Erik Satie

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Erik Satie 1884

Santiago Rusinol Portrait of Eric Satie at the harmonium

Suzanne-Valadon-1885

Erik Satie (17 May 1866 – 1 July 1925) was a French composer and pianist, now remembered for his eccentricities in life and in his music, which was ahead of its time. A precursor to later artistic movements such as minimalism, surrealism, repetitive music, and the Theatre of the Absurd, Satie's work was both idiosyncratic and innovative.

Early Life

Erik Satie was born in Honfleur, Calvados, in Normandy. His early musical education was not extensive, and he was largely self-taught. In 1879, he moved to Paris, where he would spend most of his life. Satie initially entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he was not a particularly distinguished student, often described as lazy and untalented by his teachers.

Career

In the late 1880s, Satie started to gain recognition as a composer. He was associated with the Symbolist movement and collaborated with artists such as Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso. Satie's compositions from this period include the piano pieces Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes, which are characterized by their unconventional chord progressions, simplicity, and haunting melodies.

Satie's approach to composition was unconventional. He often provided whimsical titles and performance instructions that were as much a part of the art as the music itself. For example, he instructed performers of his piece Vexations to play it 840 times in succession.

In 1916, Satie was introduced to Jean Cocteau and the group of artists that would later be known as Les Six, a collective of young composers influenced by Satie's ideas and aesthetics. Though not an official member, Satie was a mentor to the group and an influential figure in their development.

Later Life and Death

In his later years, Satie's financial situation deteriorated, and he lived in relative poverty. He continued to compose, including the ballet Parade in 1917, which was a collaboration with Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, and the Ballets Russes. This work was notable for its incorporation of unconventional instruments and sounds, such as typewriters and sirens, into the orchestration.

Erik Satie died on 1 July 1925 in Paris, from cirrhosis of the liver. He left behind a body of work that has continued to influence composers, musicians, and artists to this day.

Legacy

Satie's music, once considered eccentric and avant-garde, has become part of the standard repertoire, particularly his piano works. His ideas about music and art presaged many of the developments in 20th-century music, including minimalism and ambient music. Satie's concept of furniture music—music intended to blend into the ambient environment—anticipated the modern genre of ambient music by several decades.

Selected Works

• Gymnopédies (1888)
• Gnossiennes (1890)
• Parade (1917)
• Vexations (1893, published in 1949)

See Also

• Minimalism (music)
• Surrealism
• Theatre of the Absurd
• Les Six