Russian Rag (composition)

"Russian Rag" is a 1918 ragtime jazz piano composition by George L. Cobb.^[1][2] The composition was published by Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd.^[1]

"Russian Rag"
Cover of sheet music, published by Will Rossiter, Chicago
Instrumental by Pietro Deiro
Released	1918 (1918)
Genre	Ragtime
Composer(s)	George L. Cobb

Victor 18743 Side B record label: Russian Rag, played by Pietro Deiro

The composition is based on the opening chord progression of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op.3, No.2. The piece was such a hit that Cobb wrote The New Russian Rag in 1923 in an attempt to arrange more of the Rachmaninoff prelude for ragtime piano.^[3][4]

Elena Kats-Chernin wrote another later piano composition entitled Russian Rag in 1996.^[5][6]