mechanical music and gramophone records dominated the world market other than the USA prior to World War I, and discusses the diversity in repertory and playing styles between the United States and Europe. The essay is complemented by tables of statistics and a tentative listing of "rag repertory" published as sheet music in Germany, 1849–1933.