<P> In 1914, Joplin and Lottie self - published his "Magnetic Rag" as the Scott Joplin Music Company, which he had formed the previous December . Biographer Vera Brodsky Lawrence speculates that Joplin was aware of his advancing deterioration due to syphilis and was "...consciously racing against time ." In her sleeve notes on the 1992 Deutsche Grammophon release of Treemonisha she notes that he "...plunged feverishly into the task of orchestrating his opera, day and night, with his friend Sam Patterson standing by to copy out the parts, page by page, as each page of the full score was completed ." </P> <P> By 1916, Joplin was suffering from tertiary syphilis and a resulting descent into insanity . In January 1917, he was admitted to Manhattan State Hospital, a mental institution . He died there on April 1 of syphilitic dementia at the age of 49 and was buried in a pauper's grave that remained unmarked for 57 years . His grave at Saint Michaels Cemetery in East Elmhurst was finally given a marker in 1974, the year The Sting, which showcased his music, won for Best Picture at the Oscars . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Maple Leaf Rag The Entertainer </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing these files? See media help . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Maple Leaf Rag The Entertainer </Td> </Tr>

What kind of music is scott joplin most famous for