Plays Erik Satie

On this CD:

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

2. Gymnopédies (3), for piano, complete (also orchestrated by Debussy)
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

3. Gymnopédies (3), for piano, complete (also orchestrated by Debussy)
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

4. Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois (3 sketches and exasperations of a big wooden fellow), for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

5. Sonatine bureaucratique, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

6. Le fils des étoiles, Chaldean pastoral, preludes and incidental music for piano Act II Prelude
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

7. Chapitres tournés en tous sens (Chapters turned every which way), for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

8. Gnossienne, for piano No.2, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

9. Gnossienne, for piano No.4, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

10. Passacaille, for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

11. Heures séculaires et instantanées (Age-old and instantaneous hours), 3 pieces for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

12. Nouvelles pièces froides (New Cold Pieces), for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

13. Le Piège de Méduse, dances for piano
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

14. Nocturnes, 5 pieces for piano No. 2, Simplement
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

15. Nocturnes, 5 pieces for piano No. 4
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by Peter Lawson

Tracks:

A Ship
A Lantern
A Helmet
Gymnopedic No 1
Sarabande No 2
Gnoissienne No 3
Idyllic
Audabe
Meditation
Tyrolienne Turque
Danse Maigre
Espanana
One
Two
Three
Nocturne No 1 In C Major
Bransle De Bourgogne
Pavane
Petite Marche Militaire
Complainte
Bransie De Champagne
Sicilienne
Carillon

Album Details

Exquisite Set of Historic Recordings from the Early Fifties of Erik Satie and Francis Poulenc Piano Music Played Superbly by Satie's Friend Poulenc. Erik Satie's Legacy is his Position as a Progressive Composer and his Cross Pollination of Musical Forms and Contexts that Mixed the Artistic High Culture with the Trivial. Since the Sixties Especially He Has Received Worldwide Appreciation and the Recognition of his Importance He So Truly Deserves.

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:

Excellent CD

Yitkin Seow Plays Erik Satie

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00067FFC0
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Customer Reviews:

Excellent CD.......2006-10-27

For some reason this CD is listed twice...I thought it was out of print?

Anyways I've already reviewed it at the other listing, but this is an excellent CD, Seow's playing is brilliant, he conveys great tone and mood without every "showing off."

There are other recordings of these Satie pieces, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with Seow at all.

Grant Johannesen plays French Piano Music

Average customer rating:

Grant Johannesen plays French Piano Music

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Sentiments: Mette Rasmussen Plays Debussy, Poulenc, Messiaen, Faure & Satie

Average customer rating:

Sentiments: Mette Rasmussen Plays Debussy, Poulenc, Messiaen, Faure & Satie

Manufacturer: Classico
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000R9BD1Y

Product Description

Classico 280 (1997)

Average customer rating:

Ulrich Gumpert Plays Erik Satie

Manufacturer: Itm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000281NO
Release Date: 1995-10-02

Average customer rating:

Johannes Cernota Plays Erik Satie

Manufacturer: JARO
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000E8O6S0

Product Description

"Gnossiennes" Rather than major and minor scales, Satie used note progres-sions similar to those employed in ancient music, dispensing with bars in order to achieve a free flow of music. "Gymnopédies" Gymnopédies were dances performed by Spartan youths at festivals of the same name. With these three pieces, as with the Gnossiennes, Saties intention was to remind listeners of the meditative power of music. "Pièces froides" In these "cold pieces" Satie avoided chromatic harmony, thereby creating a contrast to Impressionist music which he described as the French version of Wagnerian haze. The unusual title was his way of guarding against all traces of sentimentality and effusion which might be inspired by these pieces. "Avant-dernières pensées" A surrealistic anecdote underlies each of these three works, Saties response to traditional bourgeois Expressionist music. It seems reasonable to assume that a certain amount of irony was contained in his dedications of these pieces to his established colleagues. "Véritables préludes flasques (pour un chien)" A simple motif served as a basis for each of these préludes - masterpieces of clarity, conciseness and effect. The unusual dedication and peculiar playing instructions are the only non-minimalist aspects of these works.

La Belle Excentrique: Guitar Trio Plays Bizet, Faure, Debussy & Satie

Average customer rating:

La Belle Excentrique: Guitar Trio Plays Bizet, Faure, Debussy & Satie

Manufacturer: Al Segno
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000PFFDNE

Product Description

Al Segno 2006 (1993) AAD - Total Time 45:59

Average customer rating:

Francis Poulenc Plays Poulenc & Satie

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000DSG2
Release Date: 1992-07-28

Hexagon Ensemble Plays Poulenc, Koechlin, Milhaud, Auric, Satie

Average customer rating:

Koechlin
Koechlin
Koechlin
Koechlin
Koechlin

Hexagon Ensemble Plays Poulenc, Koechlin, Milhaud, Auric, Satie

Manufacturer: A.C. Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Koechlin.......2000-01-09

Please give more information. There is nothing of what is being played. Who are the musicians. What orchestra? What instruments? Nothing!

Koechlin.......2000-01-09

Please give more information. There is nothing of what is being played. Who are the musicians. What orchestra? What instruments? Nothing!

Koechlin.......2000-01-09

Please give more information. There is nothing of what is being played. Who are the musicians. What orchestra? What instruments? Nothing!

Koechlin.......2000-01-09

Please give more information. There is nothing of what is being played. Who are the musicians. What orchestra? What instruments? Nothing!

Koechlin.......2000-01-09

Please give more information. There is nothing of what is being played. Who are the musicians. What orchestra? What instruments? Nothing!

Music Track:

Music Track

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