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Satie, Erik : Sonatine bureaucratique

Work Overview

Music ID : 619
Composition Year:1917 
Publication Year:1917
First Publisher:Chapelier
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:sonatina
Total Playing Time:4 min 16 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (1)

Author : Higuchi, Ai

Last Updated: November 1, 2007
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

This work, composed in 1917, dates from Satie's late period, when he was 51 years old. Around this time, Satie was also engaged in composing ballet music and stage works, following his encounter with the poet Jean Cocteau. Young composers came to admire Satie's unique and innovative music, gathering around him. However, he disliked being revered as the head of a 'Satie school' and encouraged them to create their own music.

This work is structured in three movements. It includes bar lines and is assigned a tonality. The first movement is in 4/4 time, the second in 9/8 time, and the third in 3/8 time. The work is accompanied by a poem, which possesses an indescribably comedic and unique tone. While it describes a salaried office worker, Satie's characteristic irony is subtly present in the poem's expression. If one were to play the first four measures, any piano student would likely recognize a familiar rhythm. Remarkably, this piece employs a parody of Muzio Clementi (1752–1832)'s Sonatina in C Major, Op. 36, No. 1. Satie himself wrote in the poem for the third movement, "The piano next door is playing Clementi."

Writer: Higuchi, Ai

Movements (3)

Mov.1 Allegro

Total Performance Time: 1 min 09 sec 

Explanation 0

Arrangement 0

Mov.2 Andante

Total Performance Time: 1 min 29 sec 

Explanation 0

Arrangement 0

Mov.3 Vivasche

Total Performance Time: 1 min 38 sec 

Explanation 0

Arrangement 0

Reference Videos & Audition Selections(1items)

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