Χριστός Ανέστη!
And to those who follow the old calendar, may you have a blessed feast of Saint George!
To celebrate, I would like to showcase a gorgeous piece by Scott Joplin: “Bethana.”
According to Wikipedia, “Bethena” was ignored until the Joplin revival forty years ago. How unfortunate. A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country—and the same seems to hold true for artists. Consider the initial reception of Swan Lake. People often behave as swine.
You may know of my fondness for Joplin from “Instant Maple Love,” “Saint Louis,” and “History in Saint Louis.”