Louis Chauvin
Encyclopedia
Louis Chauvin was an American
ragtime
musician.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri
of a Mexican Spanish-Indian father and an African American mother, he was widely considered the finest pianist in the St. Louis area at the turn of the century. He was part of the ragtime community that met at Tom Turpin
's Rosebud bar, along with Joe Jordan
and others.
Chauvin died in Chicago. Whereas his death certificate lists causes of death as "multiple sclerosis
, probably syphilitic", and starvation due to coma, a modern diagnosis would probably conclude he had a neurosyphilitic sclerosis and not link it to multiple sclerosis. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
He left only three published compositions and died without having recorded, so his ability is hard to judge today. However, he was long remembered by his peers as an exceptionally gifted performer and composer. He is primarily remembered today for Heliotrope Bouquet, the rag in which he shares compositional credit with Scott Joplin
: the nature of the music seems to indicate that Chauvin provided the basis for the first two strains, while Joplin wrote the last two, and edited the work into a cohesive piece.
His published works are:
He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. Calvary's burial records list the causes of death as multiple sclerosis.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
musician.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
of a Mexican Spanish-Indian father and an African American mother, he was widely considered the finest pianist in the St. Louis area at the turn of the century. He was part of the ragtime community that met at Tom Turpin
Tom Turpin
Thomas Million John Turpin was an African-American composer of ragtime music.Tom Turpin was born in Savannah, Georgia, a son of John L. Turpin and Lulu Waters Turpin. In his early twenties he opened a saloon in St...
's Rosebud bar, along with Joe Jordan
Joe Jordan (musician)
Joe Jordan was an African American musician and composer. Jordan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, grew up in St...
and others.
Chauvin died in Chicago. Whereas his death certificate lists causes of death as "multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, probably syphilitic", and starvation due to coma, a modern diagnosis would probably conclude he had a neurosyphilitic sclerosis and not link it to multiple sclerosis. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
He left only three published compositions and died without having recorded, so his ability is hard to judge today. However, he was long remembered by his peers as an exceptionally gifted performer and composer. He is primarily remembered today for Heliotrope Bouquet, the rag in which he shares compositional credit with Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
: the nature of the music seems to indicate that Chauvin provided the basis for the first two strains, while Joplin wrote the last two, and edited the work into a cohesive piece.
His published works are:
- The Moon is Shining in the Skies (with Sam Patterson, 1903)
- Babe, It's Too Long Off (words by Elmer Bowman, 1906)
- Heliotrope Bouquet (with Scott Joplin, 1907)
He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. Calvary's burial records list the causes of death as multiple sclerosis.