| Satie.com
is a tribute to Alfred Eric Leslie Satie was born on May 17th
1866 at Honfleur (Calvados), of a Norman father and a Scottish
mother. He began his musical studies as an organist, first with
Guilmant and then at the Paris Conservatory with Lavignac. Encouraged
by his harmony professor he began studying pianoforte and composition,
but in 1886, after eight fruitless years and intolerant of academic
rules, he decided to leave the conservatory and enlisted in the
66th Infantry regiment at Arras. A year later he deliberately
caught bronchitis and was declared unfit for military service.
He promptly changed his name to Erik - in honour of his mother
- and published Valse-Ballet, his first work.
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Returning to civilian life he became
a regular at Le Chat Noir cabaret, an essential night-spot for
humorists, painters, and symbolists of the era. In 1988 he composed
three GymnopÈdies, inspired by a poetry reading by his
friend J. P. Contamine de Latour. The hypnotic allure of these
compositions had its roots from in dances performed by youths
during an ancient ritual celebration. [Read
more...] |
