SatieMart: Tried and True Few

This page offers some listening recommendations in the form of Satie Fan Favorites; a few can't-miss Tried and True piano albums; and lastly my own personal Rambling.

What Satie CD are you most likely to listen to? Please send in your favorites.

Minimalism of Erik Satie, Queffélec first CD, Anders Miolin guitar album.
- Dick Burger

Ciccolini - Vol 2 (digital), Armengaud/Merlet - Quatre Mains, De Leeuw - Gnossiennes, etc.(digital)
- Andrew Wilson

Frank Glazer collection
- Martha

Abravanel & Utah Symphony.
- Steven Whiting

The performances of Reinbert De Leeuw were very nice.
- Keshavan Maslak (CD)

Hyperion "Theater Music", Ciccolini Complete Piano Music (digital)
- Paul Turok

Reinbert De Leeuw, also Rogè, EMI orchestral with Plasson
- Niclas Fogwall

Old Socrate; original Ciccolini, especially Passacaille and Gnossiennes; Messe des Pauvres on the Voix de Son Maitre set (now on EMI Orchestral CD) is "a transcendentally beautiful moment, mixed with a compassion that you don't meet in most religious music."
- Diarmuid Pigott

Socrate in general; Abravanel & Utah Symphony; Ciccolini Complete Piano Music (digital)
- Steven Schwartz

Rogè - sensitive, but not too serious
- Michael Furstner

The Bernard Herrmann one with Parade, <The Eccentric Erik Satie> I'm kind of a Herrmann fan.
- Nicholas Kent

The old Ciccolini series on LP.
- Bill Parker

Minimalism of Erik Satie
- Francesco Albano

Yuji Takahshi, "Pieces Pour Piano-1"
- Charles Cave (works list)

Reinbert De Leeuw
- Anders Miolin (CD)

Live performances of Satie by Udo Kasemets
- Gary Murphy, Trouble Maker

Aldo Ciccolini; Camarata Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, "The Velvet Gentleman"
- Allessandro Fabbri <CDs>

Michel Legrand collection
- Tmonk45

Frank Glazer for no-nonsense, familiarity; Pascal Rogè's second for beauty of tone; Yuji Takahashi for that dry, clinical sound.
-Todd Niquette

Michel Legrand ...something undefinable that makes me listen....because here a composer is playing another composer - and both have something common in popular music?
- Olof Höjer <CDs>

Christopher Hobbs' performance of Le Fils des Etoiles. Pascal Rogè's first. Yitkin Seow's performance of the Nocturne's.
- Timothy Conan Young

See the discussion group for more recommendations.

Here are a few highly-regarded, widely-available piano collections

Aldo Ciccolini

Satie: Piano Works

EMI Classics CZS 7 67282 2

Gymnopédies
Les trois valses distinguées du précieux dégoûté
Gnossiennes
Trois morceaux en forme de poire
Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois
Sonatine bureaucratique
Nocturnes
Première pensée Rose + Croix
Le fils des étoiles
Je te veux
Sports et Divertissements
Embryons desséchés
Préludes flasques (pour un chien)
En Habit de cheval
Apercus désagréables
Descriptions automatiques
Trois Petities pièces montées
Peccadilles importunes
Pièces froides
La belle excentrique
Sarabandes

rec 1966-1976

"Greatest hits" 2 CD compilation taken from an older 6 volume record set. I miss the records, as they had nice Picasso & Satie art work and witty liner notes.

Budget-priced at the cost of a single CD.

Many people lost their Satie virginity with these famous recordings. You always remember the first time.

Very emotionally intense: the slower pieces are extra moody, and the louder sections can sound a little harsh.

You'll want this CD, sooner or later.

Your comments?

Satie: Works for
Piano
Volumes 1 to 5

EMI Classics:
Vol I CDC 749702 2
Vol II CDC 749703 2
Vol III CDC 749713 2
Vol IV CDC 749714 2
Vol V CDC 749760 2

All of his works for piano.

Duets with Gabriel Tacchino

Recorded in the 1980's.

Review.

Anne Queffélec

Erik Satie Virgin Classics 7 90754 2	Gnossiennes Véritables préludes flasques (pour un chien) Vieux séquins et vieilles cuirasses Chapitres tournés en tous sens Gymnopédies Embryons desséchés Je te veux Sonatine bureaucratique Heures séculaires et instantanées Le Piccadilly - Marche (1904) Avant-dernières pensées Sports et Divertissements rec March 1988	Beautiful, warm. I would marry Anne Queffelec on the basis of these performances alone. Sounds like it was recorded in a concert hall, perhaps because it was! This is the Satie CD I'd want with me if I was stranded on a deserted island. Review. Your comments?
Erik Satie: Piano Works Virgin Classics 7 59296 2	Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois Descriptions automatique Les trois valses distinguées du précieux dégoûté Petite ouverture à danser Valse-ballet Fantaisie - valse Les pantins dansent Caresse Danse de travers Pièces froides - Trois airs à fuir Pièces froides - Trois danses de travers Première pensée Rose + Croix Prélude de "La porte héroïque du ciel" Passacaille Prélude en tapisserie Poudre d'or Duets with Catherine Collard: Trois morceaux en forme de poire La belle excentrique First 2 pieces rec. March 1988 Rest rec 1990	Slightly more difficult listening than above, also excellent.

Pascal Rogè

3 Gymnopedies & Other Piano Works Polygram Classics 10220 London, Decca 410 220 -2	Je te veux Le Piccadilly Nocturnes Gymnopédies Gnossiennes Embryons desséchés Préludes flasques (pour un chien) Prélude en tapisserie Sonatine bureaucratique Vieux séquins et vieilles cuirasses Rec 1983	Accessible. Dream like. The "one to get" according to many guide books. Review Your comments?
Satie: Piano Works Polygram Classics 21713 London, Decca 421 713-2	Poudre d'or Avant-dernières pensées Pièces froides - Trois airs à faire fuir Pièces froides - Trois danses de travers Chapitres tournés en tous sens Nocturnes Préludes flasques (pour un chien) Deux reveries nocturnes Prélude de "La porte héroïque du ciel" Heures séculaires et instantanées Descriptions automatiques Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois Nouvelles pièces froides Les trois valses distinguées du précieux dégoûté rec 1988	Great.
After the Rain… the Soft Sounds of Erik Satie Polygram Classics 44958 London, Decca 444 958-2	Gymnopédies Gnossiennes Nocturnes Avant-dernieres pensées Pieces froides - Trois airs à fuir Pieces froides - Trois danses de travers Deux reveries nocturnes Prélude de la porte héroïque du ciel Gymnopédies & Gnossiennes taken from 1983 CD Rest from 1988 CD Released 1996	If you like this (and you will), you'll probably want the original two CD's, so maybe you should skip this one. Don't worry, the other Rogé CD's are mostly "soft sounds" too.
Piano Dreams London, Decca 458 105-2	Gymnopédies Caresse Je te veux Nocturne No.4 Enfantillages pittoresques Gnossiennes Prélude de "La porte héroïque du ciel" Poudre d'or Sonatine bureaucratique Reverie du pauvre Peccadilles importunes Deux Oeuvres de jeunesse Valse - Ballet Fantasie - Valse Le Picadilly Released 1997	Not sure, but this looks like another repackage job. Why!?

Rambling Recommendations:

If you are just exploring Satie's music for the first time, stay away from Ciccolini and De Leeuw. They both take very idiosyncratic approaches to Satie, the humor and pleasure of the music is missing in some of the pieces. Ciccolini is so intense that listening to more than one of his CDs in one sitting can induce mild stress headaches. De Leeuw plays with an emotional range that stretches from the somber to the very somber.

Now, Ciccolini & De Leeuw are both great artists - hosanna! hosanna! etc.! etc.! - you just have to be in the right mood to appreciate them, and you must devote your full concentration when listening. You'll want to explore both of them - later.

To contradict myself and confuse matters: if you happen to see the single CD collection taken from Ciccolini's 1980's recordings, grab it! This CD really is a perfect introduction to Satie, it selects Ciccolini at his very best, with none of the headache material. Unfortunately, this disc is generally unavailable, so I haven't emphasized it. CD is not pictured, but it is described in the Ciccolini review.

For a first taste of Satie, get the first CD from either Queffèlec or Rogè. Or, if you are slightly more ambitious, go for the 3-CD set of Satie's "most famous works" from France Clidat; I've listened to this set many times over and never tired of it. For a complete set of piano music, invest in the series from Olof Höjer (3 of 6 volumes have been released as of summer 97.) It's a beautiful account of Satie's music that is moving but never depressing, serious but always listenable. Excellent liner notes too.

If you want to check-out Satie's orchestral and vocal music, start with the double CD reissues from EMI or Vox. They both offer a lot of good music (including versions of Socrate) for very little money.

Some unusual albums I like: pianist Satzuki Shibano plays Satie in a gentle style that reminds me of the jazz pianist Bill Evans (actually, she dedicated one of her albums to him!) Kit Watkins sounds a bit new-agey, but once you get past your prejudices, the music is wonderful; give the samples a listen. Cabaret Classics is a good CD to listen to when you are cleaning your house. And finally, your life is not complete without the Minimalism CD.