MEANDERING MUSIC - Satie Gymnopedie no. 1 - Analysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ย. 2024
- Pianist Henrik Kilhamn attempts an analysis of Satie's emblematic and relaxing Gymnopedie no. 1. The music doesn't behave the way we expect it to; it moves around in modal ways, meandering through constantly shifting tonal centers. It's hard to even decide what key it's in because of the initial oscillation between two Maj7 chords.
0:16 introduction
2:04 Analysis
15:24 Conclusion
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Erik Satie: Gymnopedie no. 1: Lent et douloureux (1888)
📄 SCORE: Peters edition, 1986, Editor: Eberhardt Klemm, imslp.org
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I remember when I first heard this piece ,I was a angry teenager an had no time for any music outside of my rock experience.This music stopped me and made my mind go somewhere I didn't know, I'm not sure how to describe it ,sad haunting,melancholic,there is something eternal its beauty, ah bewitching! yes that's it.
I love this composer and thank you for explaining the functional analysis
Yes, bewitching.
@@soilmanted - Three total thumbs for "bewitching." Yes, that's Satie's Gymnopedie No.1
I love how Satie made one of the easiest piece to play stupidly hard to understand
exactly!
I don't find it AT ALL hard to understand.
"Understand" is just the wrong word to use here regarding Satie, because generally speaking, music is NOT meant to be "understood", but rather, experienced and felt deeply.
@@scotthullinger4684 The "purpose" of music is to provide something for people to hear, and feel, rather than to convey information or understanding about something. But that does not mean one cannot, if that is what one wishes to do, understand a piece of music in terms of melodic and harmonic constructions. I can understand what key, or keys, a bit of music is in. I can understand if its melodies and harmonies are confined to 12-tone equal temperament, or if other relative pitches are used. There are all kinds of things that can be investigated and understood. Or one can just listen. Or as Satie claimed, I suspect he claimed it disingenuously, one can have it being played in the background while one is not listening to it. Personally I am not interested in that last type of music. I think it often does more harm than good. And the reality of some of Satie's constructions (others may call them compositions, but as used here, the words are synonymous) often pique my interest and cause me to listen carefully.
@@soilmanted - I happen to believe music is absolutely BOTH.
But I of course, I prefer to concentrate on the music itself. Maybe if I were more the academic sort, then I'd have a different opinion. ??
I believe many composers are able to create great music without having much of an understanding at all, or at least on a conscious level.
By the way, I hardly believe that Satie was disingenuous in his comment, because after all, music is as much emotion as anything else, and very ethereal on occasion.
This is why I love the music of J. S. Bach, because he seemed to have arrived at both plains simultaneously. "Emotion via mathematics" - - as stupid as that might sound.
Yeah, Satie is cool. As a beginner I preferred playing proper pieces instead of boring exercises, and Satie is perfect for that. Quite easy technically, but sooo expressive and meaningful. I started with this one, followed by Gnossienne 1 and 3 and the amazing danses de travers. I would appreciate it very much if you could do more Satie analyses and explain why it sounds so elegant and exotic. Thanks!
I have done a video on the 1st Gnossienne now: th-cam.com/video/em4DWxZORI8/w-d-xo.html
@@SonataSecrets ... yeah, I already watched it! Very interesting, thanks! I love all your videos, you are amazing
I've just started learning piano and I want to learn more of his pieces !!
Lol 😆
I don’t play piano or any other instrument (don’t even have a clue how to) and got here because this awesome song. Despite not knowing how to play, I liked very much your explanations about the piece and its name. I watched till the end because the video is very nice. Thanks for that. 😊
I think Satie simply threw theory out the window and played what he felt....which came from his knowledge of music theory.
Thank you for deciphering this favorite piece of music. The genius is in the timing and stubborn irregularity. I never tire of its charm.
I agree!
I totally agree with him, it brings me such amazing feeling while playing this song, I feel like there is something "golden" inside me 🙂
Less than 1k subs? This is criminal... Im a guitar player of 3 yrs with decent theory and classical harmony knowledge and its really fun to hear what these concepts sound on piano.....
so of course I decide to try and learn a piece that basically follows no theory outside of the main ostinato
I feel like this piece is definetely a noobtrap with its deceptively difficult left hand jumps
Not less than 1K anymore! :D
Yes, it's harder to play on piano than what it sounds because the chord doesn't always fit so well. But it also works at a slower tempo.
Yes, the left hand jumps are very tricky!
I've been working on this piece for a few days. I decided to first read about Satie before absorbing the music, because it was clearly not written according to classical functional tonality. Then I came back and everything was clear. I took off my classical music glasses and put on my jazz ones. To be short: it is *very simple music* . No complex explanations necessary. Without going into detail: this is simply mixed mode in the key of D. *No* shifting of tonal centers. It is part of a technique known as extended tonality. At the same time he weakens/avoids the strong effect of a V7-I or similar resolutions, making the music more modal and less functional. To put it into historical context: it's an example of moderate modernism.
This song motivates me to start taking piano lessons. 🎹
I am starting to learn this piece and I found your analysis so helpful and inspiring. Thank you so much! :)
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this deeply intriguing analysis of such an otherworldly, gentle and dreamy composition.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Whenever I hear the melody, it feels like the word "Particulate Matter".
You are amazing, Sir. Your interpretation is amazing and you totally go into the music world whenever you do an analysis of some music. You are truly a virtuoso!
Thank you so much for going through this piece! Satie, and especially Gymnopédie No. 1, speaks volumes for me. You made it mean that much more! Thank you kindly. Might you also discuss one of Satie’s Gnossiennes? Those are great works from him as well! ☺️
Thank you so much Hailey, I'm glad it was helpful! I might do one of the Gnossiennes some time in the future...
Video on Gnossienne no. 1 is out now: th-cam.com/video/em4DWxZORI8/w-d-xo.html
Yet another well and clearly explained analysis of this wonderful peace. Well done!
Thank you!
Beautiful!
Ah, and a nice analysis of course!
Thanks a lot.
I play this masterpiece with a soprano saxophone, ans you make me understand lots of things about it
I think that due to Satie composing so close to when Jazz was becoming prominent helps to understand what he was doing with many of his compositions. It almost seems as though he was learning how jazz changes worried less about the actually “theory” reasons for making chords work with a tune and focused more on how to add color to a melody. Loved the analysis though!
Doesn’t he predate jazz?
You're an excellent teacher; I appreciate your time and expertise. Thank you!
Thanks for that . would love to hear an analysis of Gnossienne No 5 .
excellent video. this satie piece has been part of my life for years!
absolutely fantastic job analyzing this piece.
New to classical music and piano..... Love your analysis.... ❤️🎶🎶🎶
You explain it so clearly Henrik and with beautiful playing . Many thanks
Just found this - great stuff!
As a beginner pianist but very long time blues guitarist I totally get Satie. I’m amazed how many pianists fall into the trap of playing the melody too hurriedly after the slow chord introduction. If you don’t ‘feel’ the longing for the next note of the melody you’ll never achieve what Satie wanted with this music. You sir, play it with a real sense of longing. Thanks.
Nice analysis. I will use probably overused word, but this time, it makes sense - Satie was genius, really!
I really liked your video !!!! Thank you very much for explaining these complex things so easily . Please never stop .
Glad you like them!
Good harmonic analysis! I wouldn't have attempted to analyze it since right from the start you can't even establish the tonic of the piece! Invoking modes was clever.
Many thanks for those insights, Henrik; they change how I hear the piece
Très très bien
I really enjoy your channel! I spend lots of time in here. Thank you foi doing that, please don’t stop
Thank you Marcella, that's what it's for! :D
Excellent video! Great analysis and insightful breakdown of the music
Thanks so much for your videos. Please compose. Awesome videos. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge, you have no idea how much that means for all of us.
Hi Henrik, very interesting. Thanks for such a brilliant series of analysis. A question though, on my copy of Gymnopedie no. 1 bar 35 is different to your bar 35. The chord on the second beat is Fsharp minor. The notes from the bottom of the chord being A, Csharp and Fsharp. Published by Associated Board. Similar sound though.
Just learned a few Satie pieces, this is helpful for the second stage of practicing
A well- presented lesson on melody and harmony. Thank you!
Mr Kilhamn,,Thank you for the analysis.I like it very much.Gbu always
My pleasure!
Although I'm working on José de Azpiazu's transcription of Gymnopédie 1 for classical guitar (transcribed to key of E) your analysis gave me a fresh insight into the structure of this wonderful piece of music - many thanks! Years ago I read a biography of Satie which said the inspiration for the 3 Gymnopédies came to him while on a visit to the Louvre where he saw an ancient Greek vase in a vitrine. The Gymnopédies are a musical description of the vase seen from three different angles. (Finally, I think there should be a ban on using this music in any wildlife documentary or commercial advertisement!)
Thank you for the Louvre explanation
@@mariecohen3052 If you would like more details the biography was "Erik Satie" by James Harding (Publisher: Secker & Warburg, 1975).
I love this kind of music!
Tack 🙏 tack 🙏
that's awesome...thanks for the analysis.
Beautifully done!
Thank you so much 😀
Amazing analysis. Thanks
Muy buen análisis armónico y melódico de esta obra. Enhorabuena 👏👏👏👏
Thank you. I enjoyed this.
Perfect! Thank you.
This sheet looks so easy even I would manage to play them right away 😎
Great video 📹 👍
Great video!
Im learning it on guitar but still bery helpful!
I agreee, Center should be D(maj7), all chords are within the "quintenzirkel, or circle of fifths"...
My piano teacher and I tried to analyse the chords. We had about three to four possible answers for each chord. Truely a complex theoretical piece disguised as a simple one.
Thank you so much!!
2019 was 15 years ago....
Great video
If you watch TwoSet Violin, you may know this.
The 'Let et douloureux' part of Gymnopédie no. 1 sounds like Eddy Chen's LoFi track. He might take ideas from this piece.
I agree to that!
I'm here from TwoSet's Roasting Favorite Classical Pieces in 4 Words and discovered the naked boys ⛲ thingy to be true...
The relaxed feel must be due to the slow 3/4 timing. Thank you for analysis, I wondered why it went dark in the melody but I understand some of what Satie was trying to do now.
wonderful video!!
Several people have commented that Satie was consciously writing music that could be considered "background." I wonder if this aspect of Gymnopedie no. 1 would lend itself to making a Schenkerian graphic analysis? Has someone done a Schenkerian graph of this piece, and/or would you consider making/posting one?
Thankyou for this interesting video examining this well known piece of music from Erik Satie. Again, the analysis was a little above me, but I still appreciated it nonetheless. A good incentive for me to learn more musical theory!
Beautiful video
I wish I watched this video before my own analysis on my channel
Would that be mostly D major and Dorian interchange? A or Am chords is the V or v anyway.
Well, at some places sure but there's still a lot of places where even that doesn't fit...
Dorian #4
You described the music as being in the key of "superposition" to borrow a concept from quantum mechanics.
The only thing I have heard more pretty than this is the laughter of a small child .
Agreed with you Richard
10:00 here the note B has a strong dorian/lydian sound to it, so I'd say it's D dorian
I wouldn't discard it as easy stupid to play since the slow pace and the sincopations.are what make it harder than you would think to play
ERIK SATIE ERA UN JAZZEROOOO!!!!!!!
Why are your books on focus and your face off focus? Love the video. Thanks!
Lento e doloroso è per me non poter avere in italiano questa interessante analisi del brano. Mi devo forse rassegnare a perdere queste spiegazioni ? C'é un modo per avere l'analisi dei suoi brani in lingua italiana? Grazie
I have added italian subtitles to this now, auto-translated from the auto-generated so they are not perfect but hopefully they could be somewhat useful...
I want this song played at my funeral though I’m sure there will be no funeral
You can't think like that.
Good info. It would be nice if we could see the keyboard.
Where I can hear more pieces in this key? or scale? idk what to say, it's so.. eerie i love it.
Keys can be used to all sorts of character, scale is better but it's basically Satie's own style that makes it special... If you haven't heard his Gnossiennes I can really recommend them. Perhaps even more eerie, in minor keys.
th-cam.com/video/em4DWxZORI8/w-d-xo.html
@@SonataSecrets Gnossienne no. 1 is what made me fall in love with his work. Cheers!
Listen to "pieces froides" Satie
Thanks! As a non musician, i always thinks is there any backstory of these classic music
As in, A = B
This music A means Back story B
Or,
Is it open for any interpretation?
"What i hear is how i feel"?
3:50 Dmaj7 and Dmaj7?
This particular Gymnopedie and it´s playing-tempo characteristics as "slow and painfull" might be hinting on something about the definition of the classical gymnastic nude dance of young men into a highly homoerotic-interactive way which might links to some personal experiences on Satie´s life as a bi-gay and mostly then asexual in his private time and well some personal experience on something which ended being "painfull eventhough was slow pacing" when he got that. Therefore the Gymnopedie is so quite a highly personal experience of himself, about his personal aesthetic and sensual interests and the contradictory experiences he got after it, that eventhough desiring and loving it, he just couldn´t find a way to be more physical intimate after his bad dellusional experiences.
Or well so far it seems a possibility, of a very private intimate time between a young Satie (or someone as him) with other dude (maybe older or physically more imposing) having a special time together and the pacing of it is being blending along the simple ritualistic dance of the original Greek Gymnopedie as well as both high classical aesthetic praisings of youth male expression and the admiration after it in the high classical Greek time way.
Who can recommend other music of Satie? This piece, and a few others, are generally the ONLY compositions I ever manage to hear. SO ... which other compositions are there?
He has the six Gnossiennes that are quite pleasurable and interesting, but other than that most of his production is just quite weird... He has a work for piano duet called "Trois morceaux on forme de poire" that is nice though.
The nocturnes are nice.
@@delko000 - Great - I'll give then a listen.
You could analyse Feel it from kate bush
❤️❤️❤️
You use the pedal for this piece?
Yes, in every bar.
You have to otherwise your left hand sounds very weird.
I feel that this piece keeps D as the tonal center the entire time switching between D major and D dorian
Yeah, that probably makes the most sense. I feel it's just some bars in between that are still floating around too much :p
I also hear the G Pryghian with the C#. You make a good case for a purely modal analysis, even though that is not exactly the theory you are analyzing the song with.
Good god. I do not find Gymnopedie #1 to be at all relaxing. The evenly repeated bass notes played with the L hand tickle my ear and wake me up. The tone colors keep changing, and every time they change I ask "what the fack is going on here; where is this going? I have to find out. To find out, I have to wake up and pay attention." It does not put me to sleep. I find myself being beckoned to follow behind my guide to a new realm, and am aroused to walk behind her-him-it into a new realm, a simultaneously joyful and sorrowful new realm. This is one of my favorite pieces of music. I know Satie himself considered many of his compositions to be "background music" but I find this piece draws me in to listening carefully rather than stays in the background.
satie smoking jazz
Min plan är, att lära melodin på alt tvärflöjt 👍
But the first ending is D major so it has to be D major (even though it ends on D minor)
But Chopin did the same type of cadence for his Nocturne in B major Op. 32 No. 1 with an ending in B minor
Ending is one indicator of key and in more traditional forms this is almost always true, but in more modern music that rule is not always applicable.
Regarding the Chopin nocturne it's actually a very unusual ending going to minor like that, but it's so cool. In Satie it's not as surprising because the tonality is less clear all the way.
Mathematics is easier for me to understand than all this harmony and functional analysis thing. I wish I understand all this someday.
The second ending takes some work.
Son accent 😫😍
Anyway, this song is amazing...
this is the predecessor to MUSZAK 😂 🤣😂 🤣
Exactly!
I needed a shorter concised explanation, the music itself is slow makes it hard to anticipate. So faster in depth telling wouldve been better from a brilliant teacher
I appreciate that Satie might be the first self-proclaimed pedophiles.
This is not relaxing. Its melancholy.
I hate this piece. Hate hate hate
Hater!
why?
@@delko000 i don't know
I don't understand...!!!
Just enjoy it.... Beatifull