What Would Satie Have Thought?
Evening Music | May 6, 2010
Eric Satie’s last work was music for the ballet “Relâche,” titled for a theater term meaning “closed.” Gulled and gullible first night audiences found they had to return three days later.
You don’t have to tune in three days from now to hear Satie’s work, though. We offer youwell, not exactly relaxing musicbut “Relâche” in an incarnation by the Utah Symphony under Maurice Abravanel. And because it’s his birthday (1866), we bring you the three “Gymnopédies” as played by Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Margaret Leng Tan playing toy piano in Toby Twining’s tribute: “Satie Blues.” Plus the ever-popular more...later!
I don’t know about you, but I could not resist hearing music played by a group called Perfect Houseplants, so when they join the Orlando Quartet for some unusual and jazzy takes on medieval polyphany by Donald Greig and Dudley Phillips, I’ll be listening along with all of you.
Poulenc confessed that “Even today, I often ask myself, ‘what would Satie have thought of such and such a piece?” Pianist Paul Crossley, whose birthday (1944) shares the day but not the year with Satie, is a recognized authority in the performance of Poulenc’s piano works, having recorded them all. Tonight he plays Poulenc’s Eight Nocturnes.
You don’t have to tune in three days from now to hear Satie’s work, though. We offer youwell, not exactly relaxing musicbut “Relâche” in an incarnation by the Utah Symphony under Maurice Abravanel. And because it’s his birthday (1866), we bring you the three “Gymnopédies” as played by Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Margaret Leng Tan playing toy piano in Toby Twining’s tribute: “Satie Blues.” Plus the ever-popular more...later!
I don’t know about you, but I could not resist hearing music played by a group called Perfect Houseplants, so when they join the Orlando Quartet for some unusual and jazzy takes on medieval polyphany by Donald Greig and Dudley Phillips, I’ll be listening along with all of you.
Poulenc confessed that “Even today, I often ask myself, ‘what would Satie have thought of such and such a piece?” Pianist Paul Crossley, whose birthday (1944) shares the day but not the year with Satie, is a recognized authority in the performance of Poulenc’s piano works, having recorded them all. Tonight he plays Poulenc’s Eight Nocturnes.
