Last updated Erik Satie, self-portrait sketch with his quote, "I came into the world very young, in an age that was very old"
The Enfantines are three sets of beginner piano pieces by Erik Satie, "written with the aim of preparing children for the sound patterns of modern music."[1] They were composed in October 1913 and published the following year. Two additional sets were published posthumously.
Many of Satie's contemporaries spoke of his essentially childlike nature.[2][3][4] He identified with children, and his respect for their innocence and naiveté has been related to his own quest for purity and directness in music.[5] From 1908 to 1910 he ran a charity group in his hometown of Arcueil to take orphans and poorer boys and girls on country outings; and on Sunday mornings he gave them solfège lessons and improvised melodies with funny titles to make them laugh.[6] This side of Satie found its most direct creative expression in the Enfantines, music his first biographer Pierre-Daniel Templier described as not "about children, or for children, but of a child."[7]
These are genuine children's pieces, crafted for small hands,[8] with simple themes that can be easily learned. Each set is built on a different five-finger scale, using only the white keys of the piano. Menus propos enfantins serves as a sort of introduction. There is greater rhythmic variety in the Enfantillages pittoresques while the Peccadilles importunes have more dissonant harmonies and varied tempi. Thus, according to pianist Olof Höjer, "the music is gradually more advanced and the degree of technical difficulty increases."[9]
As with his humoristic piano suites of the period (1912-1915), Satie's eccentric wit is evident in the titles and playful narratives appended to the Enfantines. He avoids didacticism in order to give his young pupils "the freedom to engage in the music through play...Satie hoped to have children learn without knowing they were doing so. Indeed, these pieces were designed — visually, musically, textually, and physically — with the delight of the child in mind."[10]
Satie never lost his devotion to young people and the promise of the future they represented. This later manifested itself in his support of the budding composers who made up Les Six and the "Arcueil School". Towards the end of his life he told Darius Milhaud, "I should so much like to know what kind of music the children who are now four years old will write."[11]
Original Enfantines
Title page of the first edition (1914) of Satie's Enfantines
Menus propos enfantins (Childish Small Talk)
1. Le chant guerrier du roi des haricots
(The Warrior Song of the King of Beans)
2. Ce que dit la petite princesse des tulipes
(What the Little Princess of Tulips Said)
3. Valse du chocolat aux amandes
(Chocolate Waltz with Almonds)
Dated October 10, 1913, and dedicated to Valentine Gross. The pieces are marked Mouvt. de Marche (march tempo), Très lent (very slowly), and Valse (Waltz).
Satie's texts for movements 1 and 2 deal with imaginary royalty. First we are offered a sketch of the jolly King of Beans and his brave horse, who likes dancing, war and bullets. The Little Tulip Princess speaks softly because her doll has a headache, having fallen from the third floor ("The doctor says it's nothing"). The third story is a dialogue between a mother and her young son. The "greedy" boy thinks he finds a bone in his chocolate ("No, my little one, it's an almond") and throws a tantrum when he's not allowed to eat the whole box.[12]
Dated October 22, 1913, and dedicated to Madame Leon Verveuil. The first two pieces are marked Modéré (moderately) and Lent (slow); the Marche is in standard 2 4 time.
The annotations for the Petit prélude are a matter-of-fact itinerary that Satie certainly followed himself ("Wake up...Brush your hair well...Go for a good walk"),[13] while in the Berceuse little Pierrot is tucked in for the night by his mother. She assures him his grandparents will know he was a good boy - they'll see it in the newspaper. In the Marche a king has built a 1000-step ivory staircase so beautiful that people are afraid to use it. The king himself leaves his room by jumping out the window. He is so fond of the staircase he wants to have it stuffed.[14]
Peccadilles importunes (Tiresome Pranks)
1. Être jaloux de son camarade qui a une grosse tête
(Being jealous of a friend who has a big head)
2. Lui manger sa tartine
(Eating up his bread and jam)
3. Profiter de ce qu'il a des cors aux pieds pour lui prendre son cerceau
(Taking advantage of his corns to steal his hoop)
Dated October 26, 1913, and dedicated to Marguerite Long. The pieces are marked Andante (moderately slow), Lent, and Un peu vif (a little lively).
For this set Satie's texts assume a faux-moralizing tone, with admonitions such as "Those who are jealous are unhappy," "The Good Lord will be angry if he sees this," and "Never do this unless someone tells you to." The commentator of Lui manger sa tartine remarks on the temptations of stealing someone else's bread and jam, then mentions that his dog secretly smoked all his cigars and got a bellyache from them.[15]
Posthumous Enfantines
Trois Nouvelles Enfantines (Three New Enfantines)
1. Le vilain petit vaurien
(The Ugly Little Rascal)
2. Berceuse
(Lullaby)
3. La gentille toute petite fille
(The Nice Little Girl)
These pieces were composed in early October 1913. Satie's notebooks show the care and self-critical attitude he devoted to his children's music, with material ranging from possible fingering trials to neat copies of pieces he ultimately rejected.[16] Musicologist Nigel Wilkins edited three of the latter and published them as Trois Nouvelles Enfantines in 1972. Olof Höjer felt the first two in particular have "a flavor of two-part, chromatic inventions" and speculated they may have derived from unused material of Satie's early Schola Cantorum period (1905-1908).[17]
L’Enfance de Ko-Quo (Ko-Quo’s Childhood)
1. Ne bois pas ton chocolat avec tes doigts
(Don't drink chocolate with your fingers)
2. Ne souffle pas dans tes oreilles
(Don't blow in your ears)
3. Ne mets pas ta tête sous ton bras
(Don’t put your head under your arm)
Subtitled Recommendations maternelles (Motherly Advice) and dated September 27–28, 1913, L’Enfance de Ko-Quo was the first projected set of Enfantines Satie completed.[18] He never published it, possibly because he felt it was too sophisticated for children. It covers a wider keyboard range, including the black keys.[19]Ornella Volta discovered the manuscript in a private collection and published the texts in her edition of Satie's literary writings A Mammal's Notebook (1996, reprinted 2014); she edited the score for publication in 1999. Volta suggested that the unique name "Ko-Quo" may be a childish pronunciation of "Que quoi?" ("What’s that?").[20]
↑ This "mission statement" by Satie prefaced the initial set L’Enfance de Ko-Quo which he withheld from publication, but is germane to the whole series. He typically followed it with a whimsical joke: "They have won me congratulations from the Shah of Persia and the King of Yvetot." See http://thefrogweb.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/satie1/ Robert Orledge, "Erik Satie – L’Enfance de Ko-Quo (Recommendations maternelles)", part of the article "Erik Satie: Autour des Nocturnes" posted on The Frogweb April 18, 2010.
↑ Composer Robert Caby, an associate of Satie's last years, said: "His was a unique personality. He was something else: a child of genius, with the candor and purity one finds in a child." Robert Caby, interview with Robert Orledge on September 13, 1986. Cited in Orledge, "Satie Remembered", Faber and Faber Ltd., London, 1995.
↑ In a 1922 letter, Dada artist Francis Picabia called Satie "truly a sad child, whom alcohol sometimes renders optimistic." Quoted in Steven Moore Whiting, "Satie the Bohemian", Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 517.
↑ Satie addressed his own aging with a characteristic blend of irony and conviction. In a 1922 lecture he referred to his Premier Menuet (1920) as "written when I was still quite young - 54 years old." See http://www.musicalobservations.com/publications/satie.html. Paul Zukofsky, "Satie Notes" (2011), revised text of program notes for the 1991 Summergarden Concert Series of the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
↑ Michel Robillard, "Erik Satie in Arcueil", Paris, 1990. Quoted by Olof Höjer in his notes to "Erik Satie: The Complete Piano Music, Vol. 5", p. 22, Swedish Society Discofil, 1996.
↑ Pierre-Daniel Templier, "Erik Satie", MIT Press, 1969, p. 85. Translated from the original French edition published by Rieder, Paris, 1932.
↑ Anne Rey, "Erik Satie", Seghers, Paris, 1974, Collection Musiciens de Tous les Temps. Quoted by Höjer, "Erik Satie: The Complete Piano Music, Vol. 5".
↑ Höjer, "Erik Satie: The Complete Piano Music, Vol. 5".
↑ Robert Orledge, "Appendix: Chronological Catalogue of Satie's Compositions and Research Guide to the Manuscripts", published in Dr. Caroline Potter (ed.), "Erik Satie: Music, Art and Literature", Ashgate Publishing, LTD, 2013, pp. 243-324.
↑ Höjer, "Erik Satie: The Complete Piano Music, Vol. 5".
The Nocturnes are five piano pieces by Erik Satie. They were written between August and November 1919. With the exception of the Premier Menuet (1920) they were his final works for solo piano, and are considered among his most significant achievements in the genre. The Nocturnes stand apart from Satie's piano music of the 1910s in their complete seriousness, lacking the zany titles, musical parody, and extramusical texts he typically featured in his scores of the time. In performance the set lasts about 13 minutes.
The Avant-dernières pensées is a 1915 piano composition by Erik Satie. The last of his humoristic piano suites of the 1910s, it was premiered by the composer at the Galerie Thomas in Paris on May 30, 1916, and published that same year. A typical performance lasts 3–4 minutes.
La belle excentrique is a dance suite for small orchestra by French composer Erik Satie. A parody of music hall clichés, it was conceived as a choreographic stage work and by modern standards can be considered a ballet. Satie gave it the whimsical subtitle "fantaisie sérieuse". It was premiered at the Théâtre du Colisée in Paris on June 14, 1921, conducted by Vladimir Golschmann. The composer later arranged it for piano four hands.
The Trois petites pièces montées is a suite for small orchestra by Erik Satie, inspired by themes from the novel series Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais. It was premiered at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris on February 21, 1920, conducted by Vladimir Golschmann. Satie later arranged it for piano four hands and today it is more frequently heard in this version. A typical performance lasts about five minutes.
The Prélude de La Porte héroïque du ciel is an 1894 piano composition by Erik Satie, intended as a musical introduction to the play The Heroic Gate of Heaven by Jules Bois. It is considered one of the finest works of his "Rosicrucian" or "mystic" period. A typical performance lasts around 6 minutes. Satie was so fond of the piece he dedicated it to himself.
The Allegro is a brief piano piece by Erik Satie. Dated September 9, 1884, when Satie was 18, it is his earliest known composition. It also marked the first time he signed his given name as "Erik" instead of "Éric".
The Pièces froides are two sets of piano pieces composed in March 1897 by Erik Satie. Unpublished until 1912, they marked Satie's break from the mystical-religious music of his "Rosicrucian" period (1891–95), and were a harbinger of his humoristic piano suites of the 1910s.
En habit de cheval is a 1911 suite for piano four hands by Erik Satie. He arranged it for orchestra that same year. It is a transitional work, composed towards the end of Satie's studies at the Schola Cantorum in Paris (1905-1912) and foreshadowing his pre-World War I "humoristic" or "fantaisiste" period. Robert Orledge wrote that "En habit de cheval offers the best example of Satie integrating Schola teaching with his own composition, and in it he also worked out his own individual concept of orchestration." In performance it lasts about 7 minutes.
The Descriptions automatiques is a 1913 piano composition by Erik Satie. The second of his humoristic keyboard suites (1912-1915), it set the tone for the rest of the series by introducing elements of musical parody, and in the increasingly important role played by the verbal commentary. In performance it lasts about 4 minutes.
Trois morceaux en forme de poire is a 1903 suite for piano four hands by French composer Erik Satie. A lyrical compendium of his early music, it is one of Satie's most famous compositions, second in popular recognition only to the Gymnopédies (1888). The score was not published until 1911. In performance it lasts around 14 minutes.
The Préludes flasques – Flabby Preludes – is a set of four piano pieces composed in July 1912 by Erik Satie. In performance it lasts about 5 minutes.
The Prélude d'Eginhard is an 1893 composition for solo piano by Erik Satie. It is a notable example of his "Rosicrucian" or "mystic" period. Unpublished during his lifetime, it was issued posthumously in 1929. A typical performance lasts under 3 minutes.
The Véritables Préludes flasques is a 1912 piano composition by Erik Satie. The first of his published humoristic piano suites of the 1910s, it signified a breakthrough in his creative development and in the public perception of his music. In performance it lasts about 5 minutes.
Heures séculaires et instantanées is a 1914 piano composition by Erik Satie. One of his humoristic keyboard suites of the 1910s, it features Satie's famous warning to pianists against reading aloud the fanciful texts that adorned his scores. In performance it lasts about 4 minutes.
Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois, translated as Sketches and Exasperations of a Big Wooden Dummy, is a 1913 piano composition by Erik Satie. One of his pre-World War I humoristic suites, it was published by E. Demets that same year. Ricardo Viñes gave the premiere during a concert of the Société Nationale de Musique at the Salle Pleyel in Paris on March 28, 1914. A typical performance lasts about five minutes.
The Fête donnée par des Chevaliers Normands en l'honneur d'une jeune demoiselle is an 1892 piano composition by Erik Satie. An example of his Rosicrucian or "mystic" phase, it was published posthumously in 1929. A typical performance lasts about 4 minutes.
Chapitres tournés en tous sens(Chapters Turned Every Which Way) is a 1913 piano composition by Erik Satie. One of his humoristic keyboard suites of the 1910s, it was published by the firm E. Demets that year. Ricardo Viñes gave the premiere at the Salle Erard in Paris on January 14, 1914. In performance it lasts about 5 minutes.
Vieux sequins et vieilles cuirasses(Old Sequins and Ancient Breastplates) is a 1913 piano composition by Erik Satie. One of his humoristic keyboard suites, it was published by the firm E. Demets that year but not premiered until 1917. In performance it lasts about 5 minutes.
Verset laïque et somptueux(Secular and Sumptuous Verse) is a pièce d'occasion for piano composed in 1900 by Erik Satie. With it he bid an ironic farewell to the style of his "Rosicrucian" or "mystic" period, which he ultimately dismissed as "musique à genoux". It was written for an ephemeral publication and never performed in Satie's lifetime.
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