Born:
May 17, 1866, his parents, Alfred and Jane, both composed music.
Birthplace:
Honfleur, France
Died:
July 1, 1925 in Paris, France due to sclerosis of the liver
Also Known As:
His full name was Erik Alfred Leslie Satie, a pianist and composer of the 20th century known for his minimalist piano music. He became influential to other composers of that period, namely John Cage, Maurice Ravel and a group of avant-garde composers known as the "Les Six."
Type of Compositions:
Satie is primarily known for his piano music.
Influence:
Satie's parents, who were both musically-gifted, were his initial influences. He started taking organ lessons as a boy. His mother died when he was 6 years old; his father later remarried another musically-inclined woman named Eugenie Barnetsche. The family moved to Paris in 1878 where Satie pursued his studies at the famed Paris Conservatory. He later met and became friends with composer Claude DeBussy.
Musical Work:
His major works include: "Trois gymnopedies," "Trois gnossiennes," the ballet "Parade" and the cantata "Socrate." Satie's "Parade," which premiered in Paris in 1917, was a collaboration with. Pablo Picasso (painter), Jean Cocteau (writer) and Leonid Massine (choreographer).
Interesting Facts:
Satie has been described as eccentric and is said to have become a recluse later in his life. Some of his later works have ambiguous titles, for example "Choses vues a droite et a gauche (sans lunettes)" (Things seen from the right and left without spectacles).
Related Video:
Listen to Erik Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1." courtesy of YouTube.
Sheet Music:
Sheet music of Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1" from the Mutopia Project.