Satie the Composer (Music in the Twentieth Century) [Hardcover]

Robert Orledge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 1990 | Series: Music in the Twentieth Century

Erik Satie remains one of the most bizarre figures in music history, yet everything he did has its own curious logic, once it can be perceived. In this important new study Dr Orledge reveals what made Satie 'tick' as a composer, dealing with every aspect of Satie's complex career and relating his achievement to the other arts and to the society in which he lived. Almost every figure in contemporary art was involved with Satie in some way or another, from Matisse and Picasso to Apollinaire, Cocteau and Brancusi. This, however, is no mere life-and-works study but rather an exploration of the technique behind Satie's art, which foreshadowed most of the 'advances' of twentieth-century music from serialism to minimalism, and even muzak. As the book progresses Satie appears as far more than just the composer of the popular Gymnopédies and Parade.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Orledge, who has written books on Faure, Debussy, and Koechlin, examines the compositional methodology of the seminal 20th-century French master, attempting to solve the riddle of the composer's genius through a detailed musical analysis. As noted in the text, one must search elsewhere for comprehensive biographical coverage (e.g., Ornella Volta's Satie: His World Through His Letters , Marion Boyars, dist. by Rizzoli, 1989; Roger Shattuck's The Banquet Years , 1968, Random; and Allan M. Gillmor's Erik Satie , LJ 4/15/88). The author brings impressive musical erudition and technical knowledge to the investigation, but falls short of his stated goal of deciphering Satie's genius. He tends to describe or list compositional attributes without elucidating their broader significance, and his study lacks interpretive vision. Nonetheless, his work's admirable scholarship renders it indispensable for research on Satie and his times. Included are a biographical chronology and catalog of compositions. For colleges and specialized collections.
- Daniel Fermon, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

Erik Satie remains one of the most bizarre figures in music history, yet everything he did has its own curious logic, once it can be perceived. In this important new study Dr Orledge reveals what made Satie 'tick' as a composer, dealing with every aspect of Satie's complex career and relating his achievement to the other arts and to the society in which he lived.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 437 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 26, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521350379
• ISBN-13: 978-0521350372
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,709,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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