1) Première Gymnopédie [0'00'']2) Deuxième Gymnopédie [3'23'']3) Troisième Gymnopédie [6'20'']
PROGRAM NOTE
The Gymnopédies, or Trois Gymnopédies, are three piano compositions written by French composer and pianist Erik Satie. He completed the whole set by 2 April 1888, but they were at first published individually: the first and the third in 1888, the second in 1895. The work's unusual title comes from the French form of gymnopaedia, the ancient Greek word for an annual festival where young men danced naked. These short, atmospheric pieces are written in 3/4 time, with each sharing a common theme and structure. The melodies of the pieces use deliberate, but mild, dissonances against the harmony, producing a piquant, melancholy effect that matches the performance instructions, which are to play each piece "painfully" (douloureux), "sadly" (triste), or "gravely" (grave).
This original piece, however, is a distorted approach to that work. It is a brand new personal twisted and curled version of Satie's piece. It is as if the art of Erik Satie had been reflected through a broken mirror.
The idea of revisiting, recreating, and reinterpreting the art of the past came from my admiration to Pablo Picasso’s "Las Meninas" which is based on the famous painting by Diego Velázquez.
PROGRAM NOTE
The Gymnopédies, or Trois Gymnopédies, are three piano compositions written by French composer and pianist Erik Satie. He completed the whole set by 2 April 1888, but they were at first published individually: the first and the third in 1888, the second in 1895. The work's unusual title comes from the French form of gymnopaedia, the ancient Greek word for an annual festival where young men danced naked. These short, atmospheric pieces are written in 3/4 time, with each sharing a common theme and structure. The melodies of the pieces use deliberate, but mild, dissonances against the harmony, producing a piquant, melancholy effect that matches the performance instructions, which are to play each piece "painfully" (douloureux), "sadly" (triste), or "gravely" (grave).
This original piece, however, is a distorted approach to that work. It is a brand new personal twisted and curled version of Satie's piece. It is as if the art of Erik Satie had been reflected through a broken mirror.
The idea of revisiting, recreating, and reinterpreting the art of the past came from my admiration to Pablo Picasso’s "Las Meninas" which is based on the famous painting by Diego Velázquez.
Albert CARBONELL - GYMNOPÉDIES (for piano).pdf