Satie's most famous work, like the Gnossiennes these pieces are an evocation of Greek ceremonial dances and dancers. Recorded about three weeks ago. Itunes listeners should try the EQ preset "Lounge", it sounds really nice. Please comment!

I really like these works and really enjoyed your recordings. I don't have real comments, but you did a really good job.

I do not have the Satie bug, and frankly I think these pieces are a bit boring, but I have to admit you do make the best possible case for them.

Number one is IMO a better piece than 2 and 3 (which sound pretty much alike) and I enjoyed that the most, your playing being more sonorous in the middle section than usual, making it more interesting. I admire your dedication and concentration, which I could never quite muster for these works so I gave up on them. Your tempo is wonderfully steady, except for some bars where the eight notes go a little faster - but even then it is an achievement to play these so relaxed and evenly. Kudos !

I guess I'll put these up the site right away - surprisingly we did not have the Gymnopedies and I'll be surprised if these don't skyrocket right up the download charts (which I think don't work at the moment, need to look into that real soon now...)

BTW - Recorded as long as three weeks ago !?? You been sitting on them all that time ? Bad boy

Indeed, I'm recovering from the Satie bug, time to branch out, but there are two or three more works by Satie that I want to record soon. I love playing his music, I can escape from everything when I really get inside of it. Also we have a lot in common; cocktail or ambient pianists, love of animals and the out of doors, a highly refined and developed sense of the absurd, and an inability to march to any other drummer but our own. Well I can, but don't like to I don't think Satie had a choice in that matter...

And he's ideally suited for recording, live in a conventional recital situation his pieces don't always work. Conforming to convention wasn't his thing anyway...

I like all of the Gymnopedies and actually prefer 2 and 3 to 1. Familiarity breeds contempt, etc. ...

About the tempo fluctuation, I was doing a restrained rubato, but within measures, not phrases, if that makes sense. To put it another way, I was feeling each measure as an individual unit, regardless of the phrase. Somehow this gives the pieces the shape I want. Sometimes you hear these played very freely and impressionistically, it makes them sound like bad Dave Brubeck; some pianists play them dryly in strict time, giving the effect of a waltz with a lobotomy, which is even worse. I wanted my Gymnopedies to sing AND move, having the feel of song and dance equally, always with a deep sonority. It's hard to make these project and "sound" the way they should; Thanks for noticing, Chris! My labors have not been in vain! BTW out of my performances here, I think 3 is the best.

I've tried to find my own way with this composer; since the digital challenges are practically nil, I was able to focus almost entirely on the musical and piano tone aspects, and I've learned a lot while playing these over the past few months. I actually recorded these in March, when I recorded the 3rd Gnossienne, but I wasn't happy with the piano at the church or the recorded sound, so I decided to wait until I had my own recording equipment at home with the piano I know best.


Yeah, three weeks; wasn't sure I liked 'em. I hope to cut down on my re-records; I already have a couple

Anyway thanks techneut and Yiteng for the thumbs up! An informative article about these pieces will follow soon.

Oh, how do you put the accent things in? "Gymnopedies"requires an accent mark over the first "e" pointing to the right....

if you want to talk about "boring" pieces try Satie's Pecciadille Impromptunes. (I think I have the spelling correct).

I think you have not

But when I said 'eight notes' I obviously meant 'quarter notes', silly me.

Yes please provide some text for the Gymnopédies. I have put them up and used the one-liner you provided.

I would tell you how to put in the accents if you did not happen to be a Mac user. I'm sure it is even easier on a Mac than on Windows