Rosicrucian

Donald Macleod explores the life of maverick composer Erik Satie, the inventor of “furniture music”, whose innovations delighted and divided France. Satie's compositions – and their peculiar annotations – were a revolution, paving the way for a new generation of musical rebels, including Les Six. He was just as odd in his day-to-day life, known for his quirky fashion and dramatic outbursts, he always kept a hammer in his pocket for fear of muggers and once even founded his own church.

In this episode, Satie meets three like-minded eccentrics: a young Debussy, a beautiful (but spoken for) painter, and a very unusual priest. But Satie’s relationships were rocky at best and, as Donald learns, the composer was fond of making a scene.

Vexations
Alessandro Deljavan, piano

Trois Gnossiennes
Alexandre Tharaud, piano

Le Fils des étoiles
Aldo Ciccolini, piano

Danses gothiques
Alessandro Simonetto, piano

Sonneries de la Rose+Croix: 1. Air de l'Ordre
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano

Prélude de la porte héroïque du ciel
Reinbert de Leeuw, piano

Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio Wales & West