Satie: Jack in the Box

On this CD:

1. Gymnopédies (3), for piano, complete (also orchestrated by Debussy)
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

2. Embryons desséchés (3 dried-up embryos), for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

3. Poudre d'or (Gold Dust), for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

4. Prélude en tapisserie, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

5. Les valses (3) distinguées du précieux dégoûté (3 distinguished waltzes of a disgusted dandy), for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

6. Le Piccadilly, march for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

7. Gnossienne, for piano No.1, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

8. Gnossienne, for piano No.2, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

9. Gnossienne, for piano No.3, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

10. Je te veux (I Want You), café-concert song for voice & piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

11. Avant-dernières pensées (Next-to-last thoughts), 3 pieces for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

12. Sports et divertissements (Sports and diversions), 21 pieces for piano Le golf / Les Courses / Le pique-nique / Le water chute / Le tango / Le traineau / Le Flirt / Le feu d'artifice / Le tennis
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

13. Valse-ballet, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

14. Fantaisie-valse, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

15. Jack-in-the-Box, pantomime ballet for piano (orchestrated by Milhaud)
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Angela Brownridge

Tracks:

Oeuvres Pour Piano: Gymnopedie I
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Gymnopedie II
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Gymnopedie III
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Les Trois Valses distingu du preux dI: Sa taille
Oeuvres Pour Piano: II: Son binocle
Oeuvres Pour Piano: III: Ses jambes
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Gnossiennes: I Lent
Oeuvres Pour Piano: II Avec nnement
Oeuvres Pour Piano: III Lent
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Gnossiennes: IV Lent
Oeuvres Pour Piano: V Mod
Oeuvres Pour Piano: VI Avec conviction et avec une tristesse rigoureuse
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Mouvements en forme de poire, uatre mains: Mani de commencement
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Prolongation du m
Oeuvres Pour Piano: I
Oeuvres Pour Piano: II
Oeuvres Pour Piano: III
Oeuvres Pour Piano: En plus
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Redite
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois: I Tyrolienne turque
Oeuvres Pour Piano: II Danse maigre (a mani de ces messieurs)
Oeuvres Pour Piano: III Espa (Sorte de valse)
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Sonatine bureaucratique
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Trois Nocturnes: I Doux et calme
Oeuvres Pour Piano: II Simplement
Oeuvres Pour Piano: III Un peu mouvement
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Premi penset sonneries de la Rose Croix: Air de ldre
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Air du Grand Maitre
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Air du Grand Prieur
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Le Fils des oiles: Prde du 1er acte: la Vocation
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Prde du IIe acte: l'Initiation
Oeuvres Pour Piano: Prde du IIIe acte: l'Incantation

Tracks:

Jack In The Box: Prelude
Jack In The Box: Entracte
Jack In The Box: Final
Sports et Divertissements: Choral inappetissant
Sports et Divertissements: La Balanre
Sports et Divertissements: La Chasse
Sports et Divertissements: La Come italienne
Sports et Divertissements: Le Ril de la Mari
Sports et Divertissements: Colin-Maillard
Sports et Divertissements: La Pe
Sports et Divertissements: Le Yachting
Sports et Divertissements: Le Bain de mer
Sports et Divertissements: Le Carnaval
Sports et Divertissements: Le Golf
Sports et Divertissements: La Pieuvre
Sports et Divertissements: Les Courses
Sports et Divertissements: Les Quatre-Coins
Sports et Divertissements: Le pique-nique
Sports et Divertissements: Le Water-chute
Sports et Divertissements: Le Tango
Sports et Divertissements: Le Traau
Sports et Divertissements: Le Flirt
Sports et Divertissements: Le Feu d'artifice
Sports et Divertissements: Le Tennis
Oeuvres Pour Piano: I D'Holothurie
Embryons desseches: II D'Edriophtalma
Embryons desseches: III De Podophtalma
Preludes flasques (pour un chien): I Voix d'interieur
Preludes flasques (pour un chien): II. Idylle cynique
Preludes flasques (pour un chien): III. Chanson canine
Preludes flasques (pour un chien): IV. Avec camaraderie
En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): I Choral
En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): II Fugue litanique
En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): III Autre chose
En habit de cheval (a 4 mains): IV Fugue de papier
Apercus desagreables: I Pastorale
Apercus desagreables: II Choral
Apercus desagreables: III Fugue
Descriptions automatiques: I Sur un vaisseau
Descriptions automatiques: II Sur une lanterne
Descriptions automatiques: III Sur un casque
3 Petites pieces montees (a 4 mains): De l'enfance de Pantagruel (Reverie)
3 Petites pieces montees (a 4 mains): Marche de Cocagne (Demarche)
3 Petites pieces montees (a 4 mains): Jeux de Gargantua (Coin de Polka)
Peccadilles importunes: Etre jaloux de son camarade qui a une grosse tete
Peccadilles importunes: Lui manger sa tartine
Peccadilles importunes: Profiter de ce qu'il a des cors aux pieds pour lui voler son cerceau
Pieces froides - No. 1 Airs a faire fuir: I D'une maniere particuliere
Pieces froides - No. 1 Airs a faire fuir: II Modestement
Pieces froides - No. 1 Airs a faire fuir: III S'inviter
Pieces froides - No. 2 Danses de travers: I En y regardant par deux fois
Pieces froides - No. 2 Danses de travers: II Passer
Pieces froides - No. 2 Danses de travers: III Encore
La Belle Excentrique: I Grande ritournelle
La Belle Excentrique: II Marche franco-lunaire
La Belle Excentrique: III Valse du 'Mysterieux baiser dans l'oeil'
La Belle Excentrique: IV Can-can grand-mondain
3 Sarabandes: No. 1
3 Sarabandes: No. 2
3 Sarabandes: No. 3

Amazon.com

It's simple: in his various realizations of the piano music of Erik Satie, Aldo Ciccolini set a standard that has yet to be bettered. This compilation, drawn from recordings made between 1966 and 1971, is consequently the best of the best. Ciccolini always played Satie's music as though it had been written by Claude Debussy, not by some cheap charlatan or uneducated primitive (which, to an extent that is still debatable, Satie was). The result is that these seemingly simple piano pieces acquire a tonal allure that is as surprising as it is undeniable. They possess an understated sophistication that points directly toward Ravel and Poulenc, at the same time providing an opening to the minimalist aesthetic of the later 20th century. Ciccolini's playing is pliant and graceful, and under his fingers the music seems to breathe and come alive. What more could a composer or a listener want? --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Picasso in sound.......2006-02-19

Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Eric Satie were drinking buddies; it shouldn't be surprising that their work, though in different media, should bear striking similarities. This CD set replaces a very badly abused vinyl recording from the 1960s. No one plays Satie like Aldo Ciccolini. I do wish the Parade had been included, Satie wrote the music, Cocteau the libretto and Picasso did the sets and costumes-Satie's only ballet. Of course, the circa 1910 audience walked out. It's the story of an out-of-work ballet company that goes out onto the streets of Paris to try to get customers to come inside. The customers are stereotypes like the American in a cowboy outfit who adds the sound of this six gun to the music and the secretary who types through the encounter. The back wall of the theater was covered with Picasso designed neon signs flashing in bright colors throughout the performance. Across the front of the stage he'd strung acetate on which were playing street scenes of Paris from three cameras-red, blue and green. The men were way, way ahead of their times.

Great but NOT complete.......2004-12-23

Please note that this collection does NOT contain Erik Satie's complete works for piano. The collection makes no such claim, but at 5 CDs, some may assume it to be complete and none of the other reviews to date mention this. I am too lazy to do the research to come up with a complete list, but offhand I know that these songs are missing - "Je Te Veux", "Fantaisie-Valse" and "Valse-Ballet". These 3 are among my favorite Satie pieces, so yes, I think the collection is diminished somewhat by their absence.

Aldo Ciccolini always has been the greatest interpreter of Satie's work for piano. Ciccolini has a feel for Satie that no one else does, although I have to admit that I prefer a faster tempo to "Poudre D'Or" than the slower, introspective tempo Ciccolini always uses, but that's only a small matter of personal preference. These recordings were originally made in 1967 and 1971 and the sound quality is excellent. At the dawn of the CD era at various sessions from 1983-1986, Ciccolini recorded Satie's complete works for piano on EMI on 5 CDs. They are currently out of print in America, with the exception of one compilation CD (also available at Amazon at the time of writing) with Gabriel Tacchino playing the 2nd piano on the pieces for 2 pianos. Ciccolini was overdubbed playing the 2nd piano on the original recordings in this review. I have a slight preference for the later recordings, but many seem to prefer these originals. You can't go wrong with these, just understand that they are not complete and the missing songs are among Satie's best.

There's only one........2004-06-26

If you're reading this, you've already heard Satie's music, so I needn't to go into that. I do want to say that this is the only recording of Satie that is worth hearing. Ciccolini is the only foot that will fit the Satie glass slipper. Don't waste your money on the ugly step-sisters.

Don't forget Satie was an Anti-Romantic.......2002-02-25

No one could deny that setting every disperse music in a unique album is a remarkable job. But I didn't like much the approach of Ciccolini, which I knew around 1975 while getting borrowed the vinyl LPs in the Embassy of France in Buenos Aires. Now I'd like to explain to whom it may concern why do I feel that way.
Satie was an anti-romantic composer, at the point of creating the "furniture-music" (musique d'ameublement) which refuses that music could be so expressive as romantics wanted. Other ones clasifies him as a "Surrealist" composer (anti-romantic movement too), but there are no signs of dreams of unconsciousness through his work. Since that point of view you could play Satie's music anyway but expressively. Satie wasn't Debussy, besides the fact that they knew personally and admire each other. Could you play Debussy in a plain style without damage?. I don't think so, because Satie was farther of expressive tradition than Debussy: we can say that Debussy is a spirit of the XIX Century while Satie is a precursor of the XXth. Remember his own words: "I came to the world too young in a time too old".
The best performance I heard of the piano work of our composer was in charge of Jacques Fevrier on the excelent album called "Monsieur Erik Satie", with such a "sideman" as another member of the group of six as Georges Auric for the 4 hands pieces.
I wave goodbye with a great embrace to all Satie's fans.

"Electric Spirit of Eric Satie" fans this is the one !.......2001-08-17

Fans of "The Electronic Spirit of Eric Satie" will immediately recognize Aldo Ciccolini as one of the few musicians in touch with the true "Satie" style. The selections correspond to "Electric Spirit" ; except, performed as a good piano solo. The piano recording is done so well it's better than most orchestral versions. It sounds very much like "Electric Spirit" without orchestration nor electronic "boops" and "beeps"-- just a good piano. It's really just as funny and powerful; and here it has a class act. This performance is a rare find !

Average customer rating:

Great take on Satie
I may be too harsh but this was a disappointment
Quite... simply...a joy!
Maybe the best...
A new standard for Satie

The Magic of Satie
Thibaudet , and Satie
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Satie: Gymnopédies No1-3; Gnossiennes No1-6

ASIN: B0000665EW
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Tracks:

Gymnopedie No.1
Gnossiennes No.1
Gnossiennes No.2
Gnossiennes No.3
Gnossiennes No.4
Gnossiennes No.5
Gnossiennes No.6
Gnossiennes No.7
Verset Laique & Somptueux
Gymnopedie No.2
Je Te Veux
Prelude
Entr'acte
Finale
The Dreamy Fish
Le 'Piccadilly'
The Angora Ox
Gymnopedie No.3
I. Ne Bois Pas Ton Chocolat Avec Tes Doigts
II. Ne Souffle Pas Dans Tes Oreilles
III. Ne Mets Pas Ta Tete Sous Ton Bras
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Vivache
La Diva De L'Empire
I. Marche Franco-Lunaire
II. Valse Du Mysterieux Baiser Dans L'oeil
I. Preambule
II. Coquecigrue
III. Chasse
IV. Fanfaronnade
V. Retraite (Pour Sortir)

Amazon.com

Don't judge this splendid disc by its silly title. Jean-Yves Thibaudet has put together an imaginatively programmed and gorgeously played Erik Satie recital that is certain to acquire reference status alongside the classic Satie recordings by Aldo Ciccolini, his one-time mentor. The difference lies in Decca's far superior sonics, and Thibaudet's warmer, more robust piano sonority. He imbues the music with subtle dynamic gradations and varied articulations that keep Satie's sparse textures vibrant and fresh, without any of the posturing and willfully slow tempi favored by several Satie specialists. Thibaudet cleverly separates the three famous Gymnopédies and intersperses them between brooding works like the Gnossiennes, upbeat, dry-witted selections ("Jack in the Box" and "La Belle Excentrique," along with some fascinating world premieres). And it's refreshing to hear the cabaret song "Je Te Veux" so seamlessly phrased, as if vocal chords had temporarily replaced the piano's hammers. Simply a joy. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Great take on Satie.......2007-01-05

I spent a lot of time listening to sound clips to decide which Satie CD to buy. Some of the other ones I listened to had too much background noise or were too mechanical. I love the eb and flow that Thibaudet adds to the piano music. It is gorgeous!

I may be too harsh but this was a disappointment.......2005-08-30

I purchased this CD to replace a favorite tape that had worn out of nearly the same collection of Satie pieces. The music is great but Thibaudet plays it without the upbeat enthusiasm that makes the music magic. Sorry, Thibaudet.

Quite... simply...a joy!.......2003-01-09

Extraordinary, eloquent, intimate and impassioned performances. Each time I listen, I get taken deeper into Satie, yes, but also into *music* itself. Satie's music is really meant for the performer (note his comments on the score), intimately.

I also think Satie used it as map & vehicle rather than as destination. (I used to refer to - and prefer - Aldo Ciccolini while reading the score. Thibaudet has provided a whole new landscape to fit the map.)

Although Satie said his music should be performed "so that no-one listens to it," I think he was actually trying to get to us in the same way that admonishing someone to not think about elephants has the opposite effect.

Thibaudet's interpretations are a joy to listen to, to pay attention to. (And I thought I knew Satie...!) Whether taken as seriously as a mating dance, or as playful as one, there is a profound sense of intimacy here.

If your impression of Satie is that he wrote "furniture music" long before Muzak - sounds to provide a background while you eat or chat or have drinks, or shop at Nordstroms - then this recording may reawaken you. Thiba breathes new life into Satie, new levels: it seems to take one into deeper realms of consciousness, toward thoughtless contemplation.

(And I learned that "'Gnossienne' refers to the 'Crane Dance' performed in the labyrinth of the palace of Knossos [Gnossos] in ancient Crete." ...Now, is that provocative?)

Maybe the best..........2002-12-25

This album offers both first time recordings and a high quality, warm sound that may help you to feel Satie's free-from-tricks music. As it says in the booklet, you don't need to be a virtuoso to play Satie but you have to understand the certian state of mind. The Magic of Satie is probably the best choice for both old and new Satie listeners.

A new standard for Satie.......2002-12-25

Like many others, I discovered the music of Satie upon hearing the recordings of Aldo Ciccolini. As mentioned by Distler above, Thibaudet studied with Ciccolini although they apparently never worked on Satie's music together. No matter. This is a wonderfully recorded and played selection of Satie's music. Satie's music is unique- he is one of those musicians who seemed determined to not sound like anybody else. At least, that I know of. In spite of that, he is one of the most accessible of modern composers because of his melodicism.
I have listened to many performers play some of these pieces and Thibaudet is the best I have heard since Ciccolini. The only thing that keeps me from recommending this CD without reservation is that Thibaudet plans to release a box set in the near future that will contain all of Satie's piano music. If you are an obsessed completist like myself that is something to really look forward to.

Average customer rating:

Satie: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000DZ3HH
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Gymnopedie No. 1
Gymnopedie No. 2
Gymnopedie No. 3
Prelude De La Porte Heroique Du Ciel (Aee. Tim Story)
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
Je Te Veux
Le Piccadilly
Prelude
Entr'acte
Finale
Fete Donnee Par Des Chevaliers Normands From 4 Preludes (Orch. By Poulenc)
1er Prelude Du Nazareen From 4 Preludes (Orch. By Poulenc)
Gnossienne No. 3 (Orch. By Poulenc)
Gymnopedie No. 1 (Orch. By Debussy)
No. 3 (Orch By Debussy)
Parade

Average customer rating:

Another coup for Abravanel. Nobody cleanses the palate like Satie.

Homage to Satie

Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007IA56Y
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Customer Reviews:

Another coup for Abravanel. Nobody cleanses the palate like Satie........2006-02-04

Let's first say that I was not predisposed to like Satie, given my love for counterpoint (from Bach to Hindemith) and my respect for the nobility of the musical enterprise, as opposed to superficial fluff. So my 2,500+ collection of classical CDs is packed with "monumental" items (tons of Bruckner & Mahler versions, complete works of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Hindemith, etc.), most of which tends toward the heavy, thick side (if not sonically, then in terms of musical values and aesthetics). But I listened to these two Satie disks totally enthralled, breaking out into spontaneous smiles at what Satie has achieved. The "breath of fresh air" that critics have ascribed to Satie's works isn't mere hype, at least insofar as Satie is accurately represented in this orchestral set list: this truly is some of the most gorgeously crafted music I've ever heard. Most of the movements are concise to the extreme (which makes Satie something of the Anti-Bruckner), but this formal structure works to the advantage of the music, where elegant ideas are presented without excessive hyper-rationalization. Even the humorous, parodistic parts of the ballets are well-crafted.

The performances are outstanding across the board. The surprise, sonically, is the virtual absence of tape hiss, and the crystal clarity of this dynamic recording. It sounds better than several hundred digitally-recorded CDs in my collection! Too bad more analog era recordings don't receive so excellent a transfer and re-mastering (none of which are even credited on this CD). The engineers were apparently humble as well as perfectionists. (If their humility was involuntary, oh well.)

If you have preconceptions about Satie's "lack of depth," etc. (as I once did), this recording will realign your priorities. Satie's depth is found in a different place. In their own way, the various miniatures he has crafted are actually as intensely packed as any Webern movement for string quartet. Satie has stripped the music back to what HE regarded as the essentials. The result, far from being stark or austere, comes across as embodying musical joy in an utterly unpretentious manner. This is a CD I will likely break out every other month just to cleanse the palate. You HAVE to respect a composer who can bring a smile to your face, and you have to respect a conductor who knows how to bring such elemental music to vibrant life as Abravanel has done here. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Satie: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005QHTC
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Gymnopedie No.1
Sonatie Bureaucratique
Sonatie Bureaucratique
Sonatie Bureaucratique
Gymnopedie No.2
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Sports Et Divertissements
Gymnopedie No.3
Preludes Flasques (Pour Un Chien)
Preludes Flasques (Pour Un Chien)
Preludes Flasques (Pour Un Chien)
Preludes Flasques (Pour Un Chien)
Six Pieces De La Periode 1906-1913
Six Pieces De La Periode 1906-1913
Six Pieces De La Periode 1906-1913
Six Pieces De La Periode 1906-1913
Six Pieces De La Periode 1906-1913
Six Pieces De La Periode 1906-1913
Deux Reveries Nocturnes
Deux Reveries Nocturnes
Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens
Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens
Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens
Caresse
Avant-Dernieres Pensees
Avant-Dernieres Pensees
Avant-Dernieres Pensees
Jack-In-The-Box
Jack-In-The-Box
Jack-In-The-Box

Average customer rating:

complete but lacking
good for completists, but...
Yes, its worth five discs

Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008RWRB
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Customer Reviews:

complete but lacking.......2005-06-14

While I am a fan of Thibaudet in general, he just seems lost here. Satie is deceptively difficult to judge as a performer, the music is at times mercurial or static, profound or frivolous, or all of the above. Yet one hardly needs to underline the oddness, it's perfectly revealed if you play it straight.
While some misread notes suggest he may not really know these pieces, Thibaudet manages to project something less than a competent sight reading. In such an endeavor he would certainly get the right feel occasionally by accident. Instead, he regularly puts the wrong foot forward, with odd accents and effects getting in the way, perhaps trying too hard to add spin to music whose mysteries refuse to unfold under such duress.
I would recommend collecting a number of different performers: Reinbert DeLeeuw, Pascal Roge, Anne Queffelec, JoAnna MacGregor and Michel Legrand have all made worthy contributions to the recent discography and their combined recordings would make a pretty-near complete survey.

good for completists, but..........2004-05-18

I jumped at the chance to buy this set; a new digital recording of Satie's complete solo piano music. I had admired Jean-Yves Thibaudet in the past and had seen him perform Messiaen's "Turangalila Symphony"; a great performance. However, after listening to this set for three straight months, I'm rather frustrated with it, mostly on aesthetic grounds, since I can't deny Thibaudet's talents; I just disagree with some of his interpretations.

To start, most of the shorter, "lite" pieces are performed very well on disc 4. Even the most popular, (Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes) are excellent. I am also thankful I now have performances of "Uspud" and many of Satie's conservatory assignments, played expertly and with good humor. For these, the set is worth having.

But now, the bad news. As I have complained about in the past with Thibaudet's Ravel discs, I'm frankly rather put-off by his inexplicable, pointless staccato in many of the pieces. "Petite Overture a la Danser" is one of my favorite Satie miniatures, and here Thibaudet botches it by playing it way too fast with no pedal. It sounds like a joke, and I think he totally misses the point of the piece. In the "Nazareen" preludes, he adds his own extreme dynamics which are not indicated in the original scores, and the effect seems like a cheap attempt to add "spice" to what are supposed to be meditative sound constructions, based on poetry forms rather than classical forms.

"Prelude to the Heroic Gate of Heaven" is taken far too slow, and Thibaudet completely cuts out the "Curtain" coda in the original Salabert edition for no apparent reason; he seems determined to give the piece a more "proper" ending, and for this listener, it's a terrible, narcissistic, and disrespectful miscalculation.

I will keep this set since it is a complete document, flawed though it may be. But I still must insist that the best living interpreter of Satie's piano music is the ever-underrated Reinbert DeLeeuw, who is completely in-tune with Satie's sly magic. His tempos may be slow, his dynamics few, but that's the whole point; this is highly personal music, and DeLeeuw has an aesthetic I can personally agree with. For an audible explanation of what I'm talking about, compare the performances of "Petite Overture a la Danser" by DeLeeuw and Thibaudet, and you'll see what I mean.

Yes, its worth five discs.......2003-12-17

Each disc averages about 75 minutes of music. Over six hours of Satie? Definitely yes. If you have an affinity for Satie's classic pieces you should not pass up this set. There are so many standout pieces in so many wonderful styles you can only leave this set with wonder. And Thibaudet seems made for this music. The best interpreter of Satie that I've heard. His technique is amazing with such a range of subtle fingering tempo and dynamics. Its as though I've heard some of these for the first time with new shocks of emotion I hadn't experienced before. Not to be missed.

Average customer rating:

The Simple, the Sublime, and the Surreal
Great complete set
the BEST

Satie: L'Oeuvre Pour Piano

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Debussy: Complete Works For Piano
Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music
Kurt Atterberg: The Symphonies (Box Set)
Satie: Piano Works
Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B00005IA09
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

Trois Gymnopedies: I. Lent Et Douloureux
Trois Gymnopedies: II. Lent Et Triste
Trois Gymnopedies: III. Lent Et Grave
Heures Seculaires Et Instantanees: I. Obstacles Venimeux
Heures Seculaires Et Instantanees: II. Crepuscule Matinal (De Midi)
Heures Seculaires Et Instantanees: III. Affolements Granitiques
Les Trois Valses Du Precieux Degoute: I. Sa Taille
Les Trois Valses Du Precieux Degoute: II. Son Binocle
Les Trois Valses Du Precieux Degoute: III. Ses Jambes
Avant-Dernieres Pensees: I. Idylle
Avant-Dernieres Pensees: II. Aubade
Avant-Dernieres Pensees: III. Meditation
Trois Gnossiennes: I. Lent
Trois Gnossiennes: II. Avec Etonnement
Trois Gnossiennes: III. Lent
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Maniere De Commencement
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Prolongation Du Meme
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: I. Lentement
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: II. Enleve
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: III. Brutal
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: En Plus
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Redite
Croquis Et Agaceries D'Un Gros Bonhomme En Bois: I. Tyrolienne Turque
Croquis Et Agaceries D'Un Gros Bonhomme En Bois: II. Danse Maigre (A La Maniere De Ces Messieurs)
Croquis Et Agaceries D'Un Gros Bonhomme En Bois: III. Espanana (Sorte De Valse)
Trois Nocturnes: I. Doux Et Calme
Trois Nocturnes: II. Simplement
Trois Nocturnes: III. Un Peu Movt
La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: I. Grande Ritournelle
La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: II. Marche Franco-Lunaire
La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: Valse Du Mysterieux Baiser Dans L'Oeil
La Belle Excentrique, Fant Serieuse: Cancan 'Grandmondain'

Tracks:

Descriptions Automatiques: I. Sur Un Vaisseau
Descriptions Automatiques: II. Sur Une Lanterne
Descriptions Automatiques: III. Sur Un Casque
Veritables Prlds Flasques: I. Severe Reprimande
Veritables Prlds Flasques: II. Seul A La Maison
Veritables Prlds Flasques: III. On Joue
Vieux Sequins Et Vieilles Cuirasses: I. Chez Le Marchand D'or (Venise XIIIe Siecle)
Vieux Sequins Et Vieilles Cuirasses: II. Danse Cuirassee (Periode Grecque)
Vieux Sequins Et Vieilles Cuirasses: III. La Defaite Des Cimbres (Cauchemar)
En Habit De Cheval: I. Choral
En Habit De Cheval: II. Fugue Litanique
En Habit De Cheval: III. Autre Choral
En Habit De Cheval: IV. Fugue De Papier
Sports Et Divertissements: Choral Inappetissant
Sports Et Divertissements: La Balancoire
Sports Et Divertissements: La Chasse
Sports Et Divertissements: La Comedie Italienne (A La Napolitaine)
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Reveil De La Mariee
Sports Et Divertissements: Colin-Maillard
Sports Et Divertissements: La Peche
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Yachting
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Bain De Mer
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Carnaval
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Golf
Sports Et Divertissements: La Pieuvre
Sports Et Divertissements: Les Courses
Sports Et Divertissements: Les Quatre Coins
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Pique-nique
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Water-chute
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Tango
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Traineau
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Flirt
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Feu D'artifice
Sports Et Divertissements: Le Tennis
Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens: I. Celle Qui Parle Trop
Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens: II. Le Porteur De Grosses Pierres
Chapitres Tournes En Tous Sens: III. Regrets Des Enfermes (Jonas Et Latude)
Apercus Desagreables: I. Pastorale
Apercus Desagreables: II. Choral
Apercus Desagreables: III. Fugue
Embryons Desseches: I. D'Holothurie
Embryons Desseches: II. D' Edriophtalma
Embryons Desseches: III. De Podophtalma
Trois Sarabandes: No.1
Trois Sarabandes: No.2
Trois Sarabandes: No.3

Tracks:

Prlds Flasques: I. Voix D'interieur
Prlds Flasques: II. Idylle Cynique
Prlds Flasques: III. Chanson Canine
Prlds Flasques: IV. Avec Camaraderie
Reverie De L'enfance De Pantagruel
Les Pantins Dansent
Passacaille (Oeuvre Posthume)
Le Piege De Meduse (Oeuvre Posthume): Quadrille/Valse/Pas Vite/Mazurka/Un Peu Vif/Polka/Quadrille
Menus Propos Enfantins: I. Le Chant Guerrier Du Roi Des Haricots
Menus Propos Enfantins: II. Ce Que Dit La Petite Princesse Des Tulipes
Menus Propos Enfantins: III. Valse Du Chocolat Aux Amandes
Enfantillages Pittoresques: I. Petit Prld A La Journee
Enfantillages Pittoresques: II. Berceuse
Enfantillages Pittoresques: III. Marche Du Grand Escalier
Peccadilles Importunes: I. Etre Jaloux De Son Camarade Qui A Une Grosse Tete
Peccadilles Importunes: II. Lui Manger Sa Tartine
Peccadilles Importunes: III. Profiter De Ce Qu'il A Des Cors Aux Pieds Pour Lui Prendre Son Cerceau
Pieces Froides, No.1 - Trois Airs A Faire Fuir: I. D'Une Maniere Particuliere
Pieces Froides, No.1 - Trois Airs A Faire Fuir: II. Modestement
Pieces Froides, No.1 - Trois Airs A Faire Fuir: III. S'inviter
Pieces Froides, No.2 - Danses De Travers: I. En Y Regardant A Deux Fois
Pieces Froides, No.2 - Danses De Travers: II. Passer
Pieces Froides, No.2 - Danses De Travers: III. Encore
Prld En Tapisserie
Trois Gnossiennes: No.4 Lent
Trois Gnossiennes: No.5 Modere
Trois Gnossiennes: No.6 Avec Conviction Et Avec Une Tristesse Rigoureuse
Nouvelles Pieces Froides: I. Sur Un Mur
Nouvelles Pieces Froides: II. Sur Un Arbre
Nouvelles Pieces Froides: III. Sur Un Pont
Premiere Pensee De La Rose+Croix
Sonneries De La Rose+Croix: I. Air De L'Ordre
Sonneries De La Rose+Croix: II. Air Du Grand Maitre
Sonneries De La Rose+Croix: III. Air Du Grand Prieur
Deux Reveries Nocturnes: I. Pas Vite (Revez Doucement)
Deux Reveries Nocturnes: II. Tres Moderement

Tracks:

Petite Ov A Danser
Quatre Prlds: I. Fete Donnee Par Des Chevaliers Normands En L'Honneur D'Une Jeune Demoiselle
Quatre Prlds: II. Prld D'Eginhard
Quatre Prlds: III. 1er Prld Du Nazareen
Quatre Prlds: IV. 2eme Prld Du Nazareen
Le Fils Des Etoiles, Wagnerie Kaldeenne Du Sar Peladan: Prld Du 1er Acte: La Vocation
Le Fils Des Etoiles, Wagnerie Kaldeenne Du Sar Peladan: Prld Du 2eme Acte: L'Initiation
Le Fils Des Etoiles, Wagnerie Kaldeenne Du Sar Peladan: Prld Du 3eme Acte: L'Incantation
Jack In The Box: I. Prld
Jack In The Box: II. Entracte
Jack In The Box: Final
Desepoir Agreable
Effronterie
Poesie
Prld Canin
Profondeur
Songe Creux
Prld De La Porte Heroique De Ciel
Musiques Intimes Et Secretes: Nostalgie
Musiques Intimes Et Secretes: Froide Songerie
Musiques Intimes Et Secretes: Facheux Exemple
Carnet D'esquisses Et De Croquis (Air - Essais - * - Notes - Notes - Le Prisonnier Maussade...

Tracks:

Premier Menuet
Nocturne No.4
Nocturne No.5
Trois Petites Pieces Montees: De L'Enfance De Pantagruel (Reverie)
Trois Petites Pieces Montees: Marche De Cocagne (Demarche)
Trois Petites Pieces Montees: Jeux De Gargantua (Colin De Polka)
Ogives: Premiere Ogive
Ogives: Deuxieme Ogive
Ogives: Troisieme Ogive
Ogives: Quatrieme Ogive
Danses Gothiques: No.1 A L'Occasion D'Une Grande Peine
Danses Gothiques: No.2 Dans Laquelle Les Peres De La Tres Veritable Et Tres Sainte Eglise Sont...
Danses Gothiques: No.3 En Faveur D'Un Malheureux
Danses Gothiques: No.4 A Propos De Saint-Bernard Et Sainte-Lucie
Danses Gothiques: No.5 Pour Les Pauvres Trespasses
Danses Gothiques: No.6 Ou Il Est Question Du Pardon Des Injures Recues
Danses Gothiques: No.7 Par Pitie Pour Les Ivrognes, Honteux Debauches, Imparfaits, Desagreables...
Danses Gothiques: No.8 En Le Haut Honneur Du Venere Saint-Michel, Le Gracieux Archange
Danses Gothiques: No.9 Apres Avoir Obtenu La Remise De Ses Fautes
Sonatine Bureaucratique
Poudre D'Or, Valse
Pages Mystiques: I. Priere
Pages Mystiques: II. Vexations
Pages Mystiques: III. Harmonies
Douze Petits Chorals

Amazon.com

Pianist Aldo Ciccolini garnered lots of attention in the late 1960s and early 1970s when he recorded all of Erik Satie's original piano music for EMI. The cycle remains first choice for Satie fans, who certainly will welcome its first complete (as opposed to excerpted) reissue on CD. Ciccolini's interpretations are paradigms of expressive economy and directness, and happily eschew the "let's see how slow and important I can make these works" attitude that sometimes prevails among younger Satie practitioners. Ciccolini's diamond-edged sonority, sparkling technique, and willingness to accept the composer's high quirk quotient at face value further enhance these performances. While Ciccolini admirably overdubs himself in the piano duet works, one misses the added color and ensemble give and take gained from Ciccolini's digital remakes partnered by Gabriel Tacchino. For the price, though, Satie fans can hardly go wrong. Don't let EMI's French-only annotations prevent you from acquiring this classic cycle. Get it while you can. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

The Simple, the Sublime, and the Surreal.......2007-03-27

This collection makes for good listening. There is a great deal of variety and character (Oh, is there character!) to be found in the various pieces. While most people have likely heard one or more of Satie's Gymnopedies at the very least in the background music of a TV ad, this collection pulls together the rarely-heard piano pieces as well. One that I had been seeking, Vexations, is a short piece to be repeated 840 times.

The titles of the pieces bear witness to Satie's sense of humor, rebellion against conventions of the day, and his pleasure in the surreal. Translations help to enjoy the unusual titles (who could not love "Piece in the Form of a Pear"?), some of which are reminiscent of Magritte's monikers.

Aldo Ciccolini's performances are clear, with definite respect for the composer's works. There was a noticeable distinction between the tempi of the works that come "in threes", such as the Gymnopedies.

I found that this collection fit nicely on my iPod, allowing me to take it on the road and enjoy it wherever the mood struck me. In some cases, the juxtaposition of Satie's music with my whereabouts provided yet another dimension of surreal-ity that had to be savored. The fact that most of these piano pieces are brief lends them to shuffling with other styles.

While this collection is not for the casual listener to classical music, it does allow you to come into closer contact with one of the more unconventional minds of classical music. If you are serious about late 19th- or early 20th-century music, especially French music, or the influence of popular music on serious music, then this is not only for you, but a bargain as well.

Great complete set.......2004-11-21

This is the definitive Satie collection for piano. Well-recorded and well played. I am a fan of French Impressionism in all of its incarnations and appreciated getting a full set of Satie under one cover. However, not all of these interpretations are my favorites. The best Gnossienne, IMHO, is that of Reinbert de Leeuw. He takes it slow and draws everything out of that piece. Ciccolini's interpretation is rushed and not as melodic. However, the Ciccolini tempo works well on other pieces, such as the other Satie favorite, Gymnopédies.

All in all, this collection is well worth having for any Satie fan.

the BEST.......2003-04-21

Satie is a weirdo. Often overlooked by serious classical enthusiasts for a variety of reasons, he was an eccentric person and a very original composer. His quirky, playful temperament gave his pieces the intrigue they still hold today.

Aldo Ciccolini is the perfect pianist for these pieces. He seems to be the quintessential Satie interpreter. His playing is dazzling, crisp, and delightful. Aldo has a real knack for these sorts of french artists, and really seems to understand their style.

Tracks:

Allegro
Valse-Ballet 'Op.62'
Fantaise-Valse
1. (Lent) (A Monsieur Conrad Satie)
2. (Lent) (A Maurice Ravel)
3. (Lent)
1. Lent Et Douloureux (A Mademoiselle Jeanne De Bret)
2. Lent Et Triste (A Conrad Satie)
3. Lent Et Grave (A Charles Levade)
Fete Donnee Par Des Chevaliers Normands En l'Honneur D'Une Jeune Demoiselle
Maniere De Commencement
Prolongation Du Meme
Morceau I: Lentement
Morceau II: Enleve
Moreceau III: Brutal
En Plus
Redite
Premier Nocturne (A Madame Marcelle Meyer)
Deuxieme Nocturne (A Andre Salomon)
Troisieme Nocturne (A Madame Jean Hugo)
Quatrieme Nocturne (A Madame La Comtesse Etienne De Beaumont)
Cinquieme Nocturne (A Madame Georges Cocteau)
De L'Enfance De Pantagruel (Reverie)
Marche De Cocagne
Jeux De Gargantua (Coin De Polka)
Premier Menuet (A Claude Dubosq)
Idlle (A Debussy)
Aubade (A Paul Dukas)
Meditation (A Albert Roussel)

Tracks:

Premiere Ogive (A J.P. Contamine De Latour)
Deuxieme Ogive (A Charles Levade)
Troisieme Ogive (A Madame Clement Le Breton)
Quatrieme Ogive (A Conrad Satie)
Premiere Pensee Rose + Croix
Air De L'Ordre
Air Du Grand Maitre (Le Sar Josephin Peladan)
Air Du Grand Prieur (Le Comte Antoine De La Rochefoucauld)
Prelude Du 1 Acte: La Vocation. Theme Decoratif: La Nuit De Kaldee
Prelude Du 2 Acte: L'Initiation. Theme Decoratif: La Salle Basse Du Grand Temple
Prelude Du 3 Acte: L'Incantation. Theme Decoratif: La Terrasse Du Palais Du Patesi Goudea
Prelude Du Nazareen
Prelude Du Nazareen
Prelude
A L'Occasion D'Une Grande Peine
Dans Laquelle Les Peres De La Tres Veritable Et Tres Sainte Eglise Sont Invoques
En Faveur D'Un Malheureux
A Propos De Saint Bernard Et De Sainte Lucie
Pour Les Pauvres Trepasses
Ou Il Est Question De Pardon Des Injures Recues
Par Pitie Pour Les Ivrognes, Honteux, Debauches, Imparfaits, Desagreables, Et Faussaires En Tous Genres
En Le Haut Honneur Du Venere Saint Michel, Le Gracieux Archange
Apres Avoir Obtenu La Remise De Sis Fautes
Prelude
Priere
Vexations
Reverie Du Pauvre
Verset Laique & Somptuex

Tracks:

Caresse
Danse De Travers No.2 (Version 1)
Petite Musique De Clown Triste
The Dreamy Fish
Air
Essais
( - )
Notes
Notes
Le Prisonnier Maussade
Le Grand Singe
Exercices
Notes
Harmonies
Songerie Vers 'Jack'
Bribes
Choral
Exercices
Exercices
Exercices
Exercices
Esquisses & Sketch Montmartrois No.1. Petit Prelude De La 'Mort De Monsieur Mouche'
Esquisses & Sketch Montmartrois No.2 Un Peu Vif
Essais (Arriere-Propos)
Petite Danse
Desespoir Agreable
No.1 Effronterie
No.2 Poesie
Preludes Pour Un Chien: No.2 (Prelude Canin)
Profondeur
Songe-Creux
Passacaille
Prelude En Tapisserie
Nostalgie
Froide Songerie
Facheux Exemple
No.1
No.2
No.3
No.4
No.5
No.6a
No.6b
No.7
No.8
No.9
No.10
No.11
No.12 (1908-9)
Pas Vite
Tres Moderement
Pastorale (1912)
Choral (1908)
Fugue (1908)
Choral
Fugue Litanique
Autre Choral
Fugue De Papier

Tracks:

Sur Un Mur
Sur Un Arbre
Sur Un Pont
Voix D'Interieur
Idylle Cynique
Chanson Canine
Avec Camaraderie
Severe Reprimande
Seul A La Maison
On Joue
Sur Un Vaisseau (A Madame Fernand Dreyfus)
Sur Une Lanterne (A Madame Joseph Ravel)
Sur Un Casque (A Madame Paulette Darty)
D'Holothurie (A Mademoiselle Suzanne Roux)
D'Edriophthalma (A Monsieur Edouard Dreyfus)
De Podophthalma (A Madame Jane Mortier)
Tyrolienne Turque (A Mademoiselle Elvira Vines Soto)
Danse Maigre (A La Maniere De Ces Messieurs) (A Monsieur Fernando Vines Soto)
Espanana (A Mademoiselle Claude Emma Debussy)
Celle Qui Parle Trop
Le Porteur De Grosses Pierres
Regrets Des Enfermes (Jonas Et Latude)
Chez Le Marchand D'Or
Danse Cuirassee
La Defaite Des Cimbres
Allegro - Andante - Vivache
Chant Guerrier Du Roi Des Haricots
Ce Qui Dit La Petite Princesse Des Tulipes
Valse Du Chocolat Aux Amandes
Petite Prelude A La Journee
Berceuse
Marche Du Grand Escalier
Etre Jaloux De Son Camarade Qui A Une Grosse Tete
Lui Manger Sa Tartine
Profiter De Ce Qu'il A Des Cors Aux Pieds Pour Lui Prendre Son Cerceau
Le Vilain Petit Vaurien
Berceuse
La Gentille Toute Petite Fille
Choral Inappetissant (Grave)
La Balancoire (Lent)
La Chasse (Vif)
La Comedie Italienne (A La Napolitaine)
Le Reveil De La Mariee (Vif, Sans Trop)
Colin-Maillard (Petitement)
La Peche (Calme)
Le Yachting (Modere)
Le Bain De Mer (Mouvemente)
Le Carnaval (Leger)
Le Golf (Exalte)
La Pieuvre (Assez Vif)
Les Courses (Un Peu Vif)
Les Quatre-Coins (Joie Moderee)
Le Pique-nique (Dansant)
Le Water-Chute (Gracieusement)
Le Tango Perpetuel (Modere Et Tres Ennuye)
Le Traineau (Courez)
Le Flirt (Agite)
Le Feu D'Artifice (Rapide)
Le Tennis (Avec Ceremonie)
Obstacles Venimeux (Noiratre)
Crepuscule Matinal (De Midi) (Sans Grandeur)
Affolements Granitiques (Vivement)
Sa Taille (A Roland-Manuel)
Son Binocle (A Mademoiselle Linette Chalupt)
Ses Jambes (A Rene Chalupt)

Tracks:

Gnossienne No.5
Gnossienne No.1
Gnossienne No.3
Gnossienne No.4
Gnossienne No.2
Gnossienne No.6
D'une Maniere Particuliere
Modestement
S'Inviter
En Y Regardant A Deux Fois
Passer (Version 2)
Encore
Prelude
Entracte
Final
Petit Ouverture A Danser
Je Te Veux
Poudre D'or
Le Piccadilly (La Transatlantique). Marche
Quadrille
Valse
Pas Vite
Mazurka
Un Peu Vif
Polka
Quadrille
Les Pantins Dansent
Marche Franco-Lunaire
Grande Ritournelle
Valse Du Mysterieux Baiser Dans L'oeil'
Grande Ritournelle
Cancan Grand-Mondain

Customer Reviews:

Ciccolini Knows Satie.......2004-06-02

Aldo Ciccolini is arguably the greatest interpreter of Erik Satie, and he can also be credited with rescuing the minimalist from certain obscurity with the recordings he made of the composer's music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For years I have enjoyed selections of those performances and I figured it was time to upgrade to a more complete set. As a result, I recently got this title. Unfortunately, this 5CD box set from EMI Classics collects Ciccolini's digital remakes of Satie's Piano Works, and not the original recordings of which I had grown so fond. (I have since discovered that a French Import of the complete original recordings is available.) The overall difference is minimal (yes, pun intended!) but I have to give the nod to the analog performances because of a slightly warmer, brighter sound. Also with a first time recording, there is an intangible element in the charting of new territory that I feel is never quite recaptured when revisited. With that being said, for the pieces requiring two pianists, the digital accounts are superior. While Ciccolini overdubbed himself originally, here he partners with Gabriel Tacchino to greater effect. In all, this is an excellent set by an unparalled master of Satie's music, but if I had to it over again I would have chosen the first incarnation.

Average customer rating:

The Distilled Simplicity of Erik Satie Realized by Peter Fletcher
A broad range of gems from a very influential and intersting artist and personality - played beautifully on guitar

Peter Fletcher Plays Erik Satie

Manufacturer: Centaur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000AYYTS0
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Customer Reviews:

The Distilled Simplicity of Erik Satie Realized by Peter Fletcher.......2006-01-21

Erik Satie (1865 - 1925) remains an enigma to the classical music world. His compositions are so apparently transparent and minimalist that he simply defied classification for years. Highly regarded among the brilliant minds of his time, composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Milhaud, his purity of impulse of creation, reducing the excesses of Romanticism to what would open the way toward modern music, is still a point of revelation.

Peter Fletcher is not only a brilliant musician, but he is also a musicologist whose absorption in the music that he elects to perform demonstrates sensitivity to the composer's impulses that allows him to enter the difficult world of transcription. This generous recording of the music of Erik Satie includes works that are indeed standard repertoire (the 'Gymnopedies' and 'Gnossiennes' are often performed by pianists and by orchestras in the famous transcriptions by Debussy, as well as the rarely heard works such as 'Sports et Divertissements' that Fletcher performs impeccably along with the French poetry beautifully recited by an uncredited female reader ('Tiny Thoughts for Children'). And after an array of jewels Fletcher ends this recital with the lovely waltz 'Je te veux'. Ah, Paris!

The recorded sound is warm in presence with excellent engineering. But in the end it is Fletcher's suave tone and quiet surface (no fingers on strings sounds here!) that allows us to simply listen to the gentle genius of Satie's melodies. No higher praise could be paid a performer. Highly recommended,
Grady Harp, January 06

A broad range of gems from a very influential and intersting artist and personality - played beautifully on guitar.......2006-01-11

This is a disk of very charming and witty music played masterfully in very fine transcriptions for guitar. Peter Fletcher is a musician of great sensitivity and a master of his instrument. Somehow, he makes all of these pieces come across wonderfully well. The parts are all cleanly heard and their fun, wit, and even mystical aspects are all communicated.

The notes provided are very helpful. The listener can get the background of all the pieces as well as the English translation of the narrated portions of the large work on the disk, "Sports et Divertissements" from 1914. You will get to hear the familiar Satie (The "Three Gymnopédies" from 1888, the sad Rag-Time from Parade (commemorating the sinking of the Titanic) from 1919, to several quite unfamiliar and delightful gems.

However, I believe that, more than for most other composers of significance, it is quite helpful to get some idea of the character and personality of Erik Satie in order to come to terms with his music.

Sorry for the long quote to follow, but it is insightful. In "Conversations with Igor Stravinsky" when asked what he recalled of Satie, the composer said, "He was certainly the oddest person I have ever known, but the most rare and consistently witty person, too. I had a great liking for him and he appreciated my friendliness, I think, and liked me in return. With his pince-nez, umbrella, and galoshes he looked a perfect schoolmaster, but he looked just as much like one without these accoutrements. He spoke very softly, hardly opening his mouth, but he delivered each word in an inimitable, precise way. His handwriting recalls his speech to me: it is exact, drawn. His manuscripts were like him also, which is to say as the French say `fin'. No one ever saw him wash - he had a horror of soap. Instead he was forever rubbing his fingers with pumice. He was always very poor, poor by conviction, I think. He lived in a poor section and his neighbours seemed to appreciate his coming among them: he was greatly respected by them. His apartment was also very poor. It did not have a bed but only a hammock. In winter Satie would fill bottles with hot water and put them flat in a row underneath his hammock. It looked like some strange kind of marimba. I remember once when someone had promised him some money he replied: `Monsier, what you have said did not fall on a deaf ear.'

"His sarcasm depended on French classic usages. The first time I heard `Socrate', at a séance where he played it for a few of us, he turned around at the end and said in perfect bourgeoisie: `Voila, messiers, dames.'

"I met him in 1913, I believe, at any rate I photographed him with Debussy in that year. Debussy introduced him to me and Debussy `protected' and remained a good friend to him. In those early years he played many of his compositions for me at the paino (I don't think he knew much about instruments and I prefer `Socrate' as he played it to the clumsy orchestra score.) I always thought him literarily limited. The titles are literary, and whereas Klee's titles are literary they do not limit the painting; Satie's do, I think, and they are very much less amusing the second time. But the trouble with `Socrate' is that it is metrically boring. Who can stand that much regularity? All the same, the music of Scorates' death is touching and dignifying in a unique way. Satie's own sudden and mysterious death - shortly after `Socrate' [this is odd because the piece was premiered in 1918 and Satie died in 1925 - CSM] - touched me too. He had been turned towards religion near the end of his life and he started going to Communion. I saw him after church one morning and he said in that extraordinary manner of his: `Alors, j'ai un peu communiqué ce matin.' He became ill very suddenly and died quickly and quietly."

Slonimsky, in the third edition of "Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians" says, in part, of Satie: "celebrated French composer who elevated his eccentricities and verbal virtuosity to the plane of high art."

Again, this is the kind of disk you should get and enjoy for so many reasons not the least of which is the fun of hearing these pieces in a new way because they are performed on guitar.

Average customer rating:

A Great Introduction to Satie
The placid calm
Erik Satie/Seraphim Classics

Satie: Popular Piano Works

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Franck: Quintet in Fm; Chausson: String quartet in Cm

ASIN: B000040OCH
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

Trois Gymnopedies: I. Lent et douleureux
Trois Gymnopedies: II. Lent et triste
Trois Gymnopedies: III. Lent et grave
Six Gnossiennes: I. Lent
Six Gnossiennes: II. AVec etonnement
Six Gnossiennes: III. Lent
Six Gnossiennes: IV. Lent
Six Gnossiennes: V. Modere
Six Gnossiennes: VI. Avec conviction et avec une tristesse rigoureuse
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Maniere de commencement
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Prolongation du meme
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: I.
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: II.
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: III.
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: En plus
Trois Morceaux En Forme De Poire: Redite
Jack In Box: Prelude
Jack In Box: Entracte
Jack In Box: Finale
Le Balle Excentrique: I. Grande ritournelle
Le Balle Excentrique: II. Marche franco-lunaine
Le Balle Excentrique: III. Valse du 'Mysterieux baiser dans l'oeil'
Le Balle Excentrique: IV. Can-can grand-mondain
Sports et Divertissements: Choral inappetissant
Sports et Divertissements: La Balancoire
Sports et Divertissements: La Chasse
Sports et Divertissements: La Comedie Italienne
Sports et Divertissements: Le Reveil de la Mariee
Sports et Divertissements: Colin Maillard
Sports et Divertissements: Le Peche
Sports et Divertissements: Le Yatching
Sports et Divertissements: La Bain de mer
Sports et Divertissements: La Carnaval
Sports et Divertissements: Le Golf
Sports et Divertissements: Le Pieuvre
Sports et Divertissements: Les Courses
Sports et Divertissements: Les Quatres-Coin
Sports et Divertissements: Le Pique-Nique
Sports et Divertissements: Le Water-Chute
Sports et Divertissements: Le Tango
Sports et Divertissements: Le Traineau
Sports et Divertissements: Le Flirt
Sports et Divertissements: Le Feu d'artifice
Sports et Divertissements: Le Tennis
Embryons desseches: I. d'Holothurie
Embryons desseches: II. d'Edriophthalma
Embryons desseches: III. de Podophthalma
En Habit De Cheval: I. Choral
En Habit De Cheval: II. Fugue litanique
En Habit De Cheval: III. Autre chose
En Habit De Cheval: IV. Fugue de papier
Trois Nocturnes: I. Doux et calme
Trois Nocturnes: II. Simplement
Trois Nocturnes: III. Un Peu mouvemente

Customer Reviews:

A Great Introduction to Satie.......2002-08-26

It takes a very fine sense of balance to play Satie correctly, to avoid ruining the score by being either overly sonorous or overly energetic. Aldo Ciccolini cuts just the right line, picking a well-balanced middle ground.

Aside from delivering one of the better performances of 'Trois Gymnopedies', Ciccolini offers both an invigorating version of 'Jack in the Box', as well as a suitably loopy rendition of 'Le Balle Excentrique'. All in all, a great introduction to Satie, and one that may be enough for most.

The placid calm.......2001-01-10

I found this recording particularily soothing and mild. The processing is a little harsh and the programming is rough. However, Ciccolini seems to seep Satie from his fingers with such comfort and ease. It's excellent thinking music.

Minimalist to a fault--but the watercolors are vivid.

Erik Satie/Seraphim Classics.......2000-09-26

This is an analogue recording, the recording date is not given. The sound quality is excellant and some of the pieces are performed well; however, his perforfance of the Gymnopedies on EMI catalogue #67282 is superior.

Music Review:

Music Review

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