Complex sentence: The classically trained pianist Scott Joplin produced his "Original Rags" in 1898, and in 1899 had an international hit with "Maple Leaf Rag", a multi-strain ragtime march with four parts that feature recurring themes and a bass line with copious seventh chords.
Split into simpler sentences: The classically trained pianist Scott Joplin produced his "Original Rags" in the following year, then in 1899 had an international hit with "Maple Leaf Rag". The latter is a multi-strain ragtime march with four parts that feature recurring themes and a bass line with copious seventh chords.