Gymnopédies, Gnossiennes and Other Works for Piano

by Erik Satie

Book Overview

In his piano works especially, Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a witty musical caricaturist. The eccentric French composer loved to satirize academic rules in general and the impressionistic titles of Debussy's compositions in particular, giving his own works such surrealistic names as Pieces in Pear Form and Dried Embryos, and annotating them with equally bizarre musical directions: "Tres 'neuf heures du matin" (Very "nine in the morning"),...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486259781
• ISBN13: 9780486259789
• Release Date: June 1989
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.0" x 11.9"

Customer Reviews

Content high, binding low

Satie's work has always fascinated me. Playfulness, melancholy, and simplicity - and always easy to recognize. The scoring is, to my not expert ear, very well done and easy to read. I would rate this 5 stars were it not for the deplorable predilection of print music publishers to bind books such that they do not open and lay flat on the piano without breaking the binding. Music is to be played first and last and not, at least not for old fogies like me, just read.

Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes and Other Works for Piano

This is a very nice and large collection of Satie's works for piano. All of the pieces are reproduced from the original publications and Satie's comments in the original French are included and translated on the bottom of the pages. All three versions of Gymnopedies are there, but only the first 3 Gnossiennes. Many of Satie's compositions aren't divided into measures and it is very interesting to see how he actually wrote the music with his comments. Pieces like the Gnossiennes should be listened to before you actually play them. A good interpretation of all 6 is the CD Satie, 3 Gymnopedies and other piano works by Pascal Roge. Mr. Roge interprets the music beautifully. Then you can play them. Some of the other works included in this book are Sarabandes, Pieces froides (very interesting music), Embryons desseches, Morceaux en frome de Poire and there are 3 pieces written for 4 hands.

Great analysis of Satie's music

I think this book is a "must-read" for whom likes Erik Satie's musik and new tendencies "modern music". The book price is really interesting, and as says Descartes: "L'on fait mieux des oeufs avec de l'eau qu'un hydrocéphale".