TROIS GYMNOPEDIES (score & parts)

Trois Gymnopédies are arguably the most famous pieces the French composer Erik Satie (1866-1925) wrote for piano, and perhaps of all his work. All three pieces were complete by April 1888, but they were first published individually: the first and the third in 1888, and the second in 1895. By the end of 1896 Satie was facing financial difficulties (as he would throughout much of his life) so, in 1897 Satie’s close friend, Claude Debussy, attempted to raise the profile of Satie’s work by orchestrating the first and third Gymnopédies. Following this, in 1898 the Gymnopédies were published together for the first time, but, sadly, with little impact on Satie’s financial situation.

These short, atmospheric pieces are written in 3/4 time, with each sharing a common theme and structure. All are slow, serene and melancholic. The work’s unusual title comes from the French form of gymnopaedia, the ancient Greek word for an annual festival where young men danced either naked or, perhaps figuratively, simply unarmed. So, Trois Gymnopédies can perhaps be translated as ‘Three Nude Dances’.

Although Satie’s influence on the French composers of the early 20th century was profound it wasn’t really until his music was championed by composer John Cage in the 1960s that Satie came to worldwide attention. The Gymnopédies themselves are regarded as an important precursor to both minimalism and modern ambient music. Unsurprisingly they been featured in numerous film and TV programmes and many and varied arrangements and recordings of this wonderful music have been created over the years.

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