Erik Satie: Old Sequins And Ancient Breastplates Historical Recordings 1926-1961, 4CD Box Set

• A four disc Box set collection of historic Satie recordings, ranging from the 1920’s onwards.

• Including such rarities as Henri Sauguet’s ‘Socrate’ for solo voice and orchestra; piano sets by William Masselos and Aldo Ciccolini that have been out of print for decades; Serge Koussevitzky's vintage recordings of the ‘Gymnopédies’, (arranged for orchestra by Claude Debussy), and Francis Poulenc and Georges Auric's two pianos and four hands arrangement of ‘Parade’, the Diaghilev-Picasso-Cocteau ballet which created a scandal in Paris and for the first time forced upon Satie the glare of publicity.

Satie's best known compositions, ‘Trois Gymnopédies’, composed in 1888 at the age of 22, and ‘Trois Gnossiennes’, which was written two years later, create the impression of being either very archaic or very modern; astonishing early expressions of the composer's originality. He invented minimalism, ambient music, (which he called "furnishing music") and prepared pianos in the 1890s, exploring new musical territories that John Cage would re-visit decades later.

Deeply eccentric, Satie faced much derision during his lifetime, but today his uncompromising attitudes are widely admired and he now occupies a unique place in the realm of popular culture. Artists as diverse as David Hockney, Diana Rigg, Robert Wyatt and Eno are among those who have fallen under his spell.

“Of all the influential composers of our time, Satie is the only one whose works can be enjoyed and appreciated without any knowledge of the history of music... They are as simple, as straightforward, as devastating as the remarks of a child. To the uninitiated they sound trifling. To those who love them they are fresh and beautiful and firmly right.” Virgil Thomson

Track Listing:

DISC ONE
SATIE Aldo Ciccolini: piano: TROIS MORCEAUX EN FORME DE POIRE (Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear)
1 Manière de commencement
2 Prolongation du même
3 Morceaux I. Lentement
4 Morceaux II. Enlevé
5 Morceaux III. Brutal
6 En plus. Calme
7 Redite. Dans le lent
HEURES SÉCULAIRES ET INSTANTANÉES
8 Obstacles venimeux
9 Crépuscule matinal (De midi)
10 Affolements granitiques TROIS NOCTURNES
11 Doux et calme
12 Simplement
13 Un peu mouvementé
TROIS GYMNOPÉDIES
14 No. 1 Lent et douloureux
15 No. 2 Lent et triste
16 No. 3 Lent et grave
VALSES DISTINGUÉES DU PRÉCIEUX DÉGOÛTÉ
(Three Distinguished Waltzes of a Jaded Dandy)
17 Sa taille
18 Son binocle
19 Ses jambes
AVANT DERNIÈRES PENSÉES (Next-to-last Thoughts)
20 Idylle
21 Aubade
22 Méditation
TROIS GNOSSIENNES
23 No. 1 Lent
24 No. 2 Avec étonnement
25 No. 3 Lent
PIÈCES POUR PIANO À QUATRE MAINS
Francis Poulenc and Jacques Février: pianos
LA BELLE EXCENTRIQUE
26 Grande Ritournelle
27 Marche Franco Lunaire
28 Valse Du Mysterieux Baiser Dans L'oeil
29 Can-can Grand-mondain
EN HABIT DE CHEVAL (In Riding Gear)
30 Choral
31 Fugue litanique
32 Autre choral
33 Fugue de papier
APERCUS DÉSAGRÉABLES (Unpleasant Glimpses)
34 Pastorale
35 Choral
36 Fugue
TROIS MORCEAUX EN FORME DE POIRE (Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear)
37 Manière de commencement
38 Prolongation du même
39 Morceaux I. Lentement
40 Morceaux II. Enlevé
41 Morceaux III. Brutal
42 En plus. Calme
43 Redite. Dans le lent
44 Je te veux (I Want You) Jean Wiener: piano

DISC TWO
PIECES FOR PIANO Francis Poulenc: piano
1 Prélude de la Porte Héroique Du Ciel 2 Prélude Posthume
DESCRIPTIONS AUTOMATIQUES (Automatic Descriptions)
3 Sur un vaisseau
4 Sur une lanterne
5 Sur un casque
6 Gymnopédie No. 1
7 Sarabande No. 2
8 Gnossienne No. 3
AVANT DERNIÈRES PENSÉES (Next-to-Last Thoughts)
9 Idylle
10 Aubade
11 Méditation
CROQUIS ET AGACERIES D'UN GROS BONHOMME EN BOIS (Sketches & Exasperations of a Big Wooden Dummy)
12 Tyrolienne turque
13 Danse maigre
14 Españaña
THE PIANO MUSIC OF ERIK SATIE William Masselos: piano
15 Nocturne No. 5
VERITABLES PRELUDES FLASQUES (pour un chien) (True Flabby Preludes for a Dog)
16 Sévère reprimande
17 Seul à la maison
18 On joue (We Play) TROIS GNOSSIENNES
19 Gnossienne No.1
20 Gnossienne No.2
21 Gnossienne No.3
CHAPITRES TOURNES EN TOUS SENS (Chapters Turned Every Which Way)
22 Celle qui parle trop
23 Le porteur de grosses pierres
24 Regrets des enfermés
EMBRYONS DESSECHES (Desiccated embryos)
25 d'Holothurie
26 d'Edriophthalma
27 de Podophthalma
SPORTS ET DIVERTISSEMENTS (Sports and Pastimes)
28 Choral inappetissant (Unappetizing Chorale)
29 La Balançoire (The Swing)
30 La Chasse (Hunting)
31 La Comédie Italienne (The Italian Comedy)
32 Le Réveil de la Mariée (The Awakening of the Bride)
33 Colin-Maillard (Blind Man's Buff)
34 La Pêche (Fishing)
35 Le Yachting (Yachting)
36 Le Bain de Mer (Sea Bathing)
37 Le Carnaval (Carnival)
38 Le Golf (Golf)
39 La Pieuvre (The Octopus)
40 Les Courses (Racing)
41 Les Quatre-Coins (Puss in the Corner)
42 Le Pique-nique (The Picnic)
43 Le Water-chute (The Water Chute)
44 Le Tango (perpétuel) (The Perpetual Tango)
45 Le Traîneau (The Sled)
46 Le Flirt (Flirting)
47 Le Feu d'artifice (Fireworks)
48 Le Tennis (Tennis)
TROIS GYMNOPÉDIES
49 Gymnopédie No.1
50 Gymnopédie No.2
51 Gymnopédie No.3
52 La Diva De L'Empire (The Diva of the Empire)
EN HABIT DE CHEVAL (In Riding Gear) Arthur Gold & Robert Fizdale: pianos
53 Choral
54 Fugue litanique
55 Autre choral
56 Fugue de papier

DISC THREE
PARADE (Ballet Suite)
1 Choral
2 Prélude du rideau rouge
3 Prestidigitateur chinois
4 Petite Fille Américane - Rag Time Du Paquebot
5 Acrobates
6 Final - Suite au Prélude du rideau rouge
TROIS PETITES PIÈCES MONTÉES (Three Little Stuffed Pieces)
7 De l'enfance de Pantagruel
8 Marche de Cocagne
9 Jeux de Gargantua
EN HABIT DE CHEVAL (In Riding Gear)
10 Choral
11 Fugue litanique
12 Autre choral
13 Fugue de papier
Orchestre National de l'ORTF (French National Radio Orchestra) Conductor: Manuel Rosenthal
PARADE (Ballet Suite)
14 Choral
15 Prélude du rideau rouge
16 Prestidigitateur chinois
17 Petite Fille Américane - Rag Time Du Paquebot
18 Acrobates
19 Final - Suite au Prélude du rideau rouge
Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Igor Markevitch
PARADE (Ballet Suite) for Piano - Four hands
20 Prélude du Rideau Rouge - Prestigitateur Chinois
21 Petite fille Américane - Rag Time du Paquebot
22 Acrobates - Suite au prélude du Rideau Rouge Francis Poulenc: piano; Georges Auric: piano
TROIS PETITES PIÈCES MONTÉES (Three Little
Stuffed Pieces)
23 De l'enfance de Pantagruel
24 Marche de Cocagne
25 Jeux de Gargantua Orchestre Pierre Chagnon Conductor: Pierre Chagnon
26 Gymnopedie No.1
27 Gymnopedie No 1
28 Gymnopedie No 2
Boston Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: Serge Koussevitzky
29 In conversation regarding Satie and Noise in the Environment - John Cage and Morton Feldman
Igor Stravinsky
30 Waltz from Three Easy pieces for Piano Duet (Dedicated by Stravinsky to Erik Satie)
Arthur Gold: piano; Robert Fizdale: piano Maurice Ravel
31 Surgi de la croupe et du bond, from Three Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (Dedicated by Ravel to Erik Satie)

DISC FOUR
MESSE DE PAUVRES (Mass for the Poor)
1 Kyrie Eleison
2 Prière Des Orgues
3 Commune Qui Mundi Nefas 4 Chant Ecclésiastique
5 Prière Pour Les Voyageurs Et Les Marins En Danger De Mort
6 Prière Pour Le Salut De Mon Âme
Organ: Marilyn Mason Chorus Master: David Randolph SOCRATE Symphonic Poem - Version for Solo Voice & Orchestra
7 Portrait of Socrates (The Banquet)
8 The Banks of The Ilissus (Phedre)
9 The Death of Socrates (Phedon) Soprano Vocals: Anne Laloë
Orchestra under the direction of Henri Sauguet SOCRATE Symphonic Poem - Version for Voices & Orchestra
10 Portrait of Socrates (The Banquet)
11 The Banks of The Ilissus (Phedre)
12 The Death of Socrates (Phedon) The Paris Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: René Leibowitz
TROIS MÉLODIES (Three Songs)
13 La statue de bronze 14 Daphénéo
15 Le chapelier
Pierre Bernac: baritone; Francis Poulenc: piano