Can you describe in words, using musical terminology if you know it, exactly what makes Scott Joplin's music so distinctive and recognizable?

Same Q for Tchaikovsky’s orchestral pieces, especially symphonies and ballet.

Same Q for Bach. Same for Gershwin.

I can hear the distinctive characteristics, recognize the composer often within one or two bars, even if I don’t know the particular piece. Sometimes I can name the piece from just two successive notes occurring anywhere in it, just from tuning in randomly on the radio.

But I don’t have the technical knowledge of music to describe what I hear. If you do, please use musical terminology for the sake of precision. I will look up everything I don’t understand.