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I am now concentrating on learning a few Satie piano solos, adding them to my répertoire over the next few months. For those of you who know Satie, you already know the allure of his music. For those who don't, he was an early 1900's French avant-garde composer.  Satie greatly influenced composers like Debussy and Ravel, although Satie himself was a minimalist, and certainly not an impressionist! Many listeners think he was, and I don't quite get how they confuse Satie's style.
He was also one hell of an eccentric, giving very strange labels to his piano pieces (such as Genuine Flabby Preludes for a Dog). In his apartment, he stacked two grand pianos one atop the other, using the upper for magazine storage! It doesn't really matter, music scholars love him anyway.
Click "Read more..." for a full list of the Satie pieces I'm learning.
My Satie Piano Répertoire:
Deuxième Nocturne
Troisième Nocturne
Gnossiennes No.1 - Lent
Gnossiennes No.2 - Avec Etonnement
Le Fils des Étoiles, trois préludes
Tips for pianists:
I am personally steering clear of the Gymnopedies, as I tend to avoid any over-performed "pop" classics.
For aspiring pianists wanting to sample Satie
, I recommend starting with the inviting Nocturnes II and III. Both are crisp and distinctive Satie, and they make excellent rainy-day pieces. A well-trained ear will clearly understand the contrast between the two pieces. Learn both and sometimes play both in one sitting. Reverse the order occasionally.
The recordings I've heard of the Nocturnes are played at too fast a tempo. The large dual notes are meant to be wide and unspoiled. You must apply some emotional depth, as the extra expression will balance out the nakedness of the nocturnes.
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Re: Hooked on Satie
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by anonymous |
posted February 25th, 2004 around 08:35 PM
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I Love Satie.
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