Erik Satie ~1903~ Trois Morceaux en Forme de Poire

After the Listening of « Pelléas et Mélisande » by his friend Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, deeply moved, writes to a friend: « Nothing to do with that side; must look for something else or I am lost. » The story is well-known: as Debussy reproached him one day for his music to be lacking in form, Satie then composed the « Trois morceaux en forme de poire » (Three pear-shaped pieces).

Until the end, he will be teasing: the « Three pieces » are in fact seven , the « Prolongation du même » (Extension of the same) is entirely different from the previous music, as well for the « Redite » which is not one. It seems useless to say more about this major piano-duet work by Satie for which all possible information is given in his biographies or on the Internet, but I'll just mention a lesser known fact, that is to say the reuse of few of his previous musics (published or unpublished) in the « Trois morceaux ».

1. « Manière de Commencement » (Way of beginning)
Use of the Gnossienne from the first act of « Le fils des étoiles », composed in 1891 (also called Seventh Gnossienne).

2. « Prolongation du même » (Extension of the same)
Use of the Caf'Conc song « Le Roi Soleil de Plomb » (The Blazing Sun King) (ca. 1900, unfinished, unpublished).

3. First piece: « Lentement » (Slowly)
Composed in 1903

4. Second piece: « Enlevé » (Spirited)
Use of the cabaret song « Imperial Napoleon » (ca. 1901), and of the first version of « Le veuf » (The Widow) (ca. 1899) in the central part.

5. Third Piece: « Brutal »
Composed in 1903

6. « En plus » (More)
Use of his « Dance » for orchestra (December 5, 1890, unpublished?)

7. « Redite »
Use of bars 66 to 73 of « The Angora Ox » (ca. 1901)

piano duet: Alexandre Tharaud and Eric Le Sage

0:00 Manière de Commencement
2:38 Prolongation du même
3:30 Morceau I : Lentement
4:45 Morceau II : Enlevé
7:15 Morceau III : Brutal
9:09 En Plus
11:52 Redite