Gymnopédie was written during the late Romantic period, and at the time it was a very groundbreaking piece. Eric Satie created 3 Gymnopédies that were meant to be simple, accessible to all levels of pianists, but still breathtakingly beautiful and able to allow listeners to get lost in its flowing melodies. At the time, it was not liked as it broke many compositional rules of the romantic era, however, entering the Contemporary period of music, simplicity was respected, standing out musically was admired, and his pieces rose to fame. Many argue that his works played a large role in the popularity of minimalism in music.
Today, Gymnopédie No. 1 stands as standard piano repertoire and is extremely popular. The simple melody and accompaniment leaves a lot of room for musical interpretation and improvisation. I had remembered you saying that you liked this piece, so I wanted to play it for your 70th birthday, but as I was learning the piece, I saw many opportunities to incorporate elements of my own into the classic. The result: Stella’s Variations on Gymnopédie. I hope that you enjoy it!!
Love,
Stella V.