Customer Reviews

Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes and Other Works for Piano (Dover Music for Piano)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a very nice and large collection of Satie's works for piano. All of the pieces are reproduced from the original publications and Satie's comments in the original French are included and translated on the bottom of the pages. All three versions of Gymnopedies are there, but only the first 3 Gnossiennes. Many of Satie's compositions aren't divided into measures and it is very interesting to see how he actually wrote the music with his comments. Pieces like the Gnossiennes should be listened to before you actually play them. A good interpretation of all 6 is the CD Satie, 3 Gymnopedies and other piano works by Pascal Roge. Mr. Roge interprets the music beautifully. Then you can play them. Some of the other works included in this book are Sarabandes, Pieces froides (very interesting music), Embryons desseches, Morceaux en frome de Poire and there are 3 pieces written for 4 hands.

Satie's work has always fascinated me. Playfulness, melancholy, and simplicity - and always easy to recognize. The scoring is, to my not expert ear, very well done and easy to read. I would rate this 5 stars were it not for the deplorable predilection of print music publishers to bind books such that they do not open and lay flat on the piano without breaking the binding. Music is to be played first and last and not, at least not for old fogies like me, just read.

I have tried to find such a compilation for so long that I almost quit, until I tried amazon. It is very easy to read and the translation is very nice.
Very recommended for any Satie fan and player.

It is almost perfect, it has Satie's more famous pieces, the only thing I did not like was that it does NOT have the Gnossienne N 4, 5 and 6... it has the 3 first Gnossiennes though.
Very satisfied with this...

I think this book is a "must-read" for whom likes Erik Satie's musik and new tendencies "modern music". The book price is really interesting, and as says Descartes: "L'on fait mieux des oeufs avec de l'eau qu'un hydrocéphale".

I ordered this on August 5th. It is now August 27th. I don't think I have to say anything else to make my point.