When Erik Satie invented a new kind of music: Gnossienne 1

[@ComposedBySam]

What is incredible about this piece, is that how it conveys the deepest essence of contemplation with just 2 chords. Although repetitive in nature, as if it is stuck in thought, it does not feel in the least bit 'boring' or 'uninteresting'. I like how Satie's melodies often begin on the weak beat. It really gives his music a feminine and poetic quality

[@themusicprofessor]

Absolutely right @SamS_Composer!

[@samlester6195]

I think its 3 chords not 2.

[@samlester6195]

There's a c minor in the first phrase

[@AntonioJPerea]

I Agree. It’s also not boring ‘cause he was not obsessed whith the durying of the piece, as were other composers of his days: he had something to say, he said it and shut up. No matter in how many minutes ❤

[@Nefariousbig]

I'm forever in awe of the power of the left hand in this piece. It's so simple and elegant but the weight of each slight shift in expression is enormous. You have the pensive right hand almost struggling to break free, and this great feeling of inevitablity in the bass notes. I don't have any sort of base in musical theory, I can't play any instruments, but to me this is the perfect example of how impactful performance choices like that can be. Makes me want to learn the piano just so I can join in!

[@Modenut]

Many years ago I had a powerful dream where I was standing on a boulder that was slowly tumbling through the emptiness of space. I didn't know how I ended up there but I knew for a fact that I was the last human being in existence. The feeling of the dream was one of a deep, deep melancholy. But also acceptance and an almost unbearable sense of freedom. There was literally no remaining responsibilities. The feeling was as big as the universe itself. I knew I would remain on that rock until I perished. And I would continue floating through the emptiness until swallowed by a black hole or simply disintegrate in the final heat death of the universe, many trillions of years later. And - for some reason - this beautiful piece of music was playing in my helmet throughout. That dream has stayed with me for many years and to this day I can still almost reignite that vast feeling it had. I think that feeling of absolute freedom is what stuck with me. And I think I know where I got that concept. It was from the brilliant author Terry Pratchett. He said something that has always been with me since I read it: "No sane mortal is truly free, because true freedom is so terrible that only the mad or the divine can face it with open eyes." And the more I think on that the truer it becomes. Another quote that probably had a hand in my dream was Alan Watts saying: "You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself."

[@radio.ned1385]

How mysterious…and moving. Wonderfully played and described.

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you so much!

[@TheSopheom]

Agreed. This man is brilliant. I just found this channel so I'm in heaven!

[@Platonick66]

Absolutely loved this reflection on my favourite Satie piece, so enigmatic and nostalgic

[@fredericfrancoischopin6971]

In fact, another feature of this piece is that it is strangely folkloric. Because when the melody is examined, Piece's tonality seems to depend on the romanian/hungarian scale. Already before Gnoisseine 1 was written, Satie wrote a sketch called "Chanson Hongraise" which mean "Hungarian song", in which used half note acciaccatura, similar to the main melody in this gnoisseine.

[@themusicprofessor]

Very interesting. I haven't seen the Chanson Hongroise.

[@russell_szabados]

Is acciaccatura similar to apoggiatura?

[@Wesrets]

@@russell_szabados Kind of. An apoggiatura is meant to be played ON the beat. While an acciacatura is meant to be played BEFORE the beat An acciacatura is notated as an apoggiatura with a slash on it.

[@JessieODonnell]

Small fun fact about this piece. It’s in F Ukrainian Dorian, the subdominant mode of Harmonic minor. In one of the melodic walk ups Satie outlines the chromatic tetrachord found from the second to fifth degrees of the scale. Being a mixed mode it is part diatonic, part chromatic, hence its mysterious, non classical sound. The same mode is used in the klezmer section of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blues. For reference, the F Ukrainian Dorian scale used in this Gnossienne is F G Ab B C D Eb F. The augmented subdominant lends to the piece floaty, unsettled quality.

[@danielapaparini-jj8kw]

Grazie per il video

[@nasirferguson4098]

He didn’t attach theory to his music much like that

[@MaggaraMarine]

It does use that scale, but that's not the only scale used in the piece. So, I wouldn't say the piece is "in F Ukrainian Dorian". That's simply one of the scales used in the piece. The piece also uses a lot of B flats, D flats and E naturals. A single scale can't really explain the harmonies/melodies of the entire piece.

[@countvlad8845]

"F Ukrainian Dorian" - Are you being funny? I hope so, I have to steal it.

[@russell_szabados]

@@countvlad8845I'm sure the same was asked of Bartok. Plating devil's advocate.

[@the_eternal_paradox]

my piano lit teacher pointed out that if you speed it up it sounds even more modal and folk-tunish - great comments and video as usual :)

[@REPS-kb7up]

One thing I really enjoy about playing this piece and the other gnossiennes is the room for artist interpretation with tempo and dynamics. There is no right or wrong. I’ve read that was intentional on Satie’s part.

[@father3dollarbill]

isn't it supposed to be slow? at least that's what it says

[@tomhenninger4153]

What a beautifully emotional piece! Wow! Well done Professor! I have been "moved"... I really appreciate the dialogue you give during the piece, Very insightful. Thank yoU!

[@dannystaples2832]

Quite a superb exposition. Helping me to understand the technicalities of why I intuitively love Satie .

[@TheStickCollector]

Probably my favorite piece from him. Hits you in the soul for what little it has.

[@kuglepen64]

The problem with these Satie pieces is that no one can play them satisfactorily well. Usually they are played too fast and too sloppily. This kind of minimalism requires maximum precision in the performance.

[@qritique]

Reinbert de Leeuw did pretty well..

[@2011zurich]

@@qritique Very slow, but perfect, in my opinion.

[@eloymartinezrebollo4704]

​@@qritiqueReinbert de Leeuw tocó algunas piezas excesivamente lentas, pero por ejemplo las Danses de Travers I,II y III interpretadas por Reinbert de Leeuw son insuperables.

[@watermelly5914]

Thanks for covering Satie's gnossienne! I've always enjoy playing it on the piano due to how repetitive it is. Your videos are as nice and entertaining as ever too :)

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you.

[@TruthSurge]

That was great. Never heard it before but those melodies and how "out" they were with the melodic minor and flat five were quite mysterious. The quick half step grace notes or whatever they are called were very effective.

[@Luca.Formentini]

There is also C minor chord (at 0:35). Anyway, this is one of the pieces that i'm glad to know and to play.

[@themusicprofessor]

Yes, absolutely!

[@fortunefavorsthebold3459]

Wow! A piece I've always found fascinating but impenatrable - you completely brought it to life for me. Thank you!

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you!

[@rosiefay7283]

You point out the lack of bar lines, but despite this notational quirk, the music is metrically regular, and even falls into regular phrases.

[@ComposedBySam]

That is true. The piece is technically in common time. But maybe the lack of bar lines suggest a sort of 'ad libitum' way of playing, instructing the pianist to not keep a strict sense of fixed tempo.

[@themusicprofessor]

@SamS_Composer exactly! This is why the playing on this recording is indeed rubato - quite unashamedly so. The music only has the superficial appearance of regularity, but the opening phrases are '9 bars' each and there are numerous rhythmic subtleties. This is why it is able to be so marvellously calm but never boring.

[@ComposedBySam]

@@themusicprofessor I see! Thanks for the explanation, I am learning a lot from you :)

[@1258-Eckhart]

@@themusicprofessor I agree that Satie anticipates the 20th century, but I just looked up "rubato" in my Chambers and it says "much used in 19th century music".

[@prandallwright1]

I love playing this piece on my classical guitar...

[@sylviagrace3600]

So so beautiful thank you i picture myself dancing to this music

[@fuzzequipamientos]

This channel makes me cry

[@Renshen1957]

Satie may have drawn inspiration from the unmeasured preludes of the French harpsichordists such as L. Couperin, Dandrieu, Rameau, d’Angelbert, Marchand, and Nicolas Lebègue who innovated the use of different note values.

[@themusicprofessor]

Interesting comment. Yes, I think a certain freedom of phrase, a fluidity, a suppleness of line and tempo - these are all quite French things, and it's fascinating how elements of tradition are visible through the centuries.

[@MustafaAlmosawi]

There’s something of the Gypsy and something of the opium den in this music, a dreamy belly dancer swirling her silks about a louche aristocrat, who stares jaded, off into the middle distance, as late afternoon light shifts through wood lattice shutters while deep drug infused smoke wreathes everything in mystery. A languid hands drop the pipe, the mind’s cage door is opened, and its bird hops from branch to branch of contemplative moments, the ennui and alienation of modernity fading away into the play of light and shadow. The dancer’s jangles ring… a chime echoing from eternity.

[@themusicprofessor]

What a beautiful description!

[@stuart_elliott]

Great video!

[@lwa0055]

Very good interpretation

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

this is the bell Epoque! I recently restored the Theo and Vincent van Gogh wax cylinder recorded in 1890 Theo had bought an Edison phonograph at the Paris great exposition of 1889 and when his brother Vincent came to Paris in 1890 he recorded him on a wax cylinder the raw sound was ruff! but after hours of editing, I got something that sounded better than the original file however it was clear that Theo had more experience in recording his voice his was easily recognizable and can be understood word for word while Vincent's bit was overmodulated and even after editing I as a dutch person can only make out a few words it's on my second channel if you are interested. (just type my name only and you'll find the 2 channels) well, with all that editing going on I had 1890s Paris on the brain and this piece was my earworm that day eh, not the worst one to have!

[@russell_szabados]

Hi, which software did you use to restore the audio?

[@russell_szabados]

P.S. the interview with Stan Laurel is fascinating. Thank you for posting it.

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

@@russell_szabadosthanks!

[@bazoo513]

For a marvelous impression on Satie's music, viewers are encouraged to look for animated film "Satiemania" (1978) by Zdenko Gašparović.

[@gigogrom216]

Reminds me of Schubert's f minor musical moment

[@rosiefay7283]

Yes indeed. And it's even in the same key.

[@countvlad8845]

Reminds me of the music for the movie "Night Porter" about an ex-Nazi played by Dirk Bogart. It also reminds me of a piece from the English band "Japan."

[@themusicprofessor]

I like Japan

[@countvlad8845]

@@themusicprofessor The Japan piece is called “Night Porter” and is kinda similar. The soundtrack to the movie not so much. Here is Japan. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYrWaYaNp556d5o

[@georgealderson4424]

Mournful but beautiful and somehow positive as it continues and could be played repeatedly (at least to me!)

[@themusicprofessor]

And in fact a later piece of Satie's does exactly that! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHTImGSIm5J2b6ssi=q63qrgEJCtH-un2w

[@georgealderson4424]

@@themusicprofessor Yes! It's one thing to be interesting, ie eccentric, but quite another to be vexatious, especially for hours on end!

[@ruadeil_zabelin]

What is meant by "no bars" though? I mean, he didn't write them down for some reason but it's still clearly 4/4. Can someone explain?

[@themusicprofessor]

All the Gnossiennes are notated without barlines. It is a practice that was taken up by other composers in the 20th century, when writing for piano (e.g. Stravinsky, Mompou, Cage, Messiaen). You are right that the Gnossiennes could easily be barred in 4/4 but Satie's decision not to indicates that he wanted a freer kind of musical expression, where the long range melodic character seems to float. A good performance of this music should sound free of the constraints of metre. As a pianist (and as a composer), I can categorically say that the absence of barlines affects the way I play this music.

[@ruadeil_zabelin]

@@themusicprofessor Thank you for the explanation

[@danielapaparini-jj8kw]

Grazie per il video

[@jamesrobinson529]

You should hear the chopped and screwed version!

[@shin-i-chikozima]

Colossal You rock❗

[@charles_heres]

Is it me or that's a picture of Joséphin Péladan in the thumbnail? One of your easter eggs? :) Cheers.

[@themusicprofessor]

Well spotted!

[@Sneakycat1971]

I need the midi if you want a remix!!

[@jonb4020]

I dont believe that Satie's genius does lay down a challenge to former German dominance. I don't see great music that way, and I believe I can sometimes hear aspects of many German composers in Satie. Moreover, my litmus test of later music is whether I think that the classical greats would have respected and appreciated it: Satie passes that test, in my view. I disagree that it is not developmental - his genius was, in my view, to develop his compositions in a way that had not been done before. Thank you again for the upload. (One afterthought - I appreciate that it may have been a joke, but please don't make us choke by calling Cage a composer!)

[@c.t.thompson490]

This is such beautiful music and it's played so well! It's music like this that inspired me to play the piano. I actually just composed a song and put it on youtube. It's called "Two Moons Apart." Maybe someone out there will enjoy my song :) Great job on playing this amazing piano song!

[@shne019]

At the start the right hand too fast

[@mysticaltree6544]

it’s called rubato

[@davidclark3603]

They are a collection of phrases! The writing above them is to get a frame of telepathic mind. How to think when playing them. Remember, music is what feelings sound like! They're played intuitively.not fast! Not too quick. It's not a disco track. It's not a race! They are not a collection of melancholic phrases either! The player should switch off their own personal feelings and play the mysteries as best as you can interpret them. Remember, don't take the opportunity to make your self look clever! Lean the peices and throw the written notation away.also remember, it's not about you,! I have a lifetime of massive success behind me now. I'm now an old age pensioner. Please take the advice!!!!!!

[@nickjameson9601]

I like this one

[@batastrophic9762]

For being a sort of proto-minimalist, I find his simpler compositions to be anything but austere or even vapid. Maybe it's down to way it's often interpreted like this...? I suppose if I fed this through a sequencer it might sound a bit "meh". I wonder how Satie played his own pieces.

[@themusicprofessor]

I suspect he played them quite freely. Poulenc (who knew him well) said he was a terrible pianist!

[@ericescudier9813]

3 chords!

[@glintwane5309]

No More The Fool

[@rosiefay7283]

You say "the form consists of haunting melodic fragments which circle around without any specific direction or goal". What direction or goal do you think the listener might expect?? It's not a sonata movement. But the form isn't all that remarkable; just a simple A B with internal repeats, then repeated (with an inconsequential change to the A phrase). Would you say the same of a simple piece in binary form?

[@themusicprofessor]

It's hardly a contentious statement. At the time of their composition (late 1880s, early 1890s) Satie's piano compositions (the Gymnopeidies, Gnossienees, Sarabandes, Vexations, Ogives, Danses de Travers and his music for Le Fils des Étoiles) were absolutely radical in presenting a kind of 'stasis in motion': absolutely non-progressive music, which could quite happily go on for ever (which is why Vexations has 840 repetitions!)

[@father3dollarbill]

a bit too fast, nah?

[@themusicprofessor]

Tempo is very subjective.

[@father3dollarbill]

@@themusicprofessor really? No sarcasm but I thought, for example, 100bpm is a 100bpm. Not open to interpretation. But speaking about Gnossiene 1, it says lent, I think, and that means slow. That could be subjective in itself, if there's no "bpm" attached to the sheet. I'm more or less a layman, so forgive my ignorance. Thanks

[@themusicprofessor]

But what does "slow" mean? As for metronome markings, they are notoriously unreliable: composers who conduct their own works very rarely abide by their own metronome markings, and will often concede that performances that ignore their metronome indication can be more successful than others that do! Speaking as a composer myself, I am very conscious that my own music can be performed successfully in a variety of tempi.

[@father3dollarbill]

@@themusicprofessor Interesting. I like to play these Satie pieces slowly and other times faster. Even mix both. Thanks for the info. As I said, interesting.

[@father3dollarbill]

@@themusicprofessor I've been thinking about your comment "what is slow". We'd need a reference point to compare a tempo. Right? I believe we can definitely tell what is slow and what is fast, but specifically in reference to gnossienes and gymnopedies. I can play gymnopedie 1 at first, in any tempo. Then to make the reference point, I'd play it again but in a faster tempo, and so on. Until I can gauge what is slow(er?) or fast(er).

[@mrsim8987]

Personally this beats, and means more to me, than the dazzling runs of Liszt.

[@charlesallan6978]

Parodied by Chico Marx.

[@georgealderson4424]

Link please?

[@moniquelemaire5333]

The ancient Biblical Greek word "gnosis" comes to mind... Perhaps this piece is supposed to make us "think" of unknown "knowledge.". Gnosticism reborn????!!?! Je ne sais quoi???!!! Mademoiselle Monique 🙂

[@themusicprofessor]

Yes - Satie was, at the time, a member of a rosicrucian sect run by Jesph Péladan. Gnosticism was definitely in the air.

[@moniquelemaire5333]

@@themusicprofessor Very Interesting, miss oui!!! Knowing even a little bit of Biblical Greek helps with figuring out words, and yes, even music history!! I will look up more about Monsieur Satie and his adventures with/in Roscicrusionism. (Sp?) To my knowledge, Roscicrusionism is a sub denomination of the Roman Catholic Church....with ties to certain types of "magic.". Don't quote me, please 🥺. Amazing it is to study the lives of composers and their backgrounds. Thank you for a great channel ☺️. Miss Monique 🙂🌷🙏💗🕊️

[@galloping3265]

Was he sensing approaching senility? Was he on shrooms? Questioning oneself indeed. The etch of moon and eiffle tower is intriguing.

[@Frisbieinstein]

Weirdest? Hardly.

[@themusicprofessor]

Who's weirder?

[@capulitka]

Ordinary gypsy music at all, no mystery. He was first from serious music world who take it.

[@lelandthorne314]

Eugh, this nervous rubato in eight notes is really annoying

[@themusicprofessor]

Thanks!

[@russellg5022]

Hopla, this cremulous ricasso in H flat sharp pink noodles is most embiggening