Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Satie鈥檚 Serious Side

Composer of the Week Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Episode 5 of 5

Donald Macleod explores five aspects of Satie. Today, it鈥檚 goodbye clowning, hello classical simplicity. Satie confesses himself to have become 'very serious, too serious even'.

Donald Macleod explores five aspects of Satie. Today, it鈥檚 goodbye clowning, hello classical simplicity, as Satie confesses himself to have become "very serious; too serious even鈥�.

Perhaps it was the relentless onslaught of World War I that knocked some of the absurdity out of Satie. Whatever the reason, when, in 1916, Winnaretta Singer, heiress to the Singer sewing machine fortune, suggested to him that he should compose a work based on Plato鈥檚 account of the life and death of the philosopher Socrates, after initial reservations he became increasingly enamoured of the project: 鈥淧lato is a perfect collaborator, very gentle and never troublesome. It鈥檚 a dream! I鈥檓 swimming in happiness.鈥�

鈥楽ylvie鈥� (Trois m茅lodies)
Mady Mespl茅, soprano
Aldo Ciccolini, piano

Cinq Nocturnes
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Socrate (Pt 1, Portrait de Socrate)
Barbara Hannigan, soprano
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano

Socrate (Pt 2, Les Bords d鈥橧llissus)
Barbara Hannigan, soprano
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano

Socrate (Pt 3, Mort de Socrate)
Barbara Hannigan, soprano
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano

鈥楲es Anges鈥� (Trois m茅lodies)
Mady Mespl茅, soprano
Aldo Ciccolini, piano

Produced by Chris Barstow

59 minutes

Last on

Fri 30 Apr 2021 12:00
蘑菇短视频 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Satie through His WritingsErik Satie (1866-1925)

Next

You are at the last episode

See all episodes from Composer of the Week

Music Played

  • Erik Satie

    'Sylvie' (Trois m茅lodies)

    Performer: Aldo Ciccolini. Singer: Mady Mespl茅.
    • WARNER : 9072362.
    • WARNER.
    • 28.

  • Erik Satie

    Cinq Nocturnes

    Performer: Jean鈥怸ves Thibaudet.
    • DECCA : 473-620-2.
    • DECCA.
    • 44.

  • Erik Satie

    Socrate (Pt 1, Portrait de Socrate)

    Performer: Reinbert de Leeuw. Singer: Barbara Hannigan.
    • Winter & Winter 910 234-2.
    • Winter & Winter.
    • 8.

  • Erik Satie

    Socrate (Pt 2, Les Bords d'Illissus)

    Performer: Reinbert de Leeuw. Singer: Barbara Hannigan.
    • Winter & Winter 910 234-2.
    • Winter & Winter.
    • 10.

  • Erik Satie

    Socrate (Pt 3, Mort de Socrate)

    Performer: Reinbert de Leeuw. Singer: Barbara Hannigan.
    • Winter & Winter 910 234-2.
    • Winter & Winter.
    • 9.

  • Erik Satie

    'Les Anges' (Trois m茅lodies)

    Performer: Aldo Ciccolini. Singer: Mady Mespl茅.
    • WARNER : 9072362.
    • WARNER.
    • 26.

Broadcast

  • Fri 30 Apr 2021 12:00
    蘑菇短视频 Radio 3

Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set

Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.