Erik Satie

Erik Satie was an original, a composer who pushed boundaries and influenced others to do so. Here are traditional and innovative renditions of Satie classics, as well as some readings of Satie's words.

THE TRUE MUSICIAN
by Erik Satie

He grows in wisdom...He is brilliant...He learns to do without
and is prepared to make great sacrifices...enormous sacrifices...
if I may say...His energy is tremendous...
In other words he is prepared for the struggle...and with honesty he shall fight it...

The performance of an Art demands complete self-denial...
...It was not meant as a joke what I just said...about sacrifices...
The Music makes heavy demands upon those who want to
devote themselves in it...This is what I have wanted you to call your attention to...

A true musician must subordinate himself his Art;
...he must place himself above human suffering;
...he must draw courage from within
...and only from within.

:: Various Artists - Satie In White Robes
a compilation of some versions of Satie compositions shared at the FMA

license: varies by track

:: Barbagallo - Plays Satie Barbagallo performs the classics by Erik Satie in Gymnopédies (1888) and Gnossiennes (1890). The latter are the more interesting in this set. Arranged, performed, recorded, and mixed by Carlo Barbagallo. license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0

:: Chad Crouch: Satie: Rearranged Furniture Music Crouch's own arrangements and performances, especially focused on the piano with some other instrumentation and field recordings. This album includes Satie's Sarabande series.  license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial

:: B.L.Underwood - Tribute to Erik Satie  Underwood performs Satie classics on a Korg Wavestation and Akai S5000 sampler. His version of "Je Tu Veux" is almost ethereal. license: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK

:: Pierre Laniau - Erik Satie Pieces Pour Guitare Laniau performs guitar renditions of a broader scope of Satie's work. license: uncertain, assumed all rights reserved      

:: Howard Hersh - Selected Writings and Music of Erik Satie [1968] "The selections, which seem to be taken from assorted lectures, essays, and perhaps diary entries are both whimsical and enlightening. Subjects vary from his love for cabbage soup (only surpassed by his love of his mother); a schedule of activities; a list of his preferred diet (only white foods); comments on the education system of France; as well as the admission that he never married for a fear of being cuckold and the belief that no woman could understand him. In the second half of the program we hear Satie’s comments on critics and animals; ruminates on his heritage and lifestyle; as well as a description of the purpose of furniture music. Satie was known to be a bit of an eccentric and these brief insights from his own pen do nothing to disabuse the listener of that impression. The readings are interspersed with unidentified selection of piano music, also by Satie." license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0    

:: Anna Carol Dudley (soprano) and Nathan Schwartz (piano) - Selected Songs by Erik Satie [1969] Howard Hersh introduces this set of Satie songs "with a sprinkling of Satie’s solo piano music and a song cycle by his friend Claude Debussy included for added seasoning. Although Satie is perhaps best known for his serene works for solo piano as well as his many dramatic works, he also produced a selection of song cycles and cabaret songs. While motivated by the fees such popular songs demanded in turn of the 20th century Paris Satie did not stint on the quality, and his cabaret songs are still as delightful to the ear as when they were first performed in the cafes of the French capital. For this program the performers are Anna Carol Dudley, soprano and Nathan Schwartz, piano." license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0