Satie’s Serious Side
Donald Macleod explores five aspects of Satie. Today, it’s 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’s goodbye clowning, hello classical simplicity, as Satie confesses himself to have become "very serious; too serious even”.
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’s account of the life and death of the philosopher Socrates, after initial reservations he became increasingly enamoured of the project: “Plato is a perfect collaborator, very gentle and never troublesome. It’s a dream! I’m swimming in happiness.”
‘Sylvie’ (Trois mélodies)
Mady Mesplé, 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’Illissus)
Barbara Hannigan, soprano
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano
Socrate (Pt 3, Mort de Socrate)
Barbara Hannigan, soprano
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano
‘Les Anges’ (Trois mélodies)
Mady Mesplé, soprano
Aldo Ciccolini, piano
Produced by Chris Barstow
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Music Played
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Erik Satie
'Sylvie' (Trois mélodies)
Performer: Aldo Ciccolini. Singer: Mady Mesplé.- WARNER : 9072362.
- WARNER.
- 28.
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Erik Satie
Cinq Nocturnes
Performer: Jean‐Yves Thibaudet.- DECCA : 473-620-2.
- DECCA.
- 44.
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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 mélodies)
Performer: Aldo Ciccolini. Singer: Mady Mesplé.- WARNER : 9072362.
- WARNER.
- 26.
Broadcast
- Fri 30 Apr 202112:00BBC Radio 3
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